Ten Hag contemplating Harry Maguire captaincy U-turn with Man Utd team-mate in line for a leadership role
Erik ten Hag has reportedly told Harry Maguire that his  Manchester United captaincy is in jeopardy, as the defender battles his way back into the starting lineup.
Maguire, along with the majority of his Manchester United teammates, recently put on a shocking performance against Brentford. Ten Hag was enraged after the Red Devils were defeated 4-0.
He made four substitutions for the match against Liverpool at home. Tyrell Malacia, Raphael Varane, Scott McTominay, and Anthony Elanga were all called up.
Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo were relegated to the bench, and Bruno Fernandes was named United captain in Maguire’s absence.
Manchester United dominated at Old Trafford, defeating Liverpool 2-1, surprising some of their own fans.
For the home team, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford scored. Mo Salah equalized for Liverpool with about 10 minutes remaining. However, the Merseyside club were unable to equalize, allowing United to take all three points.
United appeared hungry and fresh in the game, flying out of the blocks. Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville couldn’t believe what they were seeing as United caused all sorts of problems for their opponents in the first 30 minutes.
Following the game, Neville stated that he was’stunned’ by United’s ‘absolutely brilliant’ performance against last season’s FA Cup winners.
The Sun explains how the victory came about, as well as Maguire’s future as United captain.
Ten Hag punishes his United players
Ten Hag allegedly forced his United players to run 13.8km each the day after the Brentford defeat, despite the fact that their day off had been canceled. This is the margin by which Brentford outran United in the game.
Players were initially outraged by the punishment, but after learning that Ten Hag was also running the 13.8km, they came to respect him.
Ten Hag also spoke with Maguire. He informed the Englishman that he is no longer the first-choice center-back.
Varane and Lisandro Martinez performed admirably against Liverpool and appear to be destined to play together more frequently.
If Maguire is unavailable, Fernandes will take over as captain. This comes after the Portuguese ‘thrived’ as captain against Liverpool.
Even though Maguire is still the club captain, it is unlikely that he will be given the armband when coming off the bench as long as Fernandes performs well.
Ten Hag to think over Maguire future as captain
With this in mind, Ten Hag may end up doing a complete 180 on the captaincy and deposing Maguire. He backed the 29-year-old earlier this summer, but things have since changed.
Varane and Martinez are expected to play together when Manchester United visits Southampton on Saturday.
When compared to other Premier League strikers, Che Adams should not pose a significant aerial threat to Martinez for the Saints.
Maguire appears to have a long road back to the starting lineup. While he will continue to play regularly this season, he may miss some of the most important games.
Varane and Martinez’s success will demonstrate to Ten Hag why he should consider naming a new captain. After all, what good is a club captain if he isn’t on the field for the most important games?
Ten Hag’s selection decision is also concerning for Maguire’s England spot. The World Cup is quickly approaching, and Maguire may be dropped by Gareth Southgate if his difficult season continues.
Ten Hag contemplating Harry Maguire captaincy U-turn with Man Utd team-mate in line for a leadership role
