Breaking news: Maguire's tone deaf comment insulted Man Utd fans before Liverpool disasterclass

 Harry Maguire's pre-match interview before

 Manchester United played Liverpool 

was a classic example of a player failing 

to read the room. His comments were frankly

 stupid, arrogant and they looked even

 worse after the full-time whistle at Anfield.

Liverpool beat United 4-0 on Tuesday

 night. That heavy scoreline and the extent 

of Liverpool's dominance was depressingly

 predictable. There was a sad inevitability

 about the match even before it kicked 

off, and it developed as most expected. 

United fans were incensed when Liverpool 

won 5-0 at Old Trafford, but that anger 

has now evolved into a sadness.

The United players' performances have 

been a stain on the club's history this 

season and radical change is needed in the

 coming months. Ralf Rangnick suggested 

United could sign up to 10 new players 

in the summer, but there can't possibly 

be enough departures in just one transfer

 window to satisfy the overhaul that 

United need. The dressing room is rotten.

Maguire is supposedly the leader of that

 dressing room. After an exceptional 

European Championship, the centre-back

 has endured a nightmare season and his

 performances at that tournament are 

now a distant memory. You don't suddenly 

become a bad player, but Maguire has been

 unable to arrest his awful form and his

 decline has continued. He's looked 

average at best.

The centre-back would have received 

criticism this season regardless, but the £

80m transfer fee that he commanded in 2019

 — plus the fact he wears the captain's armband

 — naturally means he's subject to increased

 scrutiny. Maguire certainly hasn't handled

 that well.

The captaincy has looked like a burden 

for Maguire. The expectation of playing 

for United has perhaps become too much.

 Maguire has insisted he does not pay attention

 to criticism but his actions contradict his 

words. Maguire held his hands to his ears 

after scoring for England in November 

in a response to his critics, but he was sent

 off as United lost 4-1 in the match after 

the international break. He recognize

 that was pathetic.

Maguire was asked about dealing with 

criticism ahead of Tuesday's match and 

his response was delusional. "This season 

I've had some bad games, but I wouldn't

 be playing every game for Manchester 

United in the starting 11 if I'd been playing

 bad every game," Maguire said. "There's

 a reason why both managers have put

 me in the starting 11 every game.

"It's what I bring to the team, what I bring

 to the starting 11 , but I do also understand

 that I'm the captain of this club, I cost a 

lot of money and when things aren't going

 well and we're conceding too many goals

, I'm going to get criticised. "

United's players are rigorously media trained

 and yet Maguire's comments were provocative

 and tone deaf. United fans were angry 

with the interview ahead of kick-off but

 those emotions intensified after another

 gutless performance.

Maguire has been in the starting 11 this 

season by default, not on merit. His 

performances have been appalling and he's

 been way below the level required to 

represent United — never mind captain

 the club.

He might have won some credit with 

supporters if he had used the interview 

opportunity to be self-critical, however, 

he chose to launch a self-defence instead.

 Maguire's attempt to defend himself failed

. There's a joke in there somewhere.

United fans deserve better than this 

gutless squad and they deserve a better 

captain than Maguire. The player should

 have held himself accountable in 

the interview and he didn't. That choice 

looked even worse following his performance

 at Anfield. Maguire was culpable for 

Liverpool's first goal when being drawn 

out of position. His indecisiveness at 

that moment proved costly.

Maguire's interview was an insult to United

 fans. The lack of self-accountability 

is frightening and it's revealing of the mentality

 within the club's dressing room. You can't

 make such comments when your performances

 have been so unacceptable.

Maguire has only himself to blame this time.