Heading into the game, one player was subject to plenty of discussion – Harry Maguire. He has been criticised in recent seasons for his performances by pundits and supporters.
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The international break is done and dusted, as players return to their respective clubs to resume their domestic duties. After a couple of weeks’ break, Premier League returns in full swing and there are plenty of interesting games to look forward to this weekend. One such match is a contest between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion. It will be interesting to see how this one transpires.
Manchester United have made a mixed start to the new Premier League season. They have won two and lost two. Both defeats have come away from home. On the other hand, Brighton have made a brilliant start and have been scoring goals for fun. United will be keen to bounce back from the late 3-1 defeat they suffered against Arsenal last time out, while Brighton will be eager to continue their good momentum at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Heading into the game, one player was subject to plenty of discussion – Harry Maguire. He has been criticised in recent seasons for his performances by pundits and supporters. England head coach Gareth Southgate came to Maguire’s defence during the international break and his club manager, Erik ten Hag, has also come to his defence now. Ahead of United’s contest against Brighton, ten Hag was question about the Maguire situation.
To that the manager, in his pre-match press conference, quoted by the club’s website, said, “I think I have said already, many times, it is disrespectful. He does not deserve it, he is a great player and [he has] given great performances. It’s crazy but it’s how it works and Harry has to block this by [his] performances.” Asked how Maguire is dealing with them, ten Hag replied, “Good. But this is also unjustified to his career. It’s a great career and it has a lot to come. He has to block it by good performances.”
Erik ten Hag’s time at Manchester United as manager began against Brighton last season in his very first Premier League game. The Red Devils lost that match 2-1. He was asked how does he see this team now against Brighton, compared to when he first started. “I love to play them. It is not typical and we had two great games against them and it was really head-to-head and we have to play tomorrow at our best. They will not let you sacrifice or suffer but also, it [also] gives you a lot of options. I am really looking forward to going into that fight,” he explained.
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