Ten Hag Wants Maguire to Replicate England Form at United

Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Quarter Final - England v France - Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar - December 11, 2022 England's Harry Maguire looks dejected after the match as England are eliminated from the World Cup. (Reuters)
Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Quarter Final - England v France - Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar - December 11, 2022 England's Harry Maguire looks dejected after the match as England are eliminated from the World Cup. (Reuters)
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Ten Hag Wants Maguire to Replicate England Form at United

Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Quarter Final - England v France - Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar - December 11, 2022 England's Harry Maguire looks dejected after the match as England are eliminated from the World Cup. (Reuters)
Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Quarter Final - England v France - Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar - December 11, 2022 England's Harry Maguire looks dejected after the match as England are eliminated from the World Cup. (Reuters)

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said center back Harry Maguire had a really good World Cup and urged him to replicate his England form at the club when the Premier League restarts.

Maguire lost his first-team spot for United in August but the 29-year-old started every game for England in Qatar, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by France.

"It's clear he is good enough to play at the highest level," Ten Hag said at United's training camp in Spain.

"He had a period in Manchester where he performed badly and then, of course, there are difficulties. For England, he has good games almost all the time.

"We want him to bring that back to Manchester with him so he can bring it on the pitch for United.

"I think he had a really good World Cup. He was really consistent. When he is playing with his confidence like now, he is a massively important player for us and that is what everyone expects."

United return to action on Dec. 21 with a home League Cup tie against Burnley before hosting Nottingham Forest in the league on Dec. 27.



Iraq Decline to Play Palestine World Cup Qualifier in Jerusalem or Jordan

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Asian Qualifiers - Third Round - Group B - Iraq v Palestine - Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq - October 10, 2024 Palestine fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Asian Qualifiers - Third Round - Group B - Iraq v Palestine - Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq - October 10, 2024 Palestine fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
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Iraq Decline to Play Palestine World Cup Qualifier in Jerusalem or Jordan

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Asian Qualifiers - Third Round - Group B - Iraq v Palestine - Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq - October 10, 2024 Palestine fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Asian Qualifiers - Third Round - Group B - Iraq v Palestine - Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq - October 10, 2024 Palestine fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo

Iraq want their World Cup qualifier against Palestine next month moved from the Jordanian capital of Amman, having also knocked back a Palestinian proposal to stage the match just outside Jerusalem.
The last soccer international played in the Palestinian territories was in October 2019 and Palestine have since staged their "home" fixtures at neutral venues in Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait and Malaysia.
Palestine are due to host Iraq in a Group B match in the third round of Asian qualifying on March 25 and, after the proposal to play the match in the Palestinian territories was turned down, FIFA proposed Amman as the neutral venue.
According to Reuters, the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) said in a statement on Thursday that it had written to soccer's world governing body asking for the match to be moved to another city as playing in Amman would breach FIFA's own rules on neutral venues.
"This decision raises serious questions about the integrity and fairness of the competition, given the highly competitive nature in Group B," the IFA statement read.
"Iraq, Jordan and Palestine are direct competitors in the group and the gap between Iraq and Jordan in the standings is currently very close."
Iraq are in second place in the group with 11 points, leading Jordan in third by two points and trailing leaders South Korea by three points. The top two teams in the group progress directly to the 2026 World Cup finals in North America.
The Palestine Football Association (PFA) released a statement on Thursday regretting Iraq's decision not to allow the match to go ahead at Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in Al-Ram, Jerusalem.
The PFA said FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had inspected the stadium and agreed the match could be played there, but only with the agreement of the Iraqis.
"We were surprised to learn that our colleagues in the Iraqi Football Association had unilaterally decided to decline playing in Palestine and directly communicated this to the AFC and FIFA without consulting the PFA," the statement said.
"Despite this decision, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to reclaiming our right to host matches on our home soil -- a right we have fought tirelessly to secure and uphold over the years."
The IFA said "despite our keenness to hold the match in beloved Palestine, and to stand with Palestinian sports at this time", the body had decided to refuse because of the lack of VAR technology in the stadium.
Reuters has contacted FIFA and the AFC for comment.
Palestine are bottom of Group B with three points after six matches. Neither Palestine nor Jordan have previously qualified for the World Cup finals, while Iraq lost all three games on their one appearance in Mexico in 1986.