"It was stupid how we went down" - Erik ten Hag slams Manchester United star for his error in 1-1 Athletic Bilbao draw
Erik ten Hag has slammed Harry Maguire for his error in Manchester United's 1-1 friendly draw against Athletic Bilbao yesterday (August 6).
The Red Devils went 1-0 down at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin when Maguire carelessly lost possession in his team's defensive third. Two passes later, Nico Williams had a clear sight of goal and managed to score past Tom Heaton.
Maguire was solely responsible for the loss of possession and the resulting goal from Williams in the 29th minute. Highlighting the mistake, Ten Hag said after the game, via GOAL:
"I think the start of the game was also very good and we should have scored a goal to go up, because it was a great chance from Jadon Sancho. We had some good moments after that as well and it was stupid how we went down but as I said, we had a result and we came back so it was a good weekend for us."
With the score at 0-0, Jadon Sancho had a golden chance to put his team in front when he was played through on goal by Facundo Pellistri. But his weak left-footed shot was easily saved by the outstretched right foot of Unai Simon.
Maguire stayed on the pitch for the entirety of the game along with Victor Lindelof in central defense. Despite Aitor Paredes' sending off in the 66th minute, the Red Devils had to wait until the third minute of stoppage time for Pellistri's equalizer.
The Red Devils will now be solely focused on the Premier League season opener against Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 14.
West Ham want Manchester United duo including Harry Maguire - Reports
West Ham United are reportedly working on a double deal to sign Manchester United's Harry Maguire (30) and Scott McTominay (26).
The Hammers, as per GOAL, had a £20 million bid for Maguire turned down by the Red Devils this summer. Football Insider claims that the English centre-back and McTominay could cost £30 million each.
The Hammers, boosted by the £105 million they received from Declan Rice's sale to Arsenal last month, could sign the duo for a combined £60 million. Both Maguire and McTominay have drastically fallen down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag.
Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and Mason Mount have been signed as upgrades in midfield by the Dutchman. Meanwhile, he prefers the pairing of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez at the heart of Manchester United's defense.