Aheed Abrar
Harry Maguire not for sale amidst doubts over place in Manchester United starting XI
According to James Robson of Goal on Twitter (h/t Express), Manchester United are not interested in seeing Harry Maguire leave this transfer window amidst doubts over the England international’s place in Erik ten Hag’s starting XI.
The 29-year-old held talks with the management when his place for the game against Liverpool was in question. Maguire was eventually dropped from the XI on matchday three as the Merseysiders visited Old Trafford.
United struggled with their defence in the previous campaign. Our captain was at the centre of the criticism. Maguire made considerable errors last season that led to goals being scored.
The Red Devils had the eighth worst defence in the Premier League in the 2021/22 campaign. We conceded 57 goals and ended with a goal difference of zero. United ended the season with their worst points total in the PL era.
Fans pointed at our captain for the frailties the team showed. The Red Devils seemed to lack fighting spirit. Supporters have felt Maguire hasn’t been able to lead the team by example.
Maguire has been poor at the start of the new season
The new campaign started on the wrong foot for Erik ten Hag. The defence once again came under the microscope. The England international started alongside Lisandro Martinez in the first two games of the 2022/23 season.
Against Brighton & Hove Albion, United’s defence was split open on a few occasions. The Seagulls scored two goals against us in the first half. The performance in the Bretford game was poor as well. The Bees scored four past David de Gea in 35 minutes of the opening half.
Subsequently, Maguire was dropped from the XI by Ten Hag against Liverpool. Martinez partnered with Raphael Varane. The duo were solid at the back and fans were left impressed with their display. We ended up winning the game 2-1, getting our first points on the board.
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Whether our captain continues to remain on the bench in the upcoming fixtures remains to be seen. Maguire has been low on confidence for a while now. It’ll be interesting to see his reaction on the pitch from here on out.
