It was nowhere near good enough for Man Utd – Maguire apologises to fans after Liverpool thumping

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has apologised to the club's supporters after their humiliating 5-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Mohamed Salah plundered a hat-trick after Naby Keita and Diogo Jota had put Liverpool into a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes, while substitute Paul Pogba was dismissed on a dark day for United.

The result was United's heaviest ever defeat at home to Liverpool, and it is the first time they have lost to-nil by five or more goals at home since February 1955 (5-0 v Man City).

The defeat follows last weekend's 4-2 loss at Leicester City and leaves Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side eight points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Maguire, who was at the heart of a slapstick performance by United's defence, admitted the display was well short of the standards the club should be setting.

7 - Manchester United received seven cards in their 5-0 defeat to Liverpool (six yellows, one red), their joint-most in a Premier League match, alongside the seven yellow cards they received against both Spurs and Chelsea in February and September 2008 respectively. Indiscipline. pic.twitter.com/ZbqH4DsHHM

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 24, 2021

"We apologise to the fans, it was nowhere near good enough for this club," he told Sky Sports. "They stuck with us right to the end and we appreciate that but as a club we have to do better.

"I am so disappointed; we gave them so many chances. They were so clinical, we had a lot of chances ourselves but I am a defender and to concede four in the first half, especially at Old Trafford, is nowhere near good enough.

"As a player I know myself. I’ll be looking at myself and my individual performance.

"We have to stick together, there is no point blaming each other but look at ourselves. Look in the mirror when we go home tonight and think where we can do better.

"To lose to Liverpool in any game of football hurts. The rivals, the way we lost the game, to be 4-0 down at half time in front of our fans, like I say it is not good enough."

Asked if it was too strong to say the result was embarrassing, Maguire responded: "Not really. The term I'd use is not good enough. I look at those lads each day in training and we are working hard as we can but at the moment it is not good enough.

"I apologise to the fans, we have to look at ourselves as individuals but also stick together."