Harry: We’ll keep coming up short if mistakes carry on
HARRY MAGUIRE accepts Manchester United will continue to fall short in their quest for success unless they learn from the errors that saw their Champions League hopes go up in smoke at RB Leipzig.
After making a fine start to their group campaign, winning at Paris Saint-Germain and thrashing RB Leipzig 5-0, United fell away badly, Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat in Germany dumping them into the Europa League.
Three down, United pulled two goals back late on but it was not enough and Maguire was left frustrated.
‘We’ve got to go home, look at ourselves because it’s not good enough for this club to go out in a group in the Champions League,’ Maguire said.
‘We’re disappointed. Of course it’s frustrating (conceding early goals). As a defender you want to be keeping clean sheets and we seem to be shooting ourselves in the foot in the first five minutes of the game.
‘It’s a poor goal to give away. We’ve come here, we’ve known a (draw) is good enough to get through to the knockout stage and we concede after two minutes. It’s not acceptable.
‘We’ve got to look at ourselves. I said it on Saturday (after coming back to win at West Ham) and I keep saying it to the lads, we can’t keep giving goals away and coming from behind.
‘Although we do have great belief that we can get back into the game, one time we won’t manage to do so and unfortunately it’s been (on Tuesday) because we can’t start a game like we have done.’
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was firm in his belief afterwards that last month’s shock defeat at Istanbul Basaksehir really cost the Reds dear.
And Maguire admitted: ‘It has a part to play. We’ve dropped three points there but I think you’ve seen the other night against PSG, the amount of chances we had. We deserved to get something. Then (on Tuesday), on another day we create enough to get something from the game.
‘But we started the game really poor, especially when we’re coming away from home at a team that has got a great record at home and give them a goal after two minutes.
‘It’s not acceptable and we’ve got to learn from it, and quick, because if we want to be successful and start winning trophies and challenging for the best titles, we’ve got to do better.’
United will have to bounce back quickly too, with neighbours Manchester City visiting Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday.
‘It’s the perfect game to have,’ Maguire said. ‘I haven’t thought about it as I’m digesting this.
‘All the boys are all so disappointed but I’ve got to pick them up, the gaffer has got to pick them up.
‘It’s a massive game and there’s no better feeling than winning the Manchester derby at Old Trafford.’
it is not acceptable and we have got to learn from it, and quick