Rúben Amorim has been warned about Manchester United’s weak link against Athletic Club ahead of the first leg of their Europa League semi-final clash.
Manchester United have arrived in Bilbao and put the finishing touches on their preparations ahead of Thursday evening’s Europa League semi-final first leg against Athletic Club — a pivotal clash in Rúben Amorim’s first season in charge.
The Reds reached the last four in dramatic fashion, mounting a stunning comeback to beat Olympique Lyonnais 7-6 on aggregate, with goals from Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, and Harry Maguire sparking a late turnaround at Old Trafford.
Since then, United’s league form has wavered. They suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers and were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth after a stoppage-time equaliser from Rasmus Højlund.
Now settled in Spain and with preparations complete, Amorim’s side are fully focused on Thursday’s showdown at San Mamés, where a strong first-leg display could set the tone for a place in the final.
Amorim warned about United’s weak link
Speaking to The Metro ahead of the tie in Bilbao, former United defender Paul Parker previewed the match and expressed concern about Maguire’s vulnerability against Athletic Club’s fast front line, citing him as the weak link.
“When you look at them defensively, they lack pace,” Parker, who played 146 times under Sir Alex Ferguson, explained.
“They lack pace in the back three, and they sit far too deep, so they allow teams to come onto them. They seem content with Maguire playing as a centre-back.
“He sits in the box and believes he can just keep winning headers all the time. He’s a bit old school. He would’ve been great in the 1980s and 1990s with me. He would’ve been even better in the 1970s.”
Maguire’s job does not need pace
Despite Parker’s words, Amorim’s likely setup against Athletic Club will mean that Maguire’s pace is unlikely to be a significant issue on Thursday evening.
With it likely that Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw will start as the right and left centre-backs respectively, both players have shown themselves to be fantastic one-on-one defenders.
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With support from Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu, both players will have the capabilities to nullify Ernesto Valverde’s side’s threat.
Maguire will be positioned in the middle of the park, and his role will be to marshal the defensive line and defend the box, which does not require him to be a player who is quick off the mark in one-on-one situations.
Although Parker’s worries would be more valid if Maguire were playing as part of a back four or as one of the wide centre-backs, his role as the middle centre-back is a position he has excelled in so far under Amorim.
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