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Manchester United defender, Harry Maguire, has echoed his manager’s sentiments that every game for the club between now and the rest of the season is like a cup final.
The Red Devils have had a rollercoaster of a season and find themselves sixth in the Premier League table and 13 points off the top after 24 games.
To compound matters, it is arch rivals Liverpool that currently top the table and were they to do the unthinkable and win the league this year, they would draw level with the Mancunian side’s record of 20 league titles.
Unfortunately, due to horrendous autumn form, United will have no say in the title race but can still qualify for the Champions League spots after securing crucial back-to-back victories against West Ham and Aston Villa, to draw within five points of the Villans in fifth, and six of Tottenham in fourth.
United coach, Erik ten Hag, has recently commented that due to the precarious situation the club finds itself in, every game is like a cup final.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference before the trip to Villa Park last Sunday, the former Ajax coach claimed, “I said to the team from the start of January every game is now a final. That was also our approach to West Ham, this is a final, we have to take this challenge and see it as a final. That will be every day now from on”.
In an interview with Sky Sports, former captain, Harry Maguire, has reiterated this stance.
Speaking on the club’s recent form, where they have won six from seven games in all competitions, the England international claimed, “we’ve had a good period, but that’s it really. We’re still not where we want to be, we’re still playing catch up on the points tally”.
“It’s been a nice few games for us but we have another big game at the weekend, and then another one after. We have to take each game as it comes and make sure we get the three points”.
The interviewer then asked Maguire whether he agreed with his coach’s assessment that every game is like a cup final for the Red Devils and he retorted, “yeah, definitely”.
The defender did admit that United had bigger ambitions at the start of the season than only reaching the top four but he claimed that the team now knows its objectives for the rest of the campaign.
“We know where we are, we’re realistic, we’ve got to reach Champions League football for this club, because that’s what it demands and that’s where it needs to be next season”.
United will play their next cup final away to Luton this Sunday, as Kenilworth Road will become the 50th different stadium that the Mancunian side will have played in during the Premier League era.
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