Erik ten Hag has given his instant verdict on Harry Maguire’s superb performance for Manchester United against Sheffield United in their win at Bramall Lane.
Harry Maguire retained his place in the heart of the Manchester United defence after a productive international break and indeed another solid performance against Brentford before the break.
Erik ten Hag chose to stick with the towering defender and that decision has proven to be the right one. It’s hard to see a scenario where the defender doesn’t start next weekend’s Manchester derby.
It’s a superb redemption arc for the defender who, three months ago, looked set to move to West Ham United after being stripped of the club captaincy.
Ten Hag on Maguire
Speaking after the game, the former Ajax boss was asked about the performance of the 30-year-old and was full of praise for the former Leicester City man.
“Harry is playing like we want him to play: very proactive, out of possession, dominating his opponent, stepping in when necessary, reading the game,” an effusive Ten Hag said.
It was a rather wholesome moment for the Englishman when his name was bellowed by the away fans as he trudged off the turf of his former club, he looked like a player reborn.
Newfound confidence
When the Englishman was stripped of his captaincy in the summer, it certainly seemed like the writing was on the wall for his United career.
With Bruno Fernandes now the club captain, and shouldering the weight of expectation, the defender can play with freedom and self-confidence which had been desperately lacking in recent times.
Now, ten Hag has a difficult decision to make. Towards the back end of last season, Victor Lindelof lined up alongside Raphael Varane in Lisandro Martinez’s absence, surely this won’t be the case with Maguire’s upturn in form.
The logical decision is Maguire alongside Varane but whether Ten Hag will do this remains to be seen.
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