"You don't always see that" - Jaap Stam says Manchester United currently lack aggression and resilience
Manchester United legend Jaap Stam has slammed Harry Maguire for his poor performances this season. The former Dutch defender, who made 127 appearances for the Red Devils, recently made an appearance on The Michael Anthony Show.
He was asked to share his opinion about the current United captain, who has been error-prone this season. The centre-back's defensive mistakes have cost Manchester United big time in the league with the side conceding goals at an alarming rate.
Stam, an impeccable defender himself back in his playing days, feels Maguire overdoes his work at times, while also questioning the massive transfer fee United paid to sign him.
Stam said:
"It’s a lot of money they paid for him. To be honest when I saw him at Leicester City he was a decent player."
Maguire became the world's most expensive defender following his staggering £80 million switch from Leicester City in 2019. While his first two seasons were decent, the England international has been a huge liability for Manchester United this season.
"To be honest when I saw him at Leicester City he was a decent player.
I think Wes Brown was quicker and faster than him. He was more mobile too in 1v1’s in big spaces. When you play for United you need to be able to defend 1v1s in big spaces."
-Jaap Stam on Harry Maguire #MUFC https://t.co/s8HlviquUb
Maguire compared with former Manchester United defender Brown
Stam was asked to compare Maguire to Wes Brown, another former Manchester United defender and a key part of the club's history.
Brown lifted 13 titles during 14 illustrious years at Old Trafford, including five Premier League and two Champions League trophies. He was also a substantial figure in their historic treble-winning squad of 1999. Stam, who played alongside Brown for many years, felt the former centre-back was quicker and more mobile.
The Dutchman also complimented his former teammate's ability to defend in one-on-one situations.
"I think Wes Brown was quicker and faster than him. He was more mobile too in 1v1’s in big spaces. When you play for United you need to be able to defend 1v1s in big spaces. I do think it is important to have good players around him [Maguire]. When he has good players around him to support him that helps. When I had good players around me, I could perform a little bit better too," said Stam.
"I’ve seen Maguire play good football too but I think sometimes he wants to do more than what has been asked of him. Sometimes he needs to play a little bit more simple. In his way of thinking as well. I really think that the players in front of him can help him out. They can help him play out. Then the partnership with Varane should help him. I think it’s good that he can step in as well," he added.
Maguire is among the highest paid stars in the Manchester United squad, taking home £200,000-a-week in wages.
Harry Maguire with a wake up call for Manchester United 🗣 https://t.co/gBgERQrcBF
This has been questioned by many fans who feel the Englishman is overpaid considering he's not lived up to his hefty price tag yet. Stam also expressed his perplexity at the decision to splurge such a large sum on the defender.
He said:
"If nobody is happy with Harry and how he is playing and performing, they should look at the recruitment system. Look at who made the decision to bring him in and how decided to pay that much for a player we really don’t fancy or a player we really don’t like."