Manchester United vs the ex-players-turned-pundits is not a fight many expected coming into the season, but Harry Maguire has just fanned the flames of it again.
The likes of Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Roy Keane, and Gary Neville have been brutal in their criticism of the Man Utd squad, even arguably crossing the line at times.
It has led to a sense of toxicity around the squad, not helped by the fact that Man Utd invite more criticism than most clubs on the most serene days.
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Harry Maguire was recently asked what he thinks of these criticisms coming from ex-Man Utd players, and he didn’t think twice before shutting the narrative down.
Harry Maguire’s brutally honest verdict on criticism
If there was ever a person in the United squad who knows what it’s like to endure extreme criticism and come back with his reputation enhanced, it’s Harry Maguire.
He’s been on the cusp of leaving the club multiple times, has been called the worst of the worst, and yet, remains a key part of Ruben Amorim’s plans, turning the narrative around his career.
As the noise from ex-players has ramped up this season, especially because of the Kobbie Mainoo situation, Maguire was asked about how the squad deals with it all during A League Of Their Own broadcast on Sky.
He didn’t mince his words, directly saying that even if it’s on TV when they are watching, one of them gets up and turns it off.
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He said: “If we spoke about pundits speaking about Manchester United, we’d be speaking about them 24/7. Someone would be straight up there and pressing the button to turn it [The TV] off.”
This is along the lines of what was expected, because shutting out the noise is increasingly becoming the prime ability required to succeed at Old Trafford.
Man Utd’s ex-pros are an anomaly
Maguire is perfectly right in trying to shut out the noise created by the ex-players because it is becoming a uniquely United phenomenon.
At every other club, the ex-players protect the club and its players, and even if they attack the players, like the recent case of Jamie Carragher for Salah, it’s to protect the club’s interests.
Only at United does everything get blown out of proportion, and only extreme swings dictate the discussion for the day.
One would never hear Ian Wright throw an Arsenal player under the bus, and the way Florian Wirtz has been protected by the media is bordering on insanity.
On the other hand, you are only as good as your last game at United, and that also puts the pitchforks to rest, instead of putting them away entirely.
In such an environment where the feedback crosses the line into destructive criticism, the way the Man Utd squad deals with it is the best possible way to go about it.
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