Manchester United pair Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were on display tonight as England took on Germany in the UEFA Nations League.
Gareth Southgate’s men were in desperate need of a win after the Three Lions were relegated to the second tier of the competition following a loss against Italy.
Like Maguire, Shaw lost his place in the starting eleven and showed flashes of brilliance and technical ability, capped off with a goal in England’s first match.
However, his United team-mate and captain stole the headlights for the wrong reasons, as he has in recent months.
Maguire again failed to justify his selection ahead of other centre-backs like Fikayo Tomori. Southgate has been under heavy pressure and intense scrutiny for his decision to call and feature regularly.
The England coach came to the defense of the defender, calling him one of the most important players in the country.
The 29-year-old handed Die Mannschaft their first goal on a silver platter after he carelessly passed the ball inside the box to Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.
In a panic, Maguire brought the youngster down inside the area, and the referee awarded Germany a penalty which Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan converted.
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Just 15 minutes later, the former Leicester man was once again on the wrong end of proceedings.
He recklessly relinquished possession to the opposition, who quickly passed the ball to Kai Havertz. The Chelsea striker did brilliantly to score a knockout, giving Nick Pope no chance.
For a moment, it looked like Maguire had gotten away with his mistakes as England fought hard, getting back into the game and even momentarily winning 3-2 with quick goals from Mason Mount and a penalty from Harry Kane.
However, Pope’s blunder that encouraged Havertz to connect ensured that his misdemeanors will continue to take center stage when an autopsy of England’s problems begins.
