“That’s really strange” – Noel Whelan identifies what has been ‘real surprise’ at Manchester United
Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has expressed his surprise at Manchester United's lack of goals from corners following his team's 4-2 loss in the Premier League on Sunday.
United captain Harry Maguire rose high above Leeds defender Marcos Llorente to put his side ahead. In the process, the visitors ended the damning stat with regard to a lack of goals from corners.
Harry Maguire breaks the deadlock! ⚽
The Manchester United captain gets on the end of Luke Shaw's corner to nod the away side into the lead! https://t.co/4fxDOJ6MqY
The Old Trafford outfit had failed to score a goal in their previous 139 corners in the Premier League spanning ten months. Whelan was surprised by the stat, telling Football Insider in this regard:
“Wow, they’ve got some real height in that box, so that stat comes as a real surprise,”
Speaking about Maguire's headed goal that ended the streak, Whelan added:
“Diego Llorente got himself all tangled up, and Maguire just got a run on him – and that’s very difficult to stop. It’s very surprising that it’s the first one, however. They’ve got the likes of Varane, Maguire, McTominay, Rashford, Ronaldo, all in the box. The quality of set-piece taker is very high as well, so that’s really strange.”
Indeed, Manchester United have many capable set-piece takers, including Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw, Alex Telles and Jadon Sancho.
After finally scoring from a corner set-piece, the Red Devils will look to end what has been a demoralising season on a high by finishing in the top four. They are currently four points clear of fifth-placed West Ham United after 26 games.
Was Sunday's game a turning point for Manchester United captain Harry Maguire?
Since joining the club for £80 million from Leicester City in 2019, Harry Maguire has blown hot and cold. Recently, it has been an uphill battle for the world's most expensive defender to fight off criticism about his performances.
On arriving at Manchester United, he was immediately made club captain by former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. That only added pressure to what was already a huge challenge for the player.
Every Maguire mistake has been met with memes, with video analysis and pundits providing a scathing portrayal of the 28-year-old. More often than not, his positives are ignored.
Maguire's performances for England at both the Euros and the FIFA World Cup in recent years were met with acclaim. However, when he has performed for Manchester United, they have been disregarded by many as "he plays in a back three" for England.
You Reds 🔴 https://t.co/lMFxTvIkTg
Nevertheless, his goal and performance against Leeds should help Maguire rebuild his confidence, as the scrutiny coming his way recently has been overwhelming.
A recent report suggested Maguire was set to give up captaincy to Cristiano Ronaldo only made the England international come out fighting both on social media and on the pitch. Whether he can continue this form remains to be seen, though.