Latest on Manchester United News: Erik ten Hag offers his honest opinion about Harry Maguire
Erik ten Hag expressed his satisfaction with having Harry Maguire on the team. However, Maguire will need to decide on his future after being displaced from his position in the squad.
He has been surpassed by Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and Victor Lindelof, and even Luke Shaw, a left back, has played in central defence. As a result, Maguire has only started eight games in the league this season.
In 2019, United acquired Maguire from Leicester City for a fee of 80 million pounds, making him the most expensive defender in the world. His current contract is set to expire in 2025.
Asked about Maguire’s future, Ten Hag told The Times newspaper: “Let’s say I’m happy he’s here and when we needed him he did his job. But it’s also a decision he has to make.”
The Dutch manager also stated that Maguire was giving his all during training and had been a crucial figure as the captain of the club. However, the he recognized that Maguire would not be content with being a substitute in the future.
“No one would be happy with this situation. He is not as well,” he added.
According to Ten Hag, the club will retain goalkeeper David de Gea for the upcoming season. However, he also mentioned that the Spanish player, who had the highest number of clean sheets in the Premier League this season, will have to compete for the goalkeeper position.
“I will not say he’ll always be my number one because in a club like Man United there must be competition in all positions,” he said.
In Ten Hag’s debut season as manager, United secured third place in the league and also emerged victorious in the League Cup. They now have the opportunity to claim another title as they prepare to take on Manchester City, the reigning champions, in the upcoming FA Cup final on Saturday.
“I’ve seen many FA Cup finals. The tradition. I’m really looking forward to it,” Ten Hag said. “It’s not about stopping Manchester City, it’s about us winning the FA Cup. We want to build our own legacy and era.”
Since their last league title win in 2012-13 under Alex Ferguson, United have not had much to be happy about. However, there is a sense of hopefulness growing due to Ten Hag’s ability to strategize and manage his team. The fact that he stays in contact with Ferguson adds to this optimism.
“With all his experiences and his intelligence it’s really valuable to talk with him. From Sir Alex, I learn a lot because he’s such a legend. It gives me inspiration, how to manage,” Ten Hag added.
“After Sir Alex left, the culture changed over the years. One of the biggest qualities Sir Alex had was to have high standards.”
“I wanted to bring it back in, so that everyone in this organisation lives the highest standards and the football players too.”
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