Maguire urges Manchester United to 'ignore the noise' after five-game winless run

Harry Maguire has urged Manchester United to “ignore the noise” and trust in their own process after a difficult start to the Premier League season, with Ruben Amorim’s side sitting 12th following a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage.

United were second best for much of the contest against Fulham, conceding just after the hour mark through a Lisandro Martinez own goal. They improved in the closing stages and salvaged a point through a Matheus Cunha equaliser, but the result extended their winless run to five league games.

“Disappointed we didn’t win the game, we came to win the game,” said Michael Carrick after the match. “I think we did a lot in the game to warrant winning it really, the opportunities we created.”

Maguire, speaking before the September international break, acknowledged the pressure building around Old Trafford but insisted the squad must stay focused internally. “There’s always a lot of noise around this place, so first and foremost, you’ve got to ignore the noise,” the defender said. “We need to really believe and think about what we’ve done this year and what we need to work on and what we need to improve on, but we’re not far away.”

The England centre-back pointed to fine margins as a key factor in United’s underwhelming points tally, citing a string of unfortunate moments across recent fixtures. “Last week, an absolutely ridiculous goal which changed the whole complexion of the game. The week before, the right-back sticks the ball in the back of the net from 30 yards, and we could be sitting here looking at things a lot different. That’s football. It’s fine margins.”

Reflecting specifically on the Fulham performance, Maguire stressed the importance of converting chances away from home. “Every Premier League team is a strong outfit now. They have got good players, they’re organised. When we had the moments in that first half, they’re big moments. When you have those moments away from home in the Premier League, you’ve really got to take them.”

Despite the frustration, Maguire drew encouragement from United’s response to going behind, contrasting it favourably with their reaction in the previous week’s defeat. “Our reaction was so much better, so much more positive than what it was last week,” he said. “We know we need to improve, but we’ll work hard and we’ll take the positives. I’m sure the season will be successful.”

United return from the international break facing pressure to climb the table quickly, with the gap to the top half already a concern at this early stage of the campaign.