Following his team’s defeat in the Champions League round of sixteen on Tuesday, Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has singled out Atletico Madrid’s players for criticism.
He chastised the players for being too easy to beat and wasting time during the encounter at Old Trafford.
Renan Lodi’s first-half header separated the two teams, giving the Spanish giants a 2-1 aggregate triumph over the Red Devils.
Diego Simeone’s team tried every trick in the book to slow down the game and frustrate Manchester United as they sought an equalizer.
“The style in Europe… it’s not for me to comment on but every time you touch someone, it’s a foul,” Maguire told beIN Sports when asked about Atletico Madrid’s tactics.
“Anthony [Elanga] has a header early on, he heads it over, the keeper [Jan Oblak] clatters him and he gets a foul for it.
“It’s a different style but maybe we need to learn and grow from it. We got too frustrated and started losing our shape and the momentum. It’s something we need to learn from.”
Blaming the officiating, Maguire added, “The decisions didn’t go our way tonight but we had long enough to get back in the game and get an equaliser and we didn’t do it.”
Crashing out of the Champions League on Tuesday means that Ralf Rangnick’s men have lost all hopes of winning any silverware this season having also been knocked out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
The Red Devils will now channel their strengths in making sure to qualify for the Champions League next season by finishing top for this season, but face challenges from Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham United and even Wolves.
United are one point behind fourth placed Arsenal who also have 3 more games to play.