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Harry Maguire could benefit from being “taken out of the oven” and given a break to regain his form, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has said.
Maguire’s miserable season for the club and the country continued on Wednesday night when he was sent off in England’s Nations League loss to Denmark at Wembley.
The head of the national team, Gareth Southgate, has backed Red Devils captain Maguire, who was involved in a high-profile court case in Greece earlier in the season, to get through this “difficult period” and the former player of the United Ferdinand said taking him out of the firing line could work for Maguire, as it had for him.
He believes United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a key role to play in what will happen next.
“In these situations, which I have been in, sometimes you have to take it out of the oven,” said Ferdinand, an analyst at BT Sport.
“Ole has a great job on his hands and I think he has a very important role to play in this. Whether it’s time to give him a little rest, let him compose himself and regain that confidence.”
“Sometimes just stepping out of the firing line for a game. They took me out in a game, I think it was Middlesbrough out, the coach (Alex Ferguson) spoke to me and said ‘go back to basics, train well and you’ll be back.’
“That’s what happened and I was fine. It’s just that sometimes that little bit of pressure that takes off that can really help you.
“I know a lot of players will see that as an absolute blemish on their résumé, but sometimes it’s something that is needed. I definitely benefited from that and maybe it’s something Ole and his management team can see.”
Ferdinand was asked what a player can do to regain confidence.
“It’s having that time to reflect,” he said.
“When you go game to game every three or four days, it’s very difficult to see through the fog.
“But when they take you out of the firing line, you have time to sit down and analyze yourself, your performance, your preparation, your recovery, all aspects of what happens in a soccer game or 90 minutes.
“So it’s about rebuilding yourself and playing it simple. Trying to effectively get through a game without being seen.
“It may sound silly, but that’s the way I used to look at it when I lacked a little confidence. Because right now they’re looking at you for the wrong reasons.
“So going through a game without being seen and being almost a little invisible, but still making it through: winning a game, keeping a clean sheet. Building blocks.”
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