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Harry Maguire becomes the third man sent off at Wembley by England
Harry Maguire suffered a chaotic 31 minutes before coming out of his own misery when England lost to Denmark at Wembley; his premature departure raised the question of whether he now needs a longer break from the game.
The 27-year-old Manchester United captain displayed a distracted and chaotic figure as he endured a personal nightmare, his conclusion with a red card carrying an air of inevitability from the moment he recklessly lunged at Yussuf Poulsen to pick up an early yellow. .
It was the start of a performance that was almost painful to watch, poor positioning, a suggestion of injury, and then an amateur control that led to the desperate onslaught against Kasper Dolberg that not only wounded the forward but sent Maguire down the tunnel. .
Maguire seemed totally devoid of confidence, a lost soul, and an accident waiting to happen, which eventually happened.
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He comes to the end of a period that seems to have taken its toll on Maguire and, unfortunately, leaves him as a defensive drag on the club and the country.
Maguire’s troubles began in August when he received a suspended sentence of 21 months and 10 days in prison after he was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insults following a trial on the Greek island of Syros. .
He maintains his innocence and has filed an appeal, which means a new trial and the conviction is set aside in the meantime, but it feels and it seems that the weight of this incident and its public consequences have been carried over into the new season, as normally The exuberant and combative character, who reveled in his ‘man of the people’ persona at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, seems concerned.
Maguire was always at an extravagant price tag of £ 80 million, but a player who is a solid and useful Premier League defender and has become one of the most trusted team members of England coach Gareth Southgate now seems hopelessly out of shape. .
He has become a difficult figure as United’s defense has been ripped apart by Crystal Palace, Brighton and of course Tottenham in that 6-1 humiliation at Old Trafford.
And when referee Jesús Gil Manzano showed him the red card, Maguire looked like an individual who had hit rock bottom.
England men have received three red cards in a single calendar year for the first time
This was a performance by Maguire who was sending out distress signals from practically the first whistle. Control was poor, discipline was worse, even the simplest tasks (a pass, a punt) seemed like an all-powerful fight.
Maguire’s display, in a soccer context, is to be criticized, but it’s clear his fragile form and what seems like a confusing mental approach to the game will need careful handling, not just by Southgate, but more importantly by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at United. .
The defender looks like someone who could benefit from some time on the sidelines to collect his thoughts, clear his mind and get back to something like the player and personality that had enough of an impact at Old Trafford after his move from Leicester to receive the captain’s armband. . .
It’s a tough balancing act because Maguire may not want to be pulled out of the firing line and such are United’s current struggles that Solskjaer may feel like he needs his leader to fight for him.
What is clear is that now he will need more sympathy and support than Solskjaer and United have given him so far.
Maguire’s red card was a low point on a very indifferent night for England: the first time they have sent off two players, with Reece James sent off for dissent after the final whistle.
It was characterized by another ultra-conservative team selection from Southgate based on three men at the rear and Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips holding on in midfield.
We’re reviewing an old argument here, one he had when an equally cautious England played a terrible scoreless draw in Copenhagen in early September.
England’s approach is understandable to some extent against teams like Belgium, but what threats does Denmark possess that require such a defensive mindset and approach?
As the game progressed, Southgate still seemed very reluctant to let go of the handbrake, even considering the fact that England had been down to 10 men.
Denmark now overtakes England in Group A2 on goal difference
England tried towards the end against resistance from Denmark, but they were doing it with Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who had come off the bench, on the left flank and Jordan Henderson, the replacement chosen for Declan Rice later.
Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish fans had a real cause for complaint here, as a player who proved against Wales that he has rare creative flair remained in his seat on the bench.
Calvert-Lewin is having a magnificent season as a scorer, but in this situation he is not the man who chooses a pass to unlock the Danes, he should be the man at the end of them.
Southgate will have his reasons for not using Grealish, but for those of us watching him, it didn’t seem like an obvious explanation for keeping him behind while others continued.
It was a night of many questions for England and Southgate. A braver approach than this will be required when it comes to the true commercial finale of a major tournament.
And, for Maguire, it was a desperate experience that he will want to quickly forget.
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Source: bbc.com
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