Harry Maguire has issued a blunt assessment of Manchester United ahead of the new season.
The defender has always acknowledged that his side have struggled in recent years and he has never shied away from the reality.
A 15th place finish in last season’s Premier League table followed their eighth position the year before and, for fans, their results and performances have been unacceptable.
Maguire knows better than most how disappointed the squad have been in those difficult days and he admits they have found it tough handling the pressure.
Harry Maguire admits Manchester United ‘not the best team’
“There has been a transition period, obviously, when Sir Alex [Ferguson] was here and we had the best team by far and won all the trophies,” Maguire said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.
“But the reality is that we’re not the best team.
“You’ve got to thrive off the pressure and you’ve got to play like you’re playing in a playground. I think that’s what we’ve struggled to find over the last 10 years.”
Come next weekend, it’s a new campaign and one Maguire and co. can start with a clean slate. Benjamin Sesko has arrived at United while Brighton’s Carlos Baleba is also on the radar.
How Manchester United players feel about 2025/6 season ahead
For the Englishman, that’s exactly what he feels is needed for Ruben Amorim’s lads to take stock of their positive pre-season and push to succeed where they have failed previously.
“The lads are working hard and it’s a great atmosphere in the place,” Maguire added.
“We want to be successful, we’re doing everything we can to be successful. Sometimes we know it’s not been good enough for a recent [period] and we’ve not given our fans as much.
“I feel like it’s almost a little bit of a fresh start and hopefully this start is a good start.”
Maguire could have left Manchester United for West Ham
Maguire, 32, has been somewhat of a polarising figure at Old Trafford in previous years, with some punters using him as a whipping boy when things have not been going right.
The big man, however, has often come up trumps with big goals including against Lyon in last season’s Europa League as well as against Leicester City and Ipswich Town.
He could have left the Red Devils back in 2023 before a potential switch to West Ham fell through but he has since insisted he would knuckle down and continue to give his all for United.
Maguire’s contract with the club was due to expire at the end of last season before Amorim greenlit the 12-month extension to be triggered to keep hold of the experienced stopper.
