Why Manchester United captain Harry Maguire is likely to remain benched in big games

Although the game against Liverpool was an important fixture – and Erik ten Hag’s decision to drop Maguire to the bench was a big call – the Dutchman does intend to use his captain a lot this season. United have made it known that they will not sell Maguire either, despite Chelsea’s interest in the player.

Ten Hag plans to rotate his centre backs this term – a wise move given that United could play up to 63 matches.

The question is: how many of the big matches will Maguire play? Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Maguire was a guaranteed starter in every game, regardless of the standard of the opposition. In Solskjaer’s final full season in charge – when United finished second – Maguire started 51 of 61 matches and he would have featured even more had he not suffered an ankle injury towards the end of the campaign.

What may be of concern to the 29-year-old United captain is the glowing way in which Ten Hag spoke about his replacement, Raphael Varane, in the wake of the stunning 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford.

Unprompted, the United manager brought up Varane’s name twice in a five-minute interview on Sky Sports. When asked a question about Bruno Fernandes, who captained the team in Maguire’s absence, Ten Hag was quick to praise the Portugal playmaker, but then moved on to praise Varane. “He [Fernandes] was encouraged by the captaincy, he showed leadership and, along with Rapha Varane, made a huge difference.” Ten Hag said.

When he was asked about the leadership qualities that Casemiro would bring to the team, Ten Hag again brought up Varane’s influence.

“It’s important to have leadership and players who have won trophies and he [Casemiro] has done that, Rapha Varane has, and [Cristiano] Ronaldo,” he added. “You need guidance for young players. We hope their presence will be a stimulation for the rest.”

It would be wrong to suggest that Ten Hag does not see Maguire as a leader – he would have taken the captain’s armband off him at the start of the season if he did not have faith in his leadership skills. But looking at Varane’s performance, it is easy to see why Ten Hag was in awe of the France player.

Maguire is better than Varane with the ball at his feet, but last season the United captain rarely played with the authority that his rival did on Monday.

Varane made decisive challenges on James Milner and Roberto Firmino deep inside the United penalty area, he won all six of his headers and communicated well with his centre-back partner, Lisandro Martinez. Varane agreed that it was his most satisfying performance since joining United from Real Madrid for £34 million just over a year ago.

“I really enjoyed it – the atmosphere, the spirit of the team,” Varane, 29, said. “I came to England to feel these emotions after everything I left in Madrid. The crowd, the fans and the fight on the pitch was amazing.”

Varane had a troubling first season with United. The four-times Champions League winner missed 17 matches amid four separate injury complaints and a bout of coronavirus. Now, after a tailored fitness regime in pre-season, he insists that he is back to full fitness.

“We know how demanding the Premier League is, so I worked a lot to be fit and ready,” he said. “I have demonstrated in the past what I can do when I’m fit, so that’s my focus for this season.”

That Varane combined so well with Martinez bodes well for Ten Hag and less so for Maguire.

The 5ft 9in Argentina defender may not be as effective against some taller opponents, but he put in a combative display, rattling Mohamed Salah with an early foul. Martinez made three blocks, which was more than any other player.

“He brings determination, motivation, and he has this mentality, this fighting spirit,” Varane said of the £55 million signing from Ajax.

Ten Hag prefers a left-foot/right-foot combination at centre back, so Martinez, a left footer, is the natural pick to play on that side of defence. One assumes that Varane, Maguire and Victor Lindelof will compete for the other centre-back slot, although Maguire has played on the left side in the past. Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe, the other central defenders in the squad, are free to leave. Bailly will join Marseille on loan and the deal will become permanent if the French club qualify for the Champions League.

Maguire will naturally have been disappointed to have been left out of the team for such a big game, but he is a strong character. He will not sulk and, according to those who know him best, he will redouble his efforts to make sure he is in Ten Hag’s thoughts for Saturday’s game away to Southampton.

– The Times

Originally published as Why Manchester United captain Harry Maguire is likely to remain benched in big games