Jamie Carragher advises Harry Maguire to ‘get furious and start to strike back’
Jamie Carragher has advised Harry Maguire to ‘get furious and start to strike back’ as he continues to suffer ‘harrassment’ from supporters and even his own teammates.
Maguire is down the pecking order at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag, making just one substitute appearance so far this season. His confidence is clearly at an extremely low ebb, but he continues to be picked for England, starting against Ukraine last weekend and coming on against Scotland on Tuesday, scoring an own goal at Hampden which inevitably led to much derision.
Carragher says the abuse Maguire has taken from supporters, from opposition fans but also supporters of his own club and country amounts to harrassment. The former Liverpool defender also beleives Maguire has been ‘belittled’ by his own teammates, such as when Andre Onana screamed at him in pre-season and dressing room arguments over the captaincy with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Carragher’s Advice
Looking back at experiences frm his own career, Carragher says Maguire may not be able to control what fans do, but he can demand respect from other players and suggests he ‘starts to strike back’.
Carragher wrote in The Telegraph: ‘When I was 21 and broke into the Liverpool team, I endured tough moments, scoring two own goals against Manchester United. The knives were out.
‘Hearing all the derision – some of it from my own supporters – made me react in the next game away at Hull City. My default response was anger.
”I don’t give a f*** what anyone thinks anymore,” I thought. I was going to show people they would not walk all over me.
‘My confession in my 2008 autobiography that I once put a late tackle in training on a teammate, Rigobert Song, because he laughed when he heard I had been called up by England grabbed headlines. No-one dared try and take the p*** out of me like that again.
‘Obviously, I would not condone Maguire doing the same to anyone showing disrespect, but he could do with some more fire in his belly; to get furious and start to strike back. He does not strike me as such a character. That is why he has become easy prey.’
Gareth Southgate’s Support
England boss Gareth Southgate spoke out against criticism of Maguire after the 3-1 win over Scotland this week, slamming people who have abused him as ‘idiots’ and claims against the defender as ‘a joke’.
‘The reaction tonight is a consequence of idiots really from our side who have created that environment,’ Southgate said after Maguire was jeered in Glasgow.
‘So what I think was brilliant tonight was our fans who were here recognised that they’re going to protect their own. We should be doing that.
‘We’re creating a problem for our own player. Some of the articles that were written, some of the comments that were made, were an absolute joke.
‘He’s been a tower of strength for us through one of the most successful periods of English football and the response tonight – I understand Scottish fans, they’re having some fun – but it’s created by our own side, it’s ridiculous.’
Conclusion
Jamie Carragher has urged Harry Maguire to take matters into his own hands and fight back against the criticism he has been receiving from fans and even his own teammates. England manager Gareth Southgate also came out in support of Maguire this week, calling out those who have been abusing him as ‘idiots’ and ‘a joke’. It remains to be seen how Maguire will respond to this advice and support, but it’s clear that he needs to find a way to regain his confidence if he is to get back into the Manchester United team.
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