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It is often true that a player can influence the mood and luck of his team; for Manchester United he is not necessarily the person you would think of first.
While Bruno Fernandes’ immense contributions in midfield cannot be denied, matches like the victory over Burnley in midweek proved that a rare night of his can be fought for by the excellence of Paul Pogba, or even Donny van de Beek in the center of the field.
In fact, if it weren’t for Fernandes’ incredibly high standards, we probably would have seen a lot more of Dutchman Van de Beek by now, but he has had to settle for a reduced role given the world-class quality he has in front of him.
With 27 goals and 17 assists in just under a year at Old Trafford, it is obvious that Fernandes would be identified as the winner of the match most of the time, in fact, he is perhaps the only unanimous candidate on the first team roster to he’s even close doing a world XI right now.
(Image: Steve Reigate Daily Express)
However, the arrival of the 26-year-old seemed more like the missing piece of the puzzle. He is the talisman, the catalyst for change, but the recent rush to the top of the table is showing that United are far from a one-man team.
Instead, it’s club captain Harry Maguire who seems to underpin the very quality of this United team. When he plays well they win; when it doesn’t, they always seem to lose.
Think of every high-profile loss United have suffered to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer so far. In almost every game there will have been a question asked of Maguire, or at least a slew of online fans who have made the £ 80 million man a scapegoat for failing to secure victory.
Sometimes it almost seems that Maguire will fail if he comes from a small minority of social media users, although those who regularly attend games will give you a very different verdict from the man in the armband.
While he may not be in the same group as transfer record-breaking defenders Virgil van Dijk and Aymeric Laporte, the stability and consistency he has brought to the United team cannot be ignored.
There has been an over-reliance on Solskjaer on using the man who made captain last year, appearances last season against LASK Linz and Tranmere Rovers come to mind, but it is also a credit to the 27-year-old who has been available. almost every week to play.
Fans may point to current defensive teammate Eric Bailly as the player who has really brought about his change in recent weeks, but it is because of Maguire’s no-nonsense anchoring that his more mobile method of defense has worked so well.
Manchester United secured a vital 1-0 victory over Burnley on Tuesday night to go to the top of the Premier League.
Paul Pogba scored the deciding goal in a close match at Turf Moor, meaning United are now three points clear of Liverpool, whom they face this weekend at Anfield.
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On second thought, it also makes sense that United’s slow start to the season came at a time when Maguire was mentally, physically and emotionally drained after a summer in which he was found guilty of assaulting a police officer, swearing, resisting. to arrest and bribery. He vigorously denies the crimes and has appealed the conviction, which annuls it.
The center-back wanted to let his football do the talking when the season began and captained United in the opening day loss at home to Crystal Palace. Something didn’t seem right, that’s because it wasn’t.
(Image: Mark Leech / Offside / Offside via Getty Images)
Maguire is an easy target not only because of his celebrity status, but because he is the most expensive defender of all time playing for a team that makes headlines almost every time he even shows up to practice. And most importantly, like all of us, he is a human being with real emotions.
A horror show against Tottenham and a red card for England followed, but Solskjaer still stood his ground for his man. It is that faith and determination that has brought the defender back to his best level.
Very often, Maguire’s analysis is about what it is not, but should instead focus on what it does. Okay, you may not necessarily be winning games alone, but it keeps things stable for others and provides a solid foundation to build on.
His emphatic performance against Burnley in the middle of the week should have been capped off with an exceptional header, if it weren’t for a poor VAR decision to turn him off on the gentlest of pushes. However, even without the goal, he set the example. No defender has won more aerial duels [72] or did more interceptions [34] than Maguire in the Premier League so far this season, and the captain added as much steel in the air as silk on the ground.
Even after such a solid few weeks, there will be a fan section that won’t appreciate the subtle side of your game; they could do a bit more if they see him lift the Premier League title in May.
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