New Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag has a serious problem with captain Harry Maguire, whose form and influence in the dressing room leaves him threatened.
Harry Maguire is a big headache for Erik ten Hag (
Image: Justin Tallis)
Under normal circumstances, an incoming coach may seek guidance from the club captain when he arrives at a new club, but this does not appear to be the case for Manchester United and Erik ten Hag.
The United captain is Harry Maguire, but the irregular form of the England defender is already causing a headache in Ten Hag, just a few days after his tenure at Old Trafford. The Dutchman first confronted the media on Monday and one of his particular responses hinted at the difficulty of his situation.
When asked if Maguire would continue as captain, Ten Hag said: “Next season is a different season. He did a great job, he is a great player, he achieved a lot with a contribution to Manchester United. I look forward to it. to work with him “.
The Man Utd team has warned that Erik ten Hag has a “certain appearance” that could frighten Erik ten Hag’s three-man roster to replace Harry Maguire as captain of Man Utd
This is a diplomatic response, leaving all options open. After praising him, Ten Hag can keep Maguire as captain if he wants to. But crucially, he has also avoided giving a definitive answer to the question, so he could still leave Maguire, either as captain, or completely.
Maguire’s problems during United’s miserable 2021/22 campaign were well documented. His personal struggles in the heart of the defense brought his captaincy under scrutiny . Meanwhile, Mirror Football lifted the lid a power struggle between Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo in the dressing room by influence.
Maguire also reportedly annoyed some of his teammates Daily Mail, per calling them by individual mistakes on the playing field and in the media. The times he then reported that several members of the team believed that Maguire should have been abandoned due to deteriorating performance levels. With the injury of Maguire, an excuse that made him feel good about himself, Ralf Rangnick ended up leaving the 29-year-old on the bench.
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Erik ten Hag has kept his options open with Harry Maguire (
Image:
Sky Sports)
All of this adds up to a big mess, so it’s something Ten Hag just has to address. This is no time to doubt. Ten Hag has the mandate to make big decisions: United have just released their worst Premier League points tally and have completed a fifth consecutive season without silver.
Yes recent reports believe me, Ten Hag is already planning changes. ESPN have claimed that Maguire is not guaranteed tenure with Ten Hag due to his lack of pace and the former Ajax coach’s tendency to play with a high defensive line. If you want to implement your tactics from Ajax to Old Trafford, changes seem to be needed behind the scenes.
Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Raphael Varane and Eric Bailly are not an elite set of central defense. So it is not surprising that United are looking for a new central midfielder has led them to consider Jurrien Timber of Ajax and Villarreal Pau Torres.
Ten Hag was at Selhurst Park to see United, with a central defensive partnership from Maguire and Lindelof, lose 1-0 to Crystal Palace on Sunday. He has seen many images of his constantly disappointing performances under Rangnick, so he is not excited about how upset he is.
Fortunately, Ten Hag has yet to be cornered by publicly stating that Maguire will be his captain for the 2022/23 season. United are ready to support him in the transfer market and the signing of a central midfielder should be a priority.
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