Harry Maguire recovers from Erik ten Hag's biggest clanger to set Man Utd example
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Harry Maguire’s renaissance will not surprise any Manchester United fans who were left frustrated by many of Erik ten Hag’s decisions. Ten Hag got many things wrong at United and one of the biggest clangers he dropped was discarding Maguire so brutally in the summer of 2023. Ten Hag tried to drive him out of Old Trafford, thinking new signing Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane would be his centre-half pairing, and United agreed a £30million deal with West Ham.
The former United boss even stripped Maguire of the captaincy, handing it to Bruno Fernandes, to underline in bold marker pen that the Sheffield-born defender was not part of his plans. Maguire endured his public humiliation and turned West Ham down, promising United fans on social media, “I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt.”.
Compare that to Marcus Rashford’s public stand-off after Amorim axed him. The England centre-half lived up to his word last season before a calf injury towards the end of the campaign ruled him out of Euro 2024. He suffered a muscle injury in October and his prayers were answered when he returned to fitness in December because Ruben Amorim had replaced ten Hag. Amorim was going through a turbulent start of his United reign and Maguire provided the team with the leadership they so desperately needed.
Amorim chucked him in against Manchester City and Erling Haaland at the Etihad - and he won all his ground duels and tackles as well as making five interceptions. Maguire has only grown in importance and authority since - and he was exceptional in United’s last two games at Liverpool and Arsenal.
