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Rob Dawson, Correspondent
Manchester United’s players must take responsibility for their run of poor form instead of pinning the blame on under-fire manager Erik ten Hag, according to Harry Maguire.
Ten Hag’s job is on the line ahead of the trip to Aston Villa on Sunday after a disappointing start to the season which has yielded just three wins from nine games.
The pressure on Ten Hag mounted further on Thursday when United threw away a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 with FC Porto in the Europa League. But Maguire insists the focus should be on the players rather than the manager.
“As a footballer, it’s easy to look around and blame other people and blame your teammate or blame the staff or the tactics,” Maguire said.
“You’ve got to look at yourself. We’re the ones that go on the pitch. We’re the ones that have to defend. You’ve got to take responsibility.”
Sources have told ESPN that Ten Hag could face the sack if his team lose at Villa Park on Sunday.
United did the double over Villa last season — winning 2-1 at Villa Park in February — and Maguire believes a similar result on Sunday could finally kick-start their season.
“We’ve got to find belief within ourselves,” he said. “Take the belief from what we did last season at Villa Park. It was on fire last season there. Then we went there and got the victory that we needed last season. And we feel like we’re playing better than we were last season.
“The results haven’t been there. I feel like we should have more points on the board. But they’re not, so we need to do something about it starting with Sunday.”
Maguire has had a mixed week after coming off the bench to score a stoppage-time equaliser against Porto despite being told earlier in the day that he has been left out of the latest England squad.
The 31-year-old admitted he’s “surprised” by interim head coach Lee Carsley’s decision but revealed he’s been assured he still has a future with the national team.
“He [Carsely] told me I’m a big part of the future,” Maguire said. “He just wants to see the other lads playing in this camp. And he doesn’t want to take me if I’m not going to start either game [against Greece and Finland], which is fair enough.
“Of course I’m disappointed. I want to play every game for England. But I know where he’s coming from and I’ve got to make sure that I perform when I’m on the pitch and give him no option to leave me out.
“I was a little bit surprised, I must say. But obviously I back his decision and he’s told me I’m part of the future.”