Nemanja Vidic has suggested Harry Maguire ask for time out of the Manchester United team as the England defender looks to pull out of a difficult spell.
Maguire's woes continued on Saturday as he unwittingly deflected Anthony Gordon's shot past David de Gea in United's defeat at Everton. The mishap comes hot on the heels of the former Leicester City man being booed by certain England supporters, and this remains a season to forget for the 29-year-old.
Vidic was a star for United for much of his time at Old Trafford, winning the Champions League in 2008 and collecting multiple Premier League winners' medals. The Serbian wasn't without his own difficult spells, though, and he has suggested some time away could be just what Maguire needs right now.
“Every player has a problem with form at some time in his career,” Vidic told The Athletic. “I did and it’s clear that Maguire is not at his best this season.
"I think you can do a few things and one of them is not to play every match as you try to find form again and get confidence. A coach could play him in easier games, not that there are many in the Premier League, and take him out for harder matches.
"The player needs to feel powerful and strong on the pitch again, not as it is now where he feels that it’s not happening for him. It’s difficult to play well when you’re under so much pressure because people are waiting for you to make a mistake."
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Vidic said he was answering the question "as a coach". The 40-year-old has been doing his badges, but revealed he has turned down managerial offers, and when asked specifically about the advice he'd offer Maguire, Vidic alluded to his own struggles during a decorated playing career.
“It’s not a problem if a player says to his coach that he’s not feeling great on the pitch. If he says: ‘Give me a break, give me a couple of weeks to regroup and train well and then play again’," he said.
"I had some horrible games for United and needed to find my peace and grow again,” he added. The former Spartak Moscow had some well-documented struggles early on, famously receiving a wake-up call in a 4-3 loss at Blackburn, but was able to turn things around.
While Maguire has come in for more criticism than most, Vidic isn't the only former United star to offer a sympathetic ear. Jaap Stam, who won the Champions League with the club in 1999, suggested the defender needs more help from those around him.
“He’s an easy target because it’s easy to say that he is making mistakes or wrong choices. Everybody, even when I played, I made mistakes, I made wrong choices as well,” Stam told bettingexpert in March.
“I think he also needs to have help from his teammates. He also needs to have the confidence of people around him and they will have for him. But also from outside as well, so he can make these steps."
