Interim Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick needs to make the ruthless decision to strip Harry Maguire of the club’s captaincy after holding talks with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Maguire has struggled badly this season, frequently drawing criticism for poor performances for the Red Devils amid what has been a challenging campaign for United.
There was optimism at the start of the season that the Red Devils would finally be able to challenge at the top of the Premier League, after a summer spending spree that saw Ronaldo return to Old Trafford.
But those hopes were quickly extinguished as too many of United’s stars, including centre-back Maguire, failed to live up to expectations, resulting in the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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While results have picked up since Rangnick took interim charge, performances continue to be underwhelming.
And with United having been knocked out of the FA Cup and struggling to finish in the top four, the dressing room is threatening to break out into all-out war.
Mirror Football exclusively revealed on Thursday that Maguire is feeling increasingly undermined by Ronaldo’s role in the dressing room.
The duo have held talks with Rangnick about the status of Maguire as captain, with Ronaldo the leading candidate to take over the armband.
Ronaldo has taken on more of a leadership role under Rangnick, with the German reportedly asking him to mentor the younger players within the squad.
It now seems increasingly likely that Maguire will lose the captaincy to his superstar team-mate, despite the Englishman’s reluctance to do so.
But it is a ruthless decision that Rangnick needs to make as his side head into what will be a crucial few months.
Anything other than securing Champions League football for next season will be a disaster for the Red Devils.
To help guide them to that, United will need all the experience they can get as every game becomes increasingly important.
A player with Ronaldo’s experience would be the perfect choice to lead them until the end of the season.
Questions have mounted ever since Maguire took over the armband under Solskjaer two years ago.
His suitability for the role of being United skipper is increasingly in doubt, and with a ready-made replacement available in Ronaldo, a change should be made.
The 37-year-old has captained the Portugal national team since 2007, earning 126 caps as skipper and leading them to the Euro 2016 title.
He also frequently captained Real Madrid during his nine-year spell at the Bernabeu and so has vast experience of leading a team carrying high expectations.
With Rangnick already asking him to mentor his side’s young players, naming him permanent skipper would appear to be the next step.
Of course, not everyone will be happy to see Maguire stripped of the armband, but it could help the Englishman to recover his form.
With games of such high importance coming up, it is time for Rangnick to be ruthless and make a change in his on-pitch leader.
