In line with their season last year, Manchester United‘s pre-season has also been plagued by chatter regarding their personnel.
Last year featured numerous locker-room ‘leaks’, which went on to describe the turmoil between United players, with a specific focus on the sour relationship between captain Harry Maguire and United legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
As for the ongoing pre-season, Ronaldo’s reported wish to depart Old Trafford has been dominating the front pages, and certain fans have resorted to pinning the blame on Maguire. In fact, Maguire has borne the brunt of many of United’s problems, as his lacklustre displays have made him an obvious scapegoat.
The Englishman has gained plenty of notoriety in United circles, and as such, has become the recipient of some brutal trolling.
Aside from your garden-variety memes, the 29-year-old has become the subject of some brutal video games edits, which typically display the United squad celebrating while hardship falls upon him.
The latest gaming-based troll to hit the internet showcases a more direct and physical confrontation, as Maguire gets teamed up on by Ronaldo and David De Gea.
The game in use is WWE 2K22, a popular simulation-based wrestling game, which even lets players create custom avatars. Using the character creator, digital avatars of the 3 United men have been created, the inclusion of the home kit being an added touch. The trio are then booked in a handicap match, with Maguire squaring up against a formidable duo of Ronaldo and De Gea. What follows is essentially a beatdown, and this 14-second clip sums it up.
Ronaldo manhandles the centre back and brings him to the centre of the right after tagging in De Gea, who awaits eagerly. The Portuguese’s digital avatar then executes a vicious European swing, and whirls Maguire around effortlessly, before De Gea chimes in with a kick to the face. Talk about adding insult to injury.
Fans online were in splits upon seeing the clip, and its success only leaves the door open for more such edits to follow.
