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Manchester United defender, Harry Maguire, has lavished praise on Erik ten Hag’s decision making and tactical awareness during the epic 4-3 FA Cup victory over Liverpool last Sunday.
In a match that shocked the footballing world, the Red Devils came from behind twice to overcome their arch rivals and book their spot in the semi-finals, where they will play Coventry City for a place in the final at Wembley.
One of the most intriguing themes of the afternoon was that a lot of the major contributors to the victory were players who have had not the easiest time of late.
Goalscorers Scott McTominay, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo have all had their problems at the club and this season.
However, whilst not scoring, Maguire entered the pitch in the 71st minute and played a key role as the only recognised centre back in the whole period of extra time, Raphael Varane having been replaced by winger Diallo.
Speaking to The Times on Ten Hag’s in-game tactical management the former United captain claimed, “we didn’t really get control of the game, so credit to the manager, he’d seen that and told us to be more aggressive. He put on an attacker and basically said, ‘Let’s go man for man.’ It worked. It enabled us to get higher up the pitch, put more pressure on them”.
The 31 year old also praised his coach’s bravery to persist with the aggressive formation even after Antony had levelled in the 87th minute.
“I’m thinking he might put on a centre back to go a bit safer again. But no, credit, he wanted to stay aggressive and all the way through extra time he stuck with myself and Diogo [Dalot] being the only two defenders on the pitch. It was brave and it worked”.
United legend Peter Schmeichel was also complimentary of Ten Hag’s philosophy during the game and claimed he was “enormously” pleased by the manager’s willingness to do “crazy things” to win the match.
Maguire also labelled the game a “classic” and pointed to the sheer volume of opportunities both teams had to win and lose the game.
The England defender also waxed lyrical on the attackers, highlighting Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho as deserving special credit.
“And credit to the forward lads, because they were a constant threat, especially in the later stages. Rashy [Marcus Rashford] and Garna [Alejandro Garnacho] played all the game, credit to them and their fitness levels. They were incredible in extra time”.
Finally the Sheffield native remarked on the potential impact the result may have on the team’s rollercoaster season to date.
“It’s obviously been a difficult season for us. We’ve had a lot of injuries, but so have other clubs. So to have a good run in the FA Cup is important and beat a big team along the way. It’s a huge result for us to keep that faith that we’ve still got a chance to win a trophy this season. The atmosphere was incredible and it was really important to give the fans something they deserved, to go home and cheer about”.
As the season enters the final stretch of the spring, Maguire and everyone connected to the Red Devils hope the end of May will see United safely into next year’s Champions League draw and picking up the famous old trophy at Wembley.
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