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24th Dec 2017

‘What are they doing?’ – Thierry Henry dumbfounded by Manchester United defence

Jack O'Toole

Arsenal’s all-time leading goalscorer Thierry Henry was completely baffled by Manchester United’s defence in the final minutes of their 2-2 draw against 10-man Leicester on Saturday.

With the Tigers trailing 2-1 deep into injury time, England international Harry Maguire popped up at the back-post unmarked to finish past United goalkeeper David de Gea.

The draw for United follows a 2-1 defeat to Bristol City in the League Cup quarter-final on Wednesday and Henry was dumbfounded by their lack of urgency to pressurise Leicester midfielder Marc Albrighton before he played the ball that led directly to Maguire’s equaliser.

“I don’t understand why they were so much into the half of Man United,” Henry said on Sky Sports.

“If you allow a team to put pressure on you, put the ball in the box and you’re dropping as a side playing against 10-men, then, I said it off air, they’re going to concede one. What are you doing? Move out of your box!

“Look at the space Albrighton has to cross the ball, and you can question David de Gea again, but that’s a hell of a finish.”

“Manchester United got away with it at West Brom but not tonight.”

Following the game, Mourinho said his side failed to win because they were ‘childish in possession’ ‘childish in their box’.

“We made a big defensive accumulation of mistakes in an easy match to win,” he said in post-match interview.

“I talked to the players at half time when it was 1-1 that it was an easy match to win. Childish loss of possession, so easy. Childish in their box and childish in our box. We were punished in two points. The reality is that it is 2-2. Sometimes you make mistakes and are not punished by that.”

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