Rijo Sam Daniel
Ralf Rangnick hints at Harry Maguire snub in favour of Victor Lindelof ahead of Manchester United vs Leeds United
Ralf Rangnick may have hinted that he could bring Victor Lindelof into the Manchester United defence at the expense of Harry Maguire. We could see that decision being made in action when his side takes on Leeds United in a Premier League fixture that will take place at Elland Road tomorrow.
The 27-year-old enjoyed a great game against Brighton and Hove Albion, deputising for Raphael Varane, who suffered an illness ahead of the match. The former did a great job after returning to the starting lineup, which has earned him plaudits from his manager.
Speaking in an interview with the club’s media (h/t Manchester United official website), Rangnick has suggested that Lindelof will be in contention for the starting spot from now on. He added that the centre-back fared well so far, and his selection will depend on displays in training sessions and real-time matches.
“He’s a top professional and he did well before he was ill and before he had the incident with his house. For me, from now on, he will play and he is also a candidate to play so we have enough players in the centre of defence who can play with a high amount of experience. In the end, it’s the players themselves, who decide who is going to play on the next game [with their performances in training and matches].”
Lindelof in, Maguire out?
Judging from the 63-year-old’s words, Maguire could be making way for the Swede who has been much better than the skipper when he has been given minutes. While the boss did not directly address the captain, it would probably not have happened, even if that was in his mind. After all, that would create an unwanted ruckus with all the things that have been going on at the club.
The Red Devils boss has firmly stated the players themselves would decide their fate regarding a starting place in the team. While we cannot know the outcome during training, what we can say for sure is that the Englishman has been inconsistent with his displays during live games.
Raphael Varane has adapted to the new league and his surroundings and has firmly taken over one of the spots at the back. Between the 28-year-old and the Swedish international, the latter has been solid and more consistent with his displays, further indicating what we could see against Leeds tomorrow.
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Snubbing the Man United skipper would be a big call to make, but perhaps it is the right one in this case. Some time off can enable him to find the drive that he needs while clearing his mind about all the things that have happened so far. The world’s most expensive defender, Rangnick’s snub will hopefully convince Maguire to raise his game.
Unless the German manager switches to a back three formation out of nowhere, we could see this decision in effect against Marcelo Bielsa’s side tomorrow.
