A chorus of boos aimed at Harry Maguire dominated headlines and overshadowed what was a strong individual performance from the Manchester United captain in Tuesday’s 3-1 friendly victory over Crystal Palace.
Maguire started in what was United’s third game of their Australia tour, completing 64 minutes before being substituted midway through the second half with the Reds 3-0 up.
Although a portion of the fans in attendance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground opted to boo Maguire every time he got on the ball, it didn’t seem to faze the England international who put in an assured display.
Maguire suffered a forgettable campaign last season and was a regular within a United side that accumulated their lowest ever Premier League points tally. There were many calls for the 29-year-old to be dropped, however, a lack of viable alternatives meant he often managed to maintain his place inside the starting XI.
He’s consequently come into the summer under immense pressure, something that’s only intensified following the arrival of Lisandro Martinez who has joined from Ajax.
Despite the scrutiny over his future though, the defender put in a hugely composed and impressive display on Tuesday. Like was the case in his first appearance under Erik ten Hag last week against Melbourne Victory, he lined up on the right of United’s central defensive pairing, rather than on the left which has been the case for much of his Old Trafford career so far.
In Tuesday’s win, Maguire won 100 per cent of his defensive duels, made four interceptions and three headed clearances, capturing just some of his good defensive work on the day. And while he’s often criticised for a lack of mobility, the 29-year-old looked sharp from the outset, coping with tricky Palace forwards and anticipating danger well.
An example of the same is below. Palace attempt to fire a quick penetrating ball through the lines and into the feet of Jean-Philippe Mateta who dropped into a dangerous area.
Maguire though is alert to the danger and tracks the Palace forward well before stepping in, cutting out the pass and breaking up the attack.
While the competency of Maguire’s display from a defensive point of view would have pleased Ten Hag, the Dutchman would have also been happy to see how composed he was in possession too.
Building from the back is of course going to be a key staple for United under Ten Hag, and Maguire’s pass success rate of 93 per cent signals how he can still yet thrive in such a set-up.
Despite Tuesday’s positive display, there’s no doubt that the United captain still has plenty to prove. There remain questions over his physical profile and whether he’s got what it takes to thrive playing in a high defensive line.
However he did at least on Tuesday reminded many United fans of what he is capable of, and doing the same on more consistent bases will be crucial to maintaining a place in Ten Hag’s long term plans.
