Michael Owen fears Harry Maguire’s lack of pace is going to continue being a problem for Manchester United.
The defender endured another difficult afternoon at the heart of United’s defence as they dropped more vital points in their race to finish in the Premier League’s top four this season.
The Reds were held to a 1-1 draw by Southampton, having thrown away their lead when Che Adams cancelled out Jadon Sancho’s first-half opener.
And it could have been much worse for United, with the Saints finding it far too easy to cut through their hosts at Old Trafford, although they weren’t able to make the most of some golden opportunities.
Maguire in particular had a difficult time, with the United captain caught on his heels on a number of occasions as Southampton’s players regularly outpaced him.
Armando Broja proved to be a particular handful for the England international, and the on-loan Chelsea forward had shouts for a penalty turned down when he was clumsily bundled over by Maguire in the second half.
Speaking about the incident, Owen told Premier League Productions: “I did fear for him (Maguire) and that was quite embarrassing.
“He’s got no pace at the best of times but he was outwitted there (by Broja). Then you’re thinking don’t try to redeem your mistake, he just got away with it and I don’t think it was a penalty.
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“But you are fearful when he’s running towards his man. You think ‘are you going to try to do something stupid?’ but he just gets away with it.
“His lack of pace is a real problem. We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again. The goal, he could have been squeezing up but he’s petrified of that space in behind.”
Maguire has faced calls from United fans to be dropped after a number of disappointing performances this season.
Although the skipper has been at the front of the queue to partner Raphael Varane, his latest performance raises further questions over whether Ralf Rangnick will have to look at one of his other options.
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