Erik ten Hag has called on Manchester United’s senior players to show more leadership in clutch moments and named Harry Maguire, the former captain, as one of those who can “step up”.
United’s mindset has appeared fragile in adversity this season, with the 4-3 Champions League defeat to Copenhagen in midweek the latest example. United were leading 2-0 and, according to Ten Hag, enjoying their “best minutes of the season” before Marcus Rashford’s red card triggered another dramatic collapse.
Ten Hag has called upon Maguire, who was stripped of the captaincy in the summer, to stand up and be counted to help arrest United’s slump. They have lost nine of 17 matches this season. Ten Hag praised Maguire’s form, which has put him ahead of Raphaël Varane as United’s right-sided centre-back. But he wants the England international to lead even without the armband, especially in the absence of the key defensive trio of Casemiro, Lisandro Martínez and Luke Shaw, who have long-term injuries.
“Others have to fill in,” said Ten Hag. “I was very happy, actually, with the game in Copenhagen. It was our best minutes when it was 11 against 11, we had a good balance all over the team. It was just what we wanted to see, we have to build on that.”
Asked whether he had enough leaders, particularly with the injury absences, Ten Hag said: “We have such characters who can do it: I’d mention André Onana, Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay in such moments has to show some leadership. Bruno [Fernandes] of course. We have enough players with the character and personality to step forward in such situations and lead the team.”
Ten Hag explained his decision to select Jonny Evans at left-sided centre-back over Varane in Copenhagen. The manager seems reluctant to pick Varane, despite the Frenchman’s consistent form last season, but he may come back in against Luton on Saturday with Evans out for “the next few weeks” with a thigh strain suffered in the Copenhagen loss.
“Rapha was brilliant in combination with Martínez, and I can also see very good combinations with Jonny Evans or with Victor Lindelöf,” Ten Hag said. “But there’s internal competition. Harry Maguire is doing very well in this moment. As I always said with Harry, he can do the job and now he’s showing it.
“Every time you have to swap your back four, it’s difficult. A new keeper coming in and then every time you have to form a new back four, the routines are not the same. Communication is important, it’s all split-second decisions. You need that cooperation and it has to work 100%. When it doesn’t work, you concede goals.”
