In the summer window of 2019, Manchester United spent a record transfer fee of 80 million pounds to sign Maguire from Leicester City.
Obviously, with such a heavy deal, Solskjaer, then Manchester United coach, hoped that Maguire could become the cornerstone and leader of the team's defense. Therefore, shortly after joining, the Manchester United captain's armband was put on his hands.
In the first two seasons after joining, Maguire became the absolute main force of the team. In the first season, he played every minute of 38 league rounds. The next two seasons were still the main position, but after Ten Hag took office, to be precise, after the 0-4 away defeat to Brentford, Maguire's Manchester United career ushered in a turning point.
After the loss of that game, Ten Hag decided to adjust the starting lineup. The combination of Lima + Varane was established on the defense line. Ronaldo was removed from the frontcourt. Afterwards, with the integration of Casemiro, Manchester United The iron triangle in the midfield has also been formally established. Eriksson, Casemiro, and Bruno Fernandes have different characteristics, but they have a clear division of labor. 3, and won the League Cup.
In the process, Maguire was lost. Because his status has plummeted, so far he has only played 12 times in the league, started 6 times, and averaged 47 minutes per game, which can be described as a cliff-like decline. In the Carabao Cup final, Ten Hag gave Maguire a symbolic late-game reveal to allow the captain to lift the trophy. But we never saw a trace of resistance and displeasure on Maguire's face. When he lifted another championship trophy for the club after 7 years, the joy at that moment came from the heart. He really regarded himself as a Manchester United man, integrated into the group, and was willing to pay and sacrifice for the team.
In the league game against Everton, Maguire "accidentally" got a chance to start. In this game, Maguire performed well, sending the most 5 successful summits in the game, and defusing the opponent's threats time and time again. In addition, there were 6 successful long passes, 1 steal, and 2 clearances. The pass success rate was as high as 85%, and there was no pass or error. The post-match score was higher than that of Lima.
After the game, Ten Hag praised Maguire and recognized his positive changes. "Maguire is different now, he is more proactive and he can control the opponent. It is not easy for Maguire to rotate with other centre-backs. For Everton, he plays with the ball and without the ball. Very good, met my request."
Maguire admitted in an interview that he was disappointed by the lack of game time, but he also said that he must respect the coach's decision. "I'm not excluded from the coach's plan, I still get a lot of games, but as a player, of course I want to play every game. I have been like this for the past eight years of my career. Likewise, I have to respect the manager and his decisions and I have to admit that this club has good competition at centre-back and I think that's what it is. When the opportunity comes I want to do well, I want to win and most importantly It’s about helping the team win and having an impact on the game.”
As the captain, Maguire's professionalism is worthy of praise. Therefore, more and more Manchester United fans have recently called on Ten Hag to keep Maguire. Maguire is a player with obvious characteristics and shortcomings. It mainly depends on how the head coach learns from each other. For example, the air defense ability, Maguire is currently Manchester United's strongest central defender, even top in the Premier League. In addition, cab주소 pointed out that his frontal defense is also very good, and his long pass and ball delivery have a certain level. What needs to be avoided is to let the opponent's speed attacker directly charge behind him, or ask him to move in a wide range to defend.
The game against Everton is a positive signal, but it should not be too optimistic, because Everton's strength is limited, especially on the offensive end. Therefore, how to better play the role of Maguire needs more exploration by Ten Hag. But Maguire's professional attitude is nothing to say. If he is let go, it will be difficult for Manchester United to find a suitable replacement in the transfer market.