Manchester United needed to show a strong sense of resolution on this particular occasion. Fortunately, Harry Maguire, who was born in Sheffield, is built tough.
Despite being jeered, teased, stripped of the captaincy, written off, and ordered to leave, Maguire continued to play brilliantly for United on his return to Bramall Lane on Saturday night.
The England defender experienced adoration from both sets of fans prior to, during, and following United’s crucial 2-1 triumph. Maguire seemed truly moved when he was given the man-of-the-match trophy.
However, the gratitude was sincere, and Maguire should be commended for persevering.
Back in the summer, he received a lot of advice to quit Old Trafford and look for more playing time in order to salvage his plummeting career.
However, Maguire possessed the mental toughness to persevere and the courage of his beliefs to stay at United and battle for his spot.
It appeared like a turning point had been reached when Erik ten Hag was praising him late on a Saturday night.
The manager remarked, “I have to say Harry is playing like we want him to play.”
Extremely aggressive when not in possession, controlling the game, stepping in when needed, and reading the play. But while in possession, he is equally as aggressive, stepping in, making excellent passes, and switching.
Yes, I’m pleased with how he performed.
It won’t be evident until Lisandro Martinez returns from injury whether Maguire has truly earned back Ten Hag’s trust—the manager who abruptly benched him last season.
This weekend is ominously approaching for Manchester City, and it’s possible that Maguire will withdraw once more or receives one of those harsh reality checks after making a mistake.
The 30-year-old is, however, making every effort to demonstrate that he merits a fresh start in the interim.
He completed 76 accurate passes on Saturday, 20 more than Sofyan Amrabat, the second-best passer on the field, with 13 of those passes being long balls.
Maguire won all eight of his tackles, five aerial duels, and possession back for United.
Ten Hag mentioned Maguire’s 14 breaks into the opposition’s defensive third when he talked about being proactive.
Maguire’s skill in the air and the tackle, along with his ability to carry the ball out of defence, have long been valued by England manager Gareth Southgate.
It’s noteworthy that the Dutch coach praised Ten Hag specifically for his ball-playing skills, as he has never been entirely confident in that area.
Even though Sheffield United were leading the Premier League, Ten Hag’s team still had a difficult task on their hands.
They have had a really challenging start to the season and will likely have a very tough time in games against weak teams.
The news earlier in the day of Sir Bobby Charlton’s death added another level of emotional challenge.
“It really got to us,” Maguire said after the game.
It was very possible for the momentum to go following Scott McTominay’s thrilling double against Brentford prior to the international break.
But Maguire’s United finished the job. The 2-1 victory, which came from goals from McTominay and Diogo Dalot, wasn’t decisive, but it was crucial.
It maintained Maguire’s record of coming out on top in each of the eight Premier League games he has started in the previous 12 months.
The last league defeat for United in which Maguire started was a 4-0 drubbing at Brentford in Ten Hag’s second game in command, which resulted in his dismissal.
It also carried on a successful run of form. In order to set up McTominay for his winning goal against Brentford, Maguire was the one to move in to meet the free kick from Bruno Fernandes.
Then, on Tuesday, he gave a strong performance as England defeated Italy to guarantee their place in Euro 2024.
Maguire performed admirably at Bramall Lane, playing well in the back with Jonny Evans as several teammates struggled.
Rasmus Hojlund received little assistance, Marcus Rashford had trouble getting the ball, and Antony appeared to be moving slowly.
Maguire was at least attempting to create something with his extended, searching passes.
However, Jadon Sancho’s mindset is the most different from mine.
Maguire might teach Ten Hag a few things while the £73 million winger rots in United’s reserves, seemingly with no possibility of reconciliation after effectively branding his manager a liar.
It’s not as though Maguire had been exiled in this manner, but he has undoubtedly received more than his fair share of mistreatment and criticism.
He demonstrated professionalism by putting his head down in training and waiting for a chance to rejoin United’s squad, as opposed to pouting like Sancho did.
Ten Hag has obviously observed that he has been performing well in the last few weeks.
It might not last long. Harder games are coming for United, and they’re rarely more than a game or two away from a crisis.
Maguire’s mistakes against Sevilla the previous season still make fans shudder, and he could always have a bit more confidence.
But on Saturday night, he most definitely deserved all of the adoration that he got.