Ralf Rangnick backs Harry Maguire to hit form amid fan criticism

‘He’s our captain and I don’t see any reason to change that’: Ralf Rangnick BACKS Harry Maguire to hit form amid increasing fan criticism as Man United interim boss claims playing in a back four is ‘new’ for the £80m man

  • Ralf Rangnick says he will not relent to fan pressure and drop Harry Maguire 
  • Maguire’s position in the Man United team has been called into question of late 
  • He was at fault for Burnley’s goal and failed to impress against Southampton
  • United interim boss Rangnick says he will not drop his £80million captain
  • The German claimed that playing in a back four is ‘something new’ for Maguire 

Ralf Rangnick has thrown his support behind Harry Maguire amid the Manchester United star’s poor run of form, insisting he will not relent to fan pressure and drop the £80million man.

Maguire, 28, has faced scrutiny for several below-par performances of late, with a section of United supporters claiming that the defender should be dropped, with the captaincy withdrawn.

The England international was handed the captain’s armband by former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in January 2020, just five months after his mega-money move from Leicester, yet his displays against Southampton and Burnley have convinced some fans that he is better served by being taken out of the firing line.

Ralf Rangnick has thrown his support behind Harry Maguire amid his slump in performances

Yet interim boss Rangnick sees no need to replace Maguire in his starting XI, and insisted that he will stand by his captain ahead of tonight’s clash with Brighton. 

‘I think when he came back after his injury he did extremely well. He had a very good performance, a very good game against West Ham,’ Rangnick said.

‘In the past two games, yeah he had some weaker moments, against Southampton and when we conceded the goal at Burnley, but he’s our captain and I don’t see any reason to change that.’

Maguire was utilised in a back three and back four under Solskjaer, and Rangnick claims the defender – who has made 132 appearances for the Red Devils -still needs time to get used to playing in a flat back four.

Maguire’s position in the team has been called into question after recent shaky displays

United interim boss Rangnick says that Maguire is his captain and he will stand by him

‘He’s a player who has to develop, get better, like all the other players,’ he added.

‘The way that we are playing now is new also to him because in the English national team he was used to playing in a back three and here at Manchester United, in most cases a back four, but still not being as proactive, not with that kind of rest defence always being on the front foot when we are trying to defend.

‘This is something also new to him and it will also take some time for him to get used to that, to get adjusted to that.’

Rangnick will be counting on Maguire to help get United out of their recent slump, having dropped points to Southampton and Burnley in the past week, missing the opportunity to build a lead over their rivals in the race for fourth place.

United are bidding to fend off West Ham, Arsenal, Tottenham and Wolves in the battle for Champions League football next season, and Rangnick admitted that finishing fourth is the club’s No 1 priority this term.

The German suggested that the £80million man needs time to get used to a back four system

‘Right now this is exactly what Manchester United needs to want, to finish fourth in the league,’ the German said.

‘This is the highest possible achievement we can get with no other things: yes to proceed into the next round in the Champions League but that is also not an easy one. In the league it is No 4 that is our ambition and what we have to achieve.

‘If you look at the current table and the gap between not only us but also other teams like Tottenham and Arsenal and the top two or three teams, there are probably some reasons why they are that far ahead. 

‘From the last 10 weeks I can tell you the players are ambitious, they work hard and they want to get better.

‘They don’t feel happy after a game like Burnley, Middlesbrough or Southampton. My job is to help show them a pathway to win games.’ 




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