Harry Maguire has responded to the “ridiculous” criticism aimed at England following their Euro 2024 campaign.
Despite reaching their second consecutive Euros final in Germany, England fell short once again. A late goal from Mikel Oyarzabal secured a 2-1 victory for Spain in Berlin, earning them a record fourth European Championship title.
England’s journey to the final saw manager Gareth Southgate face significant backlash over his tactics and team selection. Disgruntled fans even hurled plastic pint cups at Southgate after a lackluster 0-0 draw with Slovenia in the group stage.
In the wake of the tournament, Southgate resigned from his position. Harry Maguire, a key player during Southgate’s tenure, has now spoken out in defense of his former manager. In an interview with BBC Sport, Maguire questioned whether the expectations from the media and supporters were ever realistic.
“[Criticism] was a bit ridiculous. Yes, performances might not have been amazing but it is tournament football,” Maguire stated. “It is not as expansive. There are far fewer risks taken. You can’t afford to make mistakes or get caught going out in a full press. Throughout the tournament, there were not many high-scoring wins.”
Maguire expressed confusion over what fans and media expected from the team. “I just don’t know what the media or fans expected of this team. Was it to go and beat Serbia 4-0 in the first game and then beat Denmark 3-0? Did they think it was just going to be a walk in the park?”
Unfortunately, Maguire missed Southgate’s final Euro 2024 squad due to a muscle injury. Reflecting on this with Sky Sports, he admitted it was the toughest period of his career.
“It was a real tough moment in my career. It was probably the toughest moment in my career to date,” he said. “To get myself into a position where all year I’ve worked hard to play at the end of the season and to play in these big games, cup finals and then to go to the Euros and try to win the tournament for my country.”
Maguire felt he was in peak physical and mental condition to perform at the highest level. “I felt like I got myself in a great position physically and mentally to go and perform at the highest level, and to face the setback I did with the injury, it was a real tough moment for me.”