Harry Maguire aims fire at Man Utd team-mates in painful Europa League reality check

Harry Maguire believes that Manchester United's players have a duty to their fans to secure the Europa League title following a woeful season in the Premier League. In a dismal domestic campaign that has United languishing in 14th place with 15 defeats, it's been a different story in Europe.

The Red Devils pulled off an impressive 3-0 win over Athletic Club on Thursday, leaving them on the brink of a return to Bilbao for the May 21 final. It continued their unbeaten record after 13 matches and made Ruben Amorim's side the favourites to lift a second Europa League title. Maguire played a crucial part in Thursday's victory, contributing to Casemiro's opening goal, which was followed by two strikes from captain Bruno Fernandes.

The triumph sets United up for a potential Europa League final meeting with Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in their first leg.

Glory on May 21 would also grant United a direct entry into the Champions League, despite being condemned to a bottom-half finish.

Given the team's worst-ever performance in the Premier League, Maguire has emphasised that clinching the Europa League title is the least the players can do for their devoted supporters.

And the England international was brutally honest when addressing whether it would salvage the campaign, stating: "It wouldn't save the season, because I think it's been disappointing.

"There have been too many games that we've lost, and we've been far too inconsistent. It's been a bit of a mess in the middle of the season.

"The transition period, we didn't handle it well enough as players. We didn't take the responsibility well enough, from moving manager to manager, and we took too long to embed into new ideas.

"It's been a difficult season, it's been a disappointing season, but football is about memories, it's about creating memories, it's about winning trophies, and we have a great opportunity to win a trophy.

"For our fans, for what they deserve, so that's the most important thing."

This victory has provided a glimmer of hope for United, allowing them to momentarily shift focus away from their domestic struggles and instead look forward to the possibility of lifting a European trophy.

However, the tie isn't over, and Maguire insists United will be prepared for the second leg at Old Trafford: "I think we've put ourselves in a great position.

"There's no doubt about it, coming here and winning 3-0. It's a great position, and now everyone expects us to be in the final.

"So we've just got to prepare well. We've got to prepare like it's still 0-0 and go into the game being aggressive and play on the front foot.

"We'll be going into that game trying to win, and that's the mentality we must have because we're at Old Trafford and playing at Old Trafford demands winning football matches.

"We know they could score first, but we've got to remain calm. We've got a lot of senior players who need to step up in their moments - Casemiro, Bruno as well. So we have senior players who need to handle these moments really well."

Maguire has enjoyed a notable turnaround at the club, bouncing back after a period rife with errors that questioned his future and led to him losing the captaincy under Erik ten Hag.

Despite becoming one of United's standout performers in what has been a dire season, Maguire remains critical of his own performances.

The £80million man considers his first two seasons in Manchester after joining from Leicester City in 2019 superior to the current campaign.

"No, I wouldn't say it's my best season at the club, if I'm being honest," Maguire admitted.

"The first two seasons, coming into a team that finished seventh the year before, I think we kept the most clean sheets in Europe and finished third the second season.

"Then we finished second, so I think those were my two best seasons at the club, form-wise, although, I must say the big moments this year for sure have been a lot better than in previous seasons."