Harry Maguire on Southampton Draw: 'We're Man United, We Want to Control Games'

Harry Maguire is hoping Manchester United can exert more control over matches after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Southampton on Saturday.

Per the Mirror's Aaron Flanagan, Maguire said United have endured a recurring pattern this season in which they've failed to convert their chances into "deserved" wins. He added:

"We can definitely improve, especially on the ball. We gave the ball away far too much. We were too sloppy and we need to improve on that and show arrogance and be confident on the ball.

"We're Man United—we want to control games. There were spells where we didn't control the game, and we got punished."

United took the lead early on through Daniel James, but they failed to build on it and were pegged back by Jannik Vestergaard's header shortly before the hour-mark.

Kevin Danso was sent off in the 73rd minute for a second bookable offence, but the Red Devils failed to capitalise on their man advantage:

United have now failed to win any of their last three games. Since their 3-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie on March 6, they have won just three of their 16 games in all competitions, none of them away from home.

Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe observed their lack of control over the game on Saturday before Saints found an equaliser:

As football writer Liam Canning noted, the Red Devils' primary strength is their ability to counter-attack:

While that helped them record a 4-0 win over Chelsea in the first match of the season, more often than not, United will be tasked with breaking down their opponents rather than looking to hit them on the counter.

It makes their failure to reinforce in midfield during the transfer window inexplicable, particularly given Marouane Fellaini left in the winter window while Ander Herrera joined PSG this summer.

They don't have the personnel in the centre of the park to dominate games, and outside of Paul Pogba, they lack options when it comes to unlocking defences.

A midfielder must be a priority for them in January, but in the meantime, they'll likely continue to struggle after leaving themselves short in a crucial area.