Man Utd midfield torn apart as Graeme Souness makes cheeky comment defending Harry Maguire

Ralf Rangnick previews Liverpool v Man Utd

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Manchester United’s under-fire midfield has been torn apart by Graeme Souness ahead of the Red Devils’ trip to Liverpool. United have endured a dreadful season, with the problems in their squad frequently highlighted, including the suitability of captain Harry Maguire featuring in central defence.

Those issues reared their ugly ahead again on Saturday when Norwich managed to fight back from two goals down, before Cristiano Ronaldo scored the matchwinner. That comeback from the Canaries was in large part due to awful defending from United, sparking renewed questions about their squad.

Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard were selected as the midfield trio at Old Trafford, with Nemanja Matic, Fred and Scott McTominay all also having poor seasons. And that has led to Souness making a cheeky comment in which he laid the blame for Maguire’s struggles at the door of United’s midfield.

“He [Maguire] has got qualities, he is good on the ball and good in the air. He reads the game okay, he is not the quickest and it is very easy to look at Manchester United and put all the results down to your defending,” Souness told Sky Sports.

“But when I played, equally as important and playing a clever pass I took in as much pleasure as making sure that my two centre backs were never exposed. I think if you look at Manchester United’s makeup in midfield, it has never been right. I’ve said it before, I don’t think Paul Pogba does enough.

“Liverpool’s success has been based on their midfield and the intensity in which they press with players like James Milner and Jordan Henderson, and that is why they have become so successful. They (Manchester United) get passed through too easily, they are not pressing collectively.

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“I look at Manchester United’s midfield, and I could play 45 minutes against them now because they play with no real intensity. It is very easy to point the finger to Harry Maguire and whoever his partner is and say, they aren’t doing their job, but they need help from their midfielders.”

United boss Ralf Rangnick opted for a surprise change in formation for Tuesday’s trip to Anfield. Pogba and Fernandes kept their place despite the Norwich horror show, with Matic joining them as the Red Devils lined up in a 3-5-2 system.

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