Harry Maguire Admits Man Utd Lack Bravery as Winless Run Hits Six

• Harry Maguire, named Sky Sports’ player of the match, said Manchester United are “not as brave as we should be” after a 1-1 draw at Leeds.
• United have won one of their seven Premier League games this season, matching 1986-87, the last time they had one win after seven games.
• Michael Carrick called the draw “a step in the right direction” and said United’s confidence “isn’t sky-high”.

Maguire Backs the Fight but Wants More Courage on the Ball

Harry Maguire did not hide behind the point. Manchester United’s player of the match told Sky Sports after the 1-1 draw at Elland Road that his team are “not as brave as we should be”, and that “we have to get that back”. Winning games for United, he said, demands “that bravery and composure”.

The draw stretched United’s winless run to six games across all competitions, according to the Evening Standard. Bryan Mbeumo gave them the lead 10 minutes before half-time. Dominic Calvert-Lewin levelled for Leeds at the start of the second half, and Maguire pointed to the way the goal came about.

Where Maguire Thinks United Fell Short

United changed shape for the trip to Leeds, and Maguire explained the plan. “We worked on it this week,” he said. “We wanted to match them up without the ball and go quite aggressive.” He described it as “a bit of a five without the ball and a bit of a four with the ball”, with a fluid midfield. United knew they could “get a lot of joy in the middle of the pitch” with Leeds playing only two players there.

That is where he felt the team gave away the most. “That’s probably the area of the game where we could’ve done more,” Maguire said. “We could’ve been a bit braver with the ball and taken the ball under pressure.”

He had no complaint about the effort. “You can’t question the togetherness, the spirit, the fight,” he said. “This is a tough place to come. Leeds have been flying in the league.” The set piece stung. “When you come to places like this, you can’t be beaten on set plays and we conceded a set play which got them back in the game,” Maguire said, calling it “disappointing” to concede one after half-time. United “probably looked the more likely to go and win it” in the closing stages, he said, but “a draw is probably fair”.

A Dressing Room Tested by the Martinez Row

The game was United’s first after Lisandro Martinez made controversial comments about the club’s board and his teammates after the 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid, the Standard reported. Martinez has apologised, and Maguire was asked about the fallout.

“There’s been a lot of noise around the club this week, as there is every week, but more so this week,” Maguire told Sky Sports. “Lisandro [Martinez] has come out and apologised. We’ve moved on from it. He played today and I thought he was brilliant in the first half.”

Martinez did not come out for the second half and Noussair Mazraoui replaced him. Carrick said the defender “felt his thigh a little bit”. Maguire added: “Fingers crossed he’s not picked up a serious injury.” The Standard reported that Martinez could be a doubt for United’s Champions League game against Como on Wednesday.

Before the match, Carrick had said of Martinez’s public statement: “He’s released his statement and realised he made a mistake. That’s enough for us to move on with.”

Asked about the strain on the squad, Maguire did not play it down. “It is always tested when you play for this club, especially when you’re not winning football matches,” he said. “This season, we’ve played nowhere near well enough to win as many football matches as we did last season.” The numbers back him up. Sky Sports reported that United have won one of seven league games this season (four draws, two defeats), their fewest wins at this stage of a top-flight campaign, matching 1986-87.

Carrick Sees a Step Forward, and Neville Liked the Football

Carrick took a more positive view. Asked whether the draw was a step in the right direction, he told Sky Sports: “It definitely was. If there’s any weakness, it gets found out today. I could feel before the game that the players were ready for it.”

He did not claim a perfect afternoon. “It wasn’t perfect. Our confidence isn’t sky-high, but the players were trying to do the right things,” Carrick said. “In moments we looked really good. Defended really well as a team.” He also praised Daniel Farke’s side as “a very good team” and said United’s players “stood up to it”.

Farke had spoken up for Carrick before the game. “We should back young British managers,” the Leeds head coach said, and he added: “The outside world wants to see everyone fail.” On Sky Sports’ coverage, Gary Neville said of Mbeumo’s opener: “Manchester United have played well.” He added that Mbeumo “had missed some chances but this time he takes it. It has been coming, it has been deserved.”

One incident left United supporters angry. In the 19th minute, Leeds defender Gabriel Gudmundsson caught Andrey Santos on the back of the leg with his studs and referee Darren England showed a yellow card. The Standard reported that many United fans felt it should have been a red, and that the Premier League’s Match Centre had not commented on the tackle.

United’s next test is Como in the Champions League on Wednesday. Maguire’s closing line was short: “We’ll stick together and go again.”