[Robbie Boy]

I don't 'rate him' certainly not on last season form. I'd gladly see the back of the whole squad. But a competent centre back is well down the list of problems unless I hear convincingly otherwise. It just a weird hate club on here which I enjoy discussing with.

I think these two 'clubs' work both ways tbh: there are fans on here who seem to worship the bloke and go through all sorts of mental gymnastics to blame anyone but Maguire. Then of course, you have the fans that'll blame him even if he's not on the pitch.

Both are as fecking tedious as the other, and the red flags posters are the ones who will inevitably end up with hundreds of posts in here, come the end of the season. It does make for entertaining reading, though.

For me, I never rated him and never wanted him. I thought he was alright for a period of time but he's now a massive liability. There's others who I would boot before him - but that's neither here-nor-there, as this is a thread about Maguire - however, he's one of the ones I can't wait to see the back of. In saying that, he'll clearly be staying this season so it's best for everyone if he can wise the feck up, and resemble a competent CB again.

 

[Atheist]

And after performances like yesterday and last week he'd also be getting called our worst captain ever.

Sure - I don't doubt that. But it's rare for any club to give out captaincy pretty much straight away after joining a club (less than 6 months after he joined).

 

[Name Changed]

I don't really know how many games we need to see him playing before it's decided that he is nowhere near good enough. Terrible defender, terrible leader.

 

[TenHagsEmpire]

Maguire is a great player. Proper lad.

He has the grace of Maldini, the physicality of Desailly, the intelligence of Cannavaro, the supervision of Beckenbauer, the anticipation and tackling ability of Nesta, the alpha mentality of Puyol, the longevity of Baresi, the alpha mentality of Ramos, the coolness of Moore and the goal scoring prowess of Koeman.

Why would anyone disrespect the GREATEST English Harry that ever was and ever will be?

 

[Lightbringer]

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

He isn't a HUGE part of our problems at all. He's well down the list. We got smashed yesterday by a team with Ben Mee and Jansson at CB, last week Dunk and Webster. He's as good as them at worst.

So yeah, there are other things to blame which don't get the same attention. Look how much discussion one clip of a bad pass decision yesterday has got. Where the clips of every bad pass Bruno made to analyse?

In the Bruno performance thread.

 

[bugmat]

Psychologically damaged goods is our 'Arry. Not sire if he will recover, but even if he can not by playing through it. He needs a big break and when the entire team is settled bring him back in maybe.

He was fairly decent to good in a counterattacking team that meant he never left his box for more than 5 yards. Ever since Ole tried to play expansive football, and every manager after, all his weaknesses have been exposed and he is a shell of a player now really.

His other big issue is he is not a captain or leader. he is a follower - that's what he was at all his other clubs. The price tag meant Ole gave him the job and he hasn't been removed from it, but the pressure of that has gotten to him. Needs to be dethroned - he will be better for it.

 

[bugmat]

I'm reticent to post in here since the usual suspects will be along to call me names and explain how Maguire was actually out of position for Dennis Law's backheel in the 70s and how he "should have been tighter" to Lionel Messi when he scored that header in Rome....however...

Has Maguire done anything especially wrong yet this season...or are we just blaming him because thats what we do?

The reason I ask (and please keep responses civil) is because I thought he was one of our better players against Brighton and yesterday there were certainly more obvious poor performers/culprits for the goals.

He was equally at fault as shaw was for the 4th - he should have seen toney and competed with him, slowing him down at least - the silly yellow he got before meant he couldn't even foul him. And he was negligent on the 3rd - he was in front of DdG watching Toney outhead Eriksen, then Mee and another get all over Martinez while he, the "best header" and biggest body on our team was rooted to the 6 yard box contesting no one for the entire sequence. DdG was much worse than him., but he wasn't good either.

 

[AbusementPark]

Not captain material at all, no clue why managers persist with this guy, cannot motivate a fart out of himself never mind his team mates.

 

[::sonny::]

 

[DickDastardly]

A good coup is needed.

For far too long have shit players been played without any circumstances to their shit play.

Harry Maguire is the epitome of that.

The most undeserving figure to play and captain this side.

He's been the face of our downfall and has singlehandedly taken us down this road.

He starts games with fear in his eyes and blood leaking from every pore.

Opposition players feel that fear and feed off of it and our players absorbe his fears and mimic them.

 

[ROFLUTION]

You sort of want your captain to be a constant in the squad - Who else can we say is that?

I know he's completely shit, but I'm not sure the good pick is to give it to Ronaldo or Bruno neither (he can get carried away). Sancho is not captain-material, Rashford is not captain-material, McFred could rotate the whole year, Eriksen is new, the full-backs are unstable, Martinez is new.

Who else is there? De Gea (doesn't yell/talk much)? Genuinely asking.

 

[Cassidy]

A good coup is needed.

For far too long have shit players been played without any circumstances to their shit play.

Harry Maguire is the epitome of that.

The most undeserving figure to play and captain this side.

He's been the face of our downfall and has singlehandedly taken us down this road.

He starts games with fear in his eyes and blood leaking from every pore.

Opposition players feel that fear and feed off of it and our players absorbe his fears and mimic them.

Who would you make captain?

 

[Cassidy]

You sort of want your captain to be a constant in the squad - Who else can we say is that?

I know he's completely shit, but I'm not sure the good pick is to give it to Ronaldo or Bruno neither (he can get carried away). Sancho is not captain-material, Rashford is not captain-material, McFred could rotate the whole year, Eriksen is new, the full-backs are unstable, Martinez is new.

Who else is there? De Gea (doesn't yell/talk much)? Genuinely asking.

I agree with this, Ten Hag will change the captaincy when he see someone who can be captain, I think one of his signings will be his captain anyway, if the club get them in

 

[DickDastardly]

Who would you make captain?

He shouldn't be anywhere near the starting lineup let alone the armband.

The issue of who I as a poster would make captain is irrelevant.

I actually don't care if he's left as a team captain, i just don't want to see him play.

And i believe that most of our players feel the same.
They probably don't care who the captain is, they just see what every other sane person with two healthy eyes and a functioning brain see - that Harry Maguire is a shit player and they don't want to play with him.

Fair fecks to them.

Riot.

Bench the squarehead.

 

[Mmm-Qatarian]

You sort of want your captain to be a constant in the squad - Who else can we say is that?

I know he's completely shit, but I'm not sure the good pick is to give it to Ronaldo or Bruno neither (he can get carried away). Sancho is not captain-material, Rashford is not captain-material, McFred could rotate the whole year, Eriksen is new, the full-backs are unstable, Martinez is new.

Who else is there? De Gea (doesn't yell/talk much)? Genuinely asking.

If Ronaldo is made captain of the club after all that has happened I might actually lose it...

(NOTE: This comment was edited after it was pointed out to me that the original was made in poor taste)

 

[Cassidy]

He shouldn't be anywhere near the starting lineup let alone the armband.

The issue of who I as a poster would make captain is irrelevant.

I actually don't care if he's left as a team captain, i just don't want to see him play.

And i believe that most of our players feel the same.
They probably don't care who the captain is, they just see what every other sane person with two healthy eyes and a functioning brain see - that Harry Maguire is a shit player and they don't want to play with him.

Fair fecks to them.

Riot.

Bench the squarehead.

It is very relevant. A new manager comes in, the captain they pick is important. You don’t pick a captain until you identify one. So who should he pick as captain?

I think Maguire won’t be captain next season at the latest. The issue now is there is no captain in this squad at the moment. Hopefully that changes in a year.

Sounds to me like some people just want to see a captaincy change for changing sakes.

With regards to him being benched, if Varane can stay fit then he probably will be.

 

[AndySmith1990]

Perhaps we set a trend and appoint no captain...I mean if no one is suitable and giving it to Maguire causes friction and resentment, then leave it vacant until someone naturally fits the role

 

[DickDastardly]

It is very relevant. A new manager comes in, the captain they pick is important. You don’t pick a captain until you identify one. So who should he pick as captain?

I think Maguire won’t be captain next season at the latest.

With regards to him being benched, if Varane can stay fit then he probably will be

A new manager comes in and he doesn't neccesarily need to feck the whole thing up from the start....

You change things one by one, what and where you see fit.

He probably chose to let the captain thing pass under the radar....


Good. That's all we need.
To bench him.

The captain thing will sort itself out.
Pick a different captain each game as long as Harry sits on the bench.

 

[Mmm-Qatarian]

Perhaps we set a trend and appoint no captain...I mean if no one is suitable and giving it to Maguire causes friction and resentment, then leave it vacant until someone naturally fits the role

At this stage I ideally wouldn't have Maguire as captain any more (I'd probably begrudgingly give it to Bruno) but I do find it somewhat suspicious that the reports of friction and resentment at Maguire's captaincy coincided with a certain someone's arrival at the club.

 

[Skills]

Perhaps we set a trend and appoint no captain...I mean if no one is suitable and giving it to Maguire causes friction and resentment, then leave it vacant until someone naturally fits the role

Captaincy in modern football means nothing tbh. Look at Man City's approach to it - Guardiola (a famous control freak) cares so little, he just go his squad to vote and select their captain.

And they selected Ilkay Gundogan - who's far from a guaranteed starter.

 

[Mmm-Qatarian]

Captaincy in modern football means nothing tbh. Look at Man City's approach to it - Guardiola (a famous control freak) cares so little, he just go his squad to vote and select their captain.

I honestly think this is the best approach to selecting a captain and what Ole probably should've done when replacing Ashley Young.

 

[Mmm-Qatarian]

I know it's probably meant in "fun" and generally I take little offence, but please don't use references like that as sick things has actually happened like that in real life lately
(we've currently got talks of mass demonstrations against Liverpool, where people should unite against the glazers)

Aye, good point; it's a tasteless comment on my part. I'll edit it out.

 

[Cassidy]

A new manager comes in and he doesn't neccesarily need to feck the whole thing up from the start....

You change things one by one, what and where you see fit.

He probably chose to let the captain thing pass under the radar....


Good. That's all we need.
To bench him.

The captain thing will sort itself out.
Pick a different captain each game as long as Harry sits on the bench.

Yes this was my point really. The manager has not exactly picked him as captain. He simply kept the status quo for obvious reasons.

It wouldn't suprise me if he saw someone like FDJ being his future captain or even Martinez but they will need to come in and earn respect of the dressing room first

 

[DickDastardly]

At this stage I ideally wouldn't have Maguire as captain any more (I'd probably begrudgingly give it to Bruno) but I do find it somewhat suspicious that the reports of friction and resentment at Maguire's captaincy coincided with a certain someone's arrival at the club.

That certain someone has seen some good defenders in his lifetime.

The first time he saw Harry fecking Maguire the Hull and Sheffield legend he probably wanted to commit harakiri.

 

[Mayhem]

Maguire is not captain material. End of story. He’s a squad player at best. Ten Hag needs to make a change at some point.

 

[DickDastardly]

Yes this was my point really. The manager has not exactly picked him as captain. He simply kept the status quo for obvious reasons.

It wouldn't suprise me if he saw someone like FDJ being his future captain or even Martinez but they will need to come in and earn respect of the dressing room first

Fully agree.

Let him keep his armband.

Just don't let him near the starting lineup.

 

[Mmm-Qatarian]

That certain someone has seen some good defenders in his lifetime.

The first time he saw Harry fecking Maguire the Hull and Sheffield legend he probably wanted to commit harakiri.

I'd wager that certain someone felt that he was the one who should be wearing the armband and, as he so often does when things don't go his way, got stroppy because he couldn't have it.

 

[ROFLUTION]

Aye, good point; it's a tasteless comment on my part. I'll edit it out.

Cheers! I'll delete mine too, and we'll all be happy campers again

 

[Skills]

I honestly think this is the best approach to selecting a captain and what Ole probably should've done when replacing Ashley Young.

Ole's entire approach to it was fecking horrible. The entire noise around the Maguire signing, left a horrible taste in my mouth so i don't know the players felt about it. The whole thing about needing a character, a leader for the ill disciplined and weak group of players.

We then sign Maguire, and then within a couple of months make him captain. A squad mainly of black and/or foreign players who were ripped into for not being leaders or characters for an entire season, and then we spunk £80m on a white english man to lead them. Someone who was far less decorated/successful than the players already at the club and has the personality of a pan. It would've pissed me off, if i was player in that squad.

 

[DickDastardly]

I'd wager that certain someone felt that he was the one who should be wearing the armband and, as he so often does when things don't go his way, got stroppy because he couldn't have it.

Fine. We could make that assumption.

One has had some great coaches in SAF, Jose, Ancelotti, and numerous teammates of the highest quality play along side him, won countless of trophies, individual and club and country....

While the other got relegated with Hull and Sheffield, lost more games then he's won and his only individual accolade was being chosen as the players player of the year with 8th placed (or whatever) Leicester.

Just writing this makes me want to stab myself.

Fecking squareheaded daft fool.

Bigging himself after scoring against San fecking Marino.

 

[Mmm-Qatarian]

Ole's entire approach to it was fecking horrible. The entire noise around the Maguire signing, left a horrible taste in my mouth so i don't know the players felt about it. The whole thing about needing a character, a leader for the ill disciplined and weak group of players.

We then sign Maguire, and then within a couple of months make him captain. A squad mainly of black and/or foreign players who were ripped into for not being leaders or characters for an entire season, and then we spunk £80m on a white english man to lead them. Someone who was far less decorated/successful than the players already at the club and has the personality of a pan. It would've pissed me off, if i was player in that squad.

I don't really remember the stories surrounding the Maguire transfer beyond the absolutely extortionate fee. Putting personality aside, I think Maguire was a very strange choice for two main reasons:

1. He'd been at the club for six months with absolutely no prior connection, meaning he hadn't built up much if any credit amongst the fanbase or more importantly the dressing room.

2. United was the first big club (reputation-wise) that he'd played for. Whilst he had been in the World Cup squad for England, he wasn't really used to the pressure that comes with being Manchester United captain, especially considering the pressure already on him derived from the fact we spent about 30 million pounds more than we should have acquiring him.

I'm happy to admit to being fairly soft on Maguire in comparison to some of the more barbed comments I make about certain players, and I'm also happy to admit that this is due to me having a soft spot for him as a player. With that said, I truly do think that a lot of his current predicament stems from the fact that he'd been parachuted into a role he was unqualified to fulfil by a manager who should have known better.

 

[Mike Smalling]

The last part is the most important bit for me. I don't think it necessarily means a lot to be captain in terms of leadership and all that, but the fact that we can't put this absolute dope on the bench, when he doesn't perform is an issue. There are several CB combinations I would like to see tried that doesn't include Slabhead.

 

[kps88]

I honestly think this is the best approach to selecting a captain and what Ole probably should've done when replacing Ashley Young.

Yeah I think this is what Arteta did at Arsenal too. Will probably end up with a three way tie the way things are going for us.

 

[kps88]

The last part is the most important bit for me. I don't think it necessarily means a lot to be captain in terms of leadership and all that, but the fact that we can't put this absolute dope on the bench, when he doesn't perform is an issue. There are several CB combinations I would like to see tried that doesn't include Slabhead.

I don't get why he's guaranteed a starting spot just because he's captain. City had Fernandinho last season and he wasn't first choice.

 

[El Jefe]

I don't think I've ever seen a captain whose position as captain has been in question as much as Maguire without improper conduct being involved. Xhaka and Aubameyang lost theirs because of reasons off the pitch to a degree, Maguire's is purely because he's a terrible leader and not a good player.

We look beaten already with him leading us out in the tunnel. Jordan Henderson and his perfectly box shaped head isn't the best player at Liverpool but is extremely vocal and right in the centre of it when any melee breaks, he also isn't afraid to give anyone a bollocking even the players better than him. Maguire honestly looked like he was about to shit himself after the seccond goal on Saturday. He inspires chaos, confusion and a losers mentality.

 

[DickDastardly]

The last part is the most important bit for me. I don't think it necessarily means a lot to be captain in terms of leadership and all that, but the fact that we can't put this absolute dope on the bench, when he doesn't perform is an issue. There are several CB combinations I would like to see tried that doesn't include Slabhead.

It's literally the ONLY positions where we actually have options!!

And yet the fool keeps getting picked after being by far the worst players on the pitch.

Makes my blood boil.
Can't imagine what Varane, Bailly and Lindelof must be thinking.

 

[Mike Smalling]

I don't get why he's guaranteed a starting spot just because he's captain. City had Fernandinho last season and he wasn't first choice.

He shouldn't be, but over the last few years, it certainly seems like he has been guaranteed a spot. I suspect Ole might have thought it would bring on too much negative attention if he dropped him - you can just imagine the stories about United dropping their captain and pundits endlessly discussing what that means. Also, Ole was the one who brought him in, so probably wanted him to be a success. I just hope ETH shows more of a spine. Wouldn't mind seeing a Varane-Martinez combo when both are fit, or even Varane-Lindelof.

 

[Mmm-Qatarian]

One thing I will say which is separate to the point about captaincy is that if I were going to replace one centre back in the line up at the moment, it would not be Maguire.

This is not me writing him off because I think it was quite predictable that he'd struggle initially but in my mind Martinez has caused more problems for the defence than Maguire in the first two games of the season.

 

[yamo123x]

Still standby that there are players performing much worse than Maguire, but because of his price tag and captaincy he is being tagged as the worst of the worse.

I agree he needs captaincy removing but who replaces him as captain? Ronnie who wants to leave? the petulant underperforming Bruno,? the error prone Llama in goal ? Luke 'biscuit boy' Shaw? Sir Rashford? MCSAUCE? Varane possibly one option but he isnt even in the team and he has a poor injury record to boot....i dont see a single viable captain there.....

I watched the game back last night and the weakest 4 players by some way were Dalot, Shaw, Bruno and Rashford......with Sancho not too far behind.
I think AWB is poor but man he cant be any worse than Dalot was..