What Harry Maguire needs to prove to Erik ten Hag on Man Utd return

Maguire missed United’s impressive 4-0 victory over Liverpool, however Ten Hag hinted on Thursday that the England international could be set to play at least 45 minutes against Melbourne Victory

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed Harry Maguire is available for Friday’s pre-season friendly against Melbourne Victory.

The United captain, who missed Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Liverpool in Thailand because of a minor knock, trained away from the main group in the build-up to the contest and was not risked against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof started in his absence before being replaced at half-time by Eric Bailly and Alex Telles as Ten Hag made a host of changes at the interval.

The United boss confirmed on Thursday though that he expects Maguire to be capable of playing half of Friday’s first friendly in Australia. “He is available, we will see but I think he can play half a game.”

It’s not yet clear whether Maguire will start in the clash at Melbourne Cricket ground, yet no matter which half he features, it’s important that the defender tries to put in a strong display.

There’s a cliche in football that says you can’t necessarily secure your place in the team during pre-season, but you can certainly lose it, and that’s the position Maguire could find himself in if he fails to impress the new United boss.

The England international suffered a forgettable campaign last season and was a regular within a United side who accumulated their lowest ever Premier League points tally. There were many calls for the 29-year-old to be dropped, however, a lack of viable alternatives meant he often managed to maintain his place inside the starting XI.

United’s move for Lisandro Martínez changes the landscape in this regard. The Argentinian favours playing on the left of a central defence – the position usually occupied by Maguire – and has the ability to really threaten the England man’s position in the side this season.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MARCH 15: Harry Maguire of Manchester United reacts during the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen Leg Two match between Manchester United and Atletico Madrid at Old Trafford on March 15, 2022 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Will Maguire turn things around at Old Trafford? Have your say in the comments below.

It will therefore be vitally important that Maguire hits the ground running in pre-season in order to get Ten Hag on board. But what does he need to do to impress the new United boss?

Firstly he’ll need to maintain the good aspects of his game from last season, and these were usually his ability in direct duels with opponents. Only seven central defenders who played over 1000 minutes managed to achieve a better aerial duel success rate (67.5 per cent) than Maguire last season. While there were only 11 of those defenders who could better his duel success rate on the ground (71.33 per cent).

Issues for the defender though came from a wider point of view and related to team tactics. It was the ambition of Ole Gunnar Solskajer, and to an extent Ralf Rangnick, to implement a high defensive line at Old Trafford. Ten Hag will certainly look to do the same too.

Having one is key for pushing up the pitch, limiting space and providing players ahead with the ideal platform in which the press opponents inside their own half. Maguire though was often let down by his own physical profile.

He’s not the quickest, or most mobile, meaning pacey and tricky attackers enjoyed success attacking down his side of the pitch, especially if the defensive line was high leaving plenty of space to be exposed.

Pace isn’t really something that can be improved, you either have it or you don’t. However, there’s been plenty of examples of slower defenders thriving playing in elite sides who set up in a similar way.

These players compensate for what they lack from a physical perspective with good positioning and intelligence. Maguire has illustrated he’s got both in the past, though not on a consistent enough basis.

It’s crucial that he’s able to demonstrate to Ten Hag early on that he can successfully operate within the Dutchman’s set-up, or it’ll be tough to see how he maintains a key role in this United squad going forward.

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