"He can do better"- Dimitar Berbatov snubs Harry Maguire from his Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur combined 5-a-side team
Dimitar Berbatov has named his Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur combined 5-a-side team ahead of their Premier League clash. The Bulgarian interestingly chose Eric Dier over Harry Maguire for the centre-back spot.
The Red Devils will host Antonio Conte's side at Old Trafford later tonight. Manchester United will be looking to bounce back from their 4-1 defeat to Manchester City. Spurs, on the other hand, will be keen to extend their winning run in the Premier League to three games.
Berbatov is looking forward to the game at Old Trafford as two of his former clubs go head-to-head. Speaking ahead of the match, the former striker also named his Manchester United and Tottenham combined 5-a-side team.
The Bulgarian was asked to choose between Maguire and Dier for the defender's spot. He opted for the Spurs star and insisted that the Manchester United captain currently has more downs than ups. He told Footy Accumulators:
"I must say Eric Dier at this moment in time because Harry Maguire has been receiving a lot of criticism lately, some of it justified, some of it not so much. But, he can do better, I know he can. I like him as a player to be honest because he is very calm on the ball for a central defender, but he has downs now more than ups. For this reason, I'll go with Eric Dier."
#TheGroupChat w/@Betfair The legendary Dimi Berbatov has told us his combined United/Spurs 5-a-side team... ๐๐ง๐ฌ
GK: De Gea
DEF: Dier
MID: McTominay
ATT: Son
ATT: Kane
Has Berba got this right? ๐
โฝ #TheGroupChat w/@Betfair โฝ https://t.co/NVJzCokA56
Berbatov chose Red Devils number 1 David de Gea as his preferred goalkeeper from the two teams. He then picked Scott McTominay ahead of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
The 41-year-old named Heung-min Son and Harry Kane as the last two players on his team. It is worth noting that Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo missed out on a spot in Berbatov's side.
Berbatov urges Rangnick to drop Manchester United captain Maguire
Maguire has been the subject of severe criticism from fans and pundits this season. The England international received further backlash following his performance against Manchester City last weekend.
Harry Maguire has to be the worst signing this club has ever made
Berbatov thus urged Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick to drop Maguire from the team. He wrote in his Betfair column:
"I played with some great leaders at United, such as Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney, and when things are not going well for the team the finger is always pointed at the captain. Harry Maguire can perform better. He knows that. The mistakes he is making are damaging his ability to lead the team. He needs to correct his positioning and work on his decision-making."
"It's not easy, when you are under pressure, but I have been there and that is the nature of playing for a top club. It is part of being a professional. You need to deal with it. Ralf Rangnick can step in here. Maybe he needs to give Maguire a rest and give somebody else a chance."
Maguire has made 29 appearances across all competitions for the Old Trafford outfit so far this season. It remains to be seen if Rangnick will drop the defender from his lineup following his poor performance against Manchester City.