Rio Ferdinand has given a peek into the psyche of Harry Maguire after Thomas Tuchel’s uncalled-for comments on Man Utd defender.
Harry Maguire’s return to the England squad happened in a no-fuss manner with a good game against Manuel Ugarte’s Uruguay.
It was just reward for his renaissance at Man Utd, and Thomas Tuchel admitted as much when he called him up this close to the World Cup.
However, Tuchel’s remarks about Maguire after the game, even though they missed the point, were uncalled for.
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Rio Ferdinand on Tuchel’s Harry Maguire remarks
United might have been in a win-win situation as a result, but Ferdinand wasn’t having any of it.
He knows better than anybody how much it goes into succeeding as a centre-back at Old Trafford, and Maguire has gone through far more than an average player does at United.
Therefore, when Tuchel called out Maguire and put even players like Trevoh Chalobah ahead of him, Ferdinand could see how Maguire might feel.
Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel: “Maguire is one who can see out a game and can win a game on set pieces. I think Maguire will take that as an insult in some respect.
“Hold on a minute, I’m more than this. In Tuchel’s eyes, he uses the word mobility. Other guys have more. I get what he’s saying. No one has to agree with it.”
Ferdinand toes the line between not calling out Tuchel, but also defending Maguire’s corner because, ultimately, the reason Tuchel uses is also not entirely wrong.
Maguire can change Tuchel’s mind
If there’s one thing Maguire has made a career out of, it is changing people’s minds and turning doubters into believers.
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Tuchel’s reason for shifting Maguire down the pecking order is not something he can change overnight, but he has never let a lack of mobility affect his game.
If anything, his skill set is perfectly suited to a cagey tournament football game, which he has proven under Gareth Southgate.
So if mobility is the hill Tuchel is willing to compromise on, ignoring every other quality Maguire has, then it’s his loss rather than Maguire’s.
The Utd man has already proven how big an asset he can be in the correct setup.
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