Gareth Southgate has criticised the England fans who booed Harry Maguire before and during England’s friendly with the Ivory Coast.
A small section of supporters inside Wembley Stadium jeered Maguire when his name was announced pre-match and then again when he touched the ball for the first time.
Southgate had already defended his selection of Maguire for this round of international fixtures and the Manchester United captain was again in the spotlight on an otherwise uneventful evening as England coasted to a 3-0 victory, courtesy of goals from Ollie Watkins, Raheem Sterling and Tyrone Mings.
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“What he’s done for us, the way he’s performed for England has been phenomenal. I don’t get it. We’re either all in this together or we’re not.
“He’s in an England shirt, not only should you support a player in an England shirt regardless, but when he’s played at the level he has and put in the performances for us that he has, it should be total commitment behind him. I don’t get that at all.”
Maguire enjoyed a quiet evening, largely owing to a first-half red card for Ivory Coast captain Serge Aurier. The former Tottenham Hotspur defender was awarded a second yellow for dissent with the score 1-0 to the hosts and from there the game settled into an hour-long procession of attack vs defence.
The treatment of Maguire comes as the latest black mark against England fans in the eyes of Southgate and his captain Harry Kane, after fan unrest at the European Championship final in the summer prompted Uefa to order that England play two Nations League fixtures behind closed doors in June.
“We’ve worked hard to rebuild our connection with England fans in the last few years so to hear [Harry Maguire] booed at Wembley before kick off was just not right,” said Kane.
This latest incident could erode the reconnect between fans and players that Southgate has driven since his appointment in 2016.
Southgate added: “Don’t think for one minute the other players won’t be looking at that thinking ‘that could be me one day’.
“That’s been one of the problems with playing for England. Players have thought ‘hmmm, do I want to go because when it turns a little bit difficult then the crowd are going to turn on me’.”
The image of him stood talking to his fiancee, arm casually resting on a railing, after England beat Colombia on penalties was one of the defining images of the 2018 World Cup. It encapsulated the positive feeling in the England camp in much the same way that the picture of Bukayo Saka riding an inflatable unicorn did at last summer’s European Championship. Saka remains an immensely popular figure and it is easy to forget that Maguire was also a poster boy for Southgate’s England not so long ago.
The defender has been integral to England’s improved performances at the last two international tournaments, having been involved in every game at the 2018 World Cup, before starting all bar two matches at the Euros, when he was side-lined with an ankle injury. His importance to the England team was apparent when he was one of just three England players selected in the official Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament, alongside Kyle Walker and Raheem Sterling.
But his performances at club level have been less consistent. He has faced criticism from former players, including former United captain Roy Keane for his showings in a United defence which has leaked 40 goals in 29 Premier League matches this season. Crystal Palace and Brighton are among nine defences in the league to have conceded fewer.
Maguire has been singled out for his lack of speed, poor decision-making and increasingly his positioning, which contributed to the goal which knocked United out of the Champions League.
Despite being United’s captain, Maguire was then jeered when replaced in the 84 minute of that contest with Atletico Madrid, and was perhaps hopeful that the international break would provide some respite.
Southgate has stood by the 29-year-old, but his place in the United team could soon come under serious threat. He was dropped by interim manager Ralf Rangnick for the visit of Watford in February and will need to impress a new manager in the summer, when United appoint a permanent successor to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
How United fare in their final nine matches of this season could determine Maguire’s future at club level, with the next manager likely to reshape the team in his image, while taking Rangnick’s thoughts into consideration when he moves into a consultancy role. The German has so far been unconvinced of Maguire’s ability to play at the top-level.
With the World Cup in Qatar just eight months away, regular first-team football is a must if Maguire hopes to keep his international place. Without it, Southgate’s faith in him may face its toughest test yet.
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