Erik ten Hag has challenged Harry Maguire to silence the boo boys with his performances after the Manchester United captain was jeered on the club's pre-season tour.
Maguire was booed in the early stages of the 3-1 win against Crystal Palace at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday, having also been whistled playing for England last season.
The United captain was sarcastically cheered off when substituted during United's Champions League game against Atletico Madrid as well and he is under pressure for his place in the team.
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The 29-year-old was the subject of heavy criticism last season, both for his performances and his captaincy as United's season disintegrated.
But Ten Hag has backed Maguire to continue as skipper and revealed he sees him as a first-choice central defender alongside Lisandro Martinez, although that didn't stop the adverse reaction to him in Melbourne.
That quietened down after around half an hour and Maguire enjoyed a good game. During an open training session in Perth on Thursday he was cheered by 5,000 fans, who also chanted his name, and he will hope for a similar reception at the Optus Stadium on Saturday, when United conclude their tour against Aston Villa.
Ten Hag was aware of the jeers during the Palace game, but believes the only way to stop them is through performances.
“We heard, but you see, if you perform then it slows down, I think the team and Harry Maguire they impressed by the way they play," he said.
The boos for Maguire on England duty last season were particularly bizarre and the treatment of him has become unusual recently, with some at United suggesting it was like a pantomime at the MCG.
Ten Hag isn't trying to work out why there is so much negativity around his captain, only focusing on how they can change that narrative.
"I don’t think it’s a matter of finding out if I can understand it, it’s how can we change it. The team and Harry himself by performing, that’s what we’re working on, that’s the only focus," he said.
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