{"id":95004,"date":"2023-10-23T22:25:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T22:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stopsmokingway.com\/?p=95004"},"modified":"2023-10-23T22:25:01","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T22:25:01","slug":"harry-maguire-could-be-back-in-favour-with-erik-ten-hag-at-man-united","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stopsmokingway.com\/soccer\/harry-maguire-could-be-back-in-favour-with-erik-ten-hag-at-man-united\/","title":{"rendered":"Harry Maguire could be back in favour with Erik ten Hag at Man United"},"content":{"rendered":"
It was an occasion that demanded a steely resolve from Manchester United. Luckily, Sheffield-born Harry Maguire is forged in the stuff.<\/p>\n
Booed, mocked, stripped of the captaincy, written off, told to leave and yet still there and performing admirably, Maguire was United’s best player on his return to Bramall Lane on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
The England defender felt the love from both sets of supporters before, during and after United’s important 2-1 victory. When presented with the man of the match award, Maguire looked genuinely touched.<\/p>\n
But the appreciation was genuine and Maguire deserves great credit for just hanging on in there.<\/p>\n
He was widely counselled to leave Old Trafford and seek more game time back in the summer to rescue a nosediving career.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Harry Maguire was excellent as Manchester United beat Sheffield United 2-1 on Saturday night<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The defender claimed the man of the match award for what Erik ten Hag described as a ‘proactive’ performance both on and off the ball<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Maguire hasn’t often been in favour with Erik ten Hag (right) but things may have changed\u00a0<\/p>\n
Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n
Maguire, though, had the courage of his convictions to stay at United and fight for his place and the mental resilience to keep ploughing on.<\/p>\n
Late on Saturday night, Erik ten Hag was singing his praises and it seemed a corner had been turned.<\/p>\n
‘I have to say Harry is playing like we want him to play,’ the manager said.<\/p>\n
‘Very proactive out of possession, dominating his opponent, stepping in when necessary, reading the game, good covering but also in possession very proactive, stepping in, delivering good passes, switching.<\/p>\n
‘Yes, I am happy with his performance.’<\/p>\n
Whether Maguire has fully regained the trust of Ten Hag, the manager who unceremoniously dropped him last season, will only become clear once Lisandro Martinez returns from injury.<\/p>\n
Manchester City await ominously this weekend and it may be that Maguire drops back out or gets another of those brutal reality checks following an error.<\/p>\n
But in the meantime, the 30-year-old is doing everything he can to show he deserves a starting place.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Maguire lost his starting place for United after a horror show away at Brentford last season<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mistakes such as his costly one against Sevilla looked to have ended his Old Trafford career<\/p>\n
On Saturday, he played 76 accurate passes – 20 more than the second-highest passer on the pitch, Sofyan Amrabat – including 13 successful long balls.<\/p>\n
Premier League unless stated<\/span><\/p>\n Tuesday<\/span> Copenhagen (H)<\/p>\n Champions League group stage<\/span><\/p>\n Sunday<\/span> Manchester City (H)<\/p>\n November 1 <\/span>Newcastle United (H)<\/p>\n Carabao Cup fourth round<\/span><\/p>\n November 4<\/span> Fulham (A)<\/p>\n November 8 <\/span>Copenhagen (A)<\/p>\n Champions League group stage<\/span><\/p>\n November 11 <\/span>Luton Town (H)<\/p>\n Maguire won possession back for United eight times, won all of his tackles and five aerial duels.<\/p>\n When Ten Hag spoke of Maguire being proactive, it related to the 14 times he broke into the opposition’s defensive third.<\/p>\n England boss Gareth Southgate has always appreciated Maguire’s ability to carry the ball out of defence, as well as his prowess in the air and the tackle.<\/p>\n Ten Hag has always been less certain when it comes to his ball-playing attributes, so to receive praise from the Dutch coach for just that is significant.<\/p>\n Sheffield United may be propping up the Premier League but this was still a tricky assignment for Ten Hag’s side.<\/p>\n They have endured a very difficult opening to the season and are liable to make very hard work of games against struggling sides.<\/p>\n An additional layer of emotional difficulty was added by news of Sir Bobby Charlton’s death\u00a0earlier in the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘It hit us hard,’\u00a0admitted Maguire post-match.<\/p>\n The momentum gained after Scott McTominay’s dramatic double against Brentford before the international fortnight could easily have vanished.<\/p>\n But United, led by Maguire, got the job done. The 2-1 win, earned through McTominay and Diogo Dalot goals, wasn’t emphatic but it was essential.<\/p>\n It continued Maguire’s record of emerging on the winning side in all eight of his Premier League starts over the past 12 months.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There have been signs Maguire may be returning to his commanding best in recent weeks<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Maguire teed up Scott McTominay’s (left) dramatic stoppage time winner against Brentford<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Maguire performed well last week as England beat Italy to book their place at Euro 2024<\/p>\n The last time United lost when Maguire started in the league was the 4-0 humbling at Brentford in Ten Hag’s second game in charge that saw him dropped afterwards.<\/p>\n It also continued a good spell of form. Maguire was the one who muscled in to meet the Bruno Fernandes free-kick to tee up McTominay for his winner against Brentford.<\/p>\n He then performed well last Tuesday as England beat Italy to seal qualification for Euro 2024.<\/p>\n At Bramall Lane, Maguire stepped up to the mark, playing nicely alongside Jonny Evans at the back, when quite a few team-mates struggled.<\/p>\n Marcus Rashford struggled to get the ball, Rasmus Hojlund was starved of service and Antony looked well off the pace.<\/p>\n At least Maguire, with his long searching passes, was trying to make something happen.<\/p>\n But the biggest contrast in attitude is with Jadon Sancho.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the \u00a373million winger rots in United’s reserves with seemingly no chance of making up with Ten Hag after effectively calling his manager a liar, Maguire could teach him a thing or two.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Maguire’s professionalism in adversity could teach the banished Jadon Sancho a few lessons<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There seems little prospect of a rapprochement between Sancho and Ten Hag at the minute<\/p>\n Not that Maguire had been banished in such a way but he has certainly taken more than his share of abuse and criticism.<\/p>\n Instead of sulking like Sancho, he showed his professionalism to get his head down in training and waited for an opportunity to get back in United’s team.<\/p>\n In recent weeks he has performed well and Ten Hag has clearly noticed.<\/p>\n It could prove short-lived. United are rarely more than a game or two away from a crisis and tougher matches lie ahead.<\/p>\n Fans still shudder at Maguire’s gaffes against Sevilla last season and his confidence could always be a little higher.<\/p>\n But he certainly deserved the love received from all quarters on Saturday night.<\/p>\n It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\nIT’S ALL KICKING OFF!\u00a0<\/h3>\n