Harry Maguire - The Predicament.

 Harry Maguire – one of the names in football that gathers much opinion when uttered. And for both good and bad reasons. His situation is what can be deemed a predicament. Well, why you may ask? Here’s some background on his footballing career first to really put his rise in perspective. Harry Maguire is currently a Manchester United and England national player, who started his journey with his hometown club Sheffield United. He was a Sheffield United player for 3 years which earned him a move to Hull City with who he enjoyed a 3-year stint. His solid performances earned him a move to Leicester City where he played with the Foxes for 2 years and subsequently to Manchester United for the 2019/2020 season. 

So then why the predicament? When a club of Manchester United’s magnitude signs a player for a world record fee (albeit within just defenders), and immediately promotes you to club captain, you are immediately open different level of scrutiny, analysis and criticism than the average defender. His 2019/2020 has been a ride, regardless of contributing to a Manchester United defence that conceded 18 less goals than they did in 2018/2019 (PL), some of his mistakes have really overshadowed the improvement he has made to a United defence that has become better regardless of his errors. 

Although from a holistic perspective Manchester United’s defence has directly improved from Maguire’s addition, on an individual level, some football fans were of the opinion that his performance was better at Leicester, and his price tag is not justified. Instead of speculating, let’s consult the numbers. 

Well, his numbers seem quite consistent. So, it begs the question, why is Harry Maguire’s performance being called into question? Especially considering his numbers have been on par with the ones from the Foxes and he was highly rated there. So why the change of opinion?

Well there are certain factors that created the environment under which Maguire is forced to operate. As previously mentioned, he was signed for a record fee for a defender, a whopping 80 million pounds. That is astounding. Manchester United Director Ed Woodward’s lack of negotiating skills coupled with the fact that English clubs are often faced with “English tax” when trying to purchase English players make a perfect recipe for a world record fee for a defender. Not the first instance of this extortion, Kyle Walker’s move to Manchester City broke what was the record at that time for a defender, as well as his teammate, John Stones, not too long before him. Furthermore, he was given the captain’s armband within two months of his arrival. While he is not a stranger to captaincy, being immediately thrust into the fire that is Manchester United who lacked a proper leader for much of the 2018/2019 season was no easy task. Another important factor to take into consideration is the fact that he has said himself that United was his dream club. So from the data presented and factors highlighted – what is the predicament that Harry Maguire finds himself in? Well, it’s pressure. The pressure to perform at a class above solid especially under the circumstances of his arrival may have been his undoing. At Manchester United you cannot be just “solid”, the Reds are a team that once boasted a defensive partnership of Vidic and Ferdinand, solid doesn’t cut it. Therefore, your performance or lack thereof will come into question.

The bottomline is, Harry Maguire isn’t a world class defender, but he gets the job done, and to many Manchester United fans, he’s an upgrade to the choices to what they have had in previous years *flashbacks to Jones and Smalling*. However, for all his positives and considering all factors, the defender leaves much to be desired and this leaves him open to valid critique and chastisement from fans, hence why I call him – a predicament. 


-Angelia Ramdeen