Lonnick's four months at United, when answering questions from reporters at press conferences, was very direct. But at lunchtime on Friday, at the club's Carrington training base, there was a problem that the German coach did not explain. He and many others could not understand why Maguire was booed when he played for England on international match day. Three Lions head coach Southgate strongly condemned the fan reaction, and Maguire's national team teammates have stepped up to support the Manchester United captain.
"I can't understand what happened at Wembley tonight," Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson wrote on social media, "Harry Maguire is a giant for England. Without him, the progress made in the last two tournaments would not have been possible. Booed at his home court for no reason? What have we become? What happened tonight was completely wrong. As someone who wants to win in England, I'm lucky enough to share a dressing room with him. We all feel the same way! ”
Most people are confused because Maguire's performance when wearing the England team shirt is always reassuring. He was named to the England squad for Euro 2020 and was a key figure in helping Southgate's side reach the final. Since October 2020, he has made 14 appearances for England, winning 12, drawing 2 and losing 0, conceding 10 games without conceding goals and scoring 6 goals. In his last 19 appearances for England, they have conceded only five goals. His name was still being sung at Wembley just nine months ago, when fans were soaking up the excitement of reaching the Final of the European Championship. However, less than a year later, we returned to the same location and he was booed.
We don't know why some people at Wembley Stadium booed him in the Three Lions game against Ivory Coast. Probably because he's been in poor form at Manchester United recently, fans feel he doesn't deserve a place in Southgate's latest squad. Judging by the performances this season, Manchester United fans do have reason to be unhappy with the centre-back's performance, but England fans have not. In This week's United home match against Leicester, fans at Old Trafford will show their support for the 29-year-old.
"Since I came here, I talk to him a lot, he knows where I stand against him, he's a very valuable player, he's captain of the team and the club," Lonnick said on Friday, "I don't understand what's going on at Wembley, but I'm pretty sure that with the support of the team and the club for him, it's not going to happen in our stadium." He is a very important player and in the last few years he has played well for Manchester United and England. "Club fans are very loyal to their players and Maguire will find out when he leads the team on the weekend. But their loyalty is not blind, and while they are expected to verbally support the defender, it is widely accepted that their performances do need to be improved.
The first game of the season against Leicester City was Maguire's worst game of the season. He quickly returned to the starting eleven after an injury, and he looked dull, rusty and clumsy as he was constantly ridiculed by supporters at The Crown Court. His inclusion in the squad has also caused problems in the United dressing room, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's management ability has been more questioned. Lonnick was not as loyal to Maguire as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He is not afraid to take him out of the main squad and has excluded him from the team three times since taking over last December. Maguire has found that while the captain's armband remains and the club only privately admits that there is room for improvement in his recent performances, he is not indispensable.
Despite the criticism of the £80 million player, many of which were justified, there was a sense that while his performance on the pitch could be criticised, his behaviour could not be criticised. Some trolls in the online world say he took on some "good PR" tasks after some poor performances, but his recent behavior is consistent with his performance since joining. He has maintained a keen interest in helping the club's young players and asked if he could speak to players under the age of 18 ahead of the Manchester United Youth FA Cup semi-finals before cheering them on in the stands last month. Recently, when the U18 player signed his first professional contract, he met with their families.
His help to Paul Woolston, a 23-year-old who was forced to retire early due to injury, was also praised. Maguire met him for half an hour on the day he learned he had to hang up his boots, providing a series of opportunities for the unfortunate goalkeeper. It was an act of grace, not a performance that was detrimental to himself. But even the best off-court comfort can't distract people from their poor performances on the pitch. The only way to silence the nasty guys and those who doubt his abilities is to improve his performance on the pitch.