Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag has confirmed that he will be keeping Harry Maguire on as club captain despite many contrary opinions.
“Harry Maguire is the captain, I have to get to know all the players but he’s an established captain and he’s achieved a lot of success,” Ten Hag said, speaking in Bangkok where Manchester United are currently on a preseason tour.
That statement pretty much confirms Harry Maguire’s place in the squad is cemented much to the dismay of those who blame him for all of Manchester United’s woes.
Harry Maguire the scapegoat
Over the course of the last two seasons, Harry Maguire has sort of become the single representation of Manchester United’s travails.
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What started as light-hearted memes making fun of Maguire’s errors developed into actual vitriol in the form of an actual bomb threat getting called in at his house.
It is unclear how the English centre-back became such an easy target but that is exactly what he is, unfairly carrying the weight of United’s problems.
Not that Maguire is a saint and completely blameless but it is rather clear that he has been unfairly scapegoated and it’s a good thing that Erik Ten Hag sees that too.
A fresh start
Many had believed Maguire being Manchester United captain was a result of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s inadequacies and that a competent manager would fix that.
Well, Ten Hag was the hail-mary, the competent manager has opted to go against the mob and see Harry Maguire for what he really is, a solid centre-back and good leader.
As bad as Maguire has looked in the last two seasons at Manchester United, it was only a result of his surroundings, everyone looks bad at Manchester United.
Harry Maguire, like most top defenders, excels in a functional system (which United have lacked for years), there is a reason he cost excess of £80 million in the first place.
What Ten Hag aims to do is fix the system and not go after individuals like the fans wanted, instead trusting Maguire’s quality and solidifying the defence.
Fans must look at Ten Hag’s example and follow his lead, lay off Harry Maguire and give him a chance to lead the team again without attacking his person.