Harry Maguire’s stance on Erik ten Hag stripping him of Man Utd captaincy explained
Manchester United decided to give Maguire the captaincy back in January 2020, shortly after Ashley Young’s departure to Inter Milan. But while he’s been a regular in the team ever since, the England international’s form has waned - particularly over the last 12 months. That’s led to claims that Ten Hag could be about to take the armband off the 29-year-old, with Ronaldo, Fernandes and De Gea some of the candidates emerging as potential replacements. And Fabrizio Romano, writing for CaughtOffside, has now claimed Maguire is ‘very calm’ about his captaincy situation at Old Trafford. “Erik ten Hag will speak to individual players and there will be a decision on Man United captain in the coming days or weeks,” he said. Man Utd transfers: Erik ten Hag already has his own Darwin Nunez “At the moment, I understand that Harry Maguire is very calm and not worried about Ten Hag’s decision, which would eventually be part of the start of a new technical project. “Personally, I believe that Cristiano Ronaldo with his leadership can be an excellent captain but the internal decisions on these topics arise from many evaluations: I am sure that Ten Hag will be able to make the best choice.” Maguire has been the fifth United captain since Sir Alex Ferguson retired nine years ago. Nemanja Matic was skipper for a year under David Moyes, with Wayne Rooney then taking the armband in 2014 following the appointment of Louis van Gaal. Following Rooney’s own departure in 2017, Michael Carrick was given the honour for a season by Jose Mourinho. DON’T MISS Man Utd have just seven players worth keeping under Erik ten Hag Three players want to join Man Utd this summer Why Eriksen might be a Man Utd smokescreen After Carrick, Antonio Valencia was promoted - having been a loyal asset to the club over the years. And when Valencia departed, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer chose to make Ashley Young his leader at Old Trafford. Ronaldo is the standout choice if United do relieve Maguire of his duties, having won the lot over the course of his glittering career. But Fernandes can’t be ruled out, either, with there a sense the Portugal international can get even better if given the responsibility. De Gea is another candidate, too, having been with the Red Devils ever since moving from Atletico Madrid in 2011. Man Utd fixtures: When Erik ten Hag’s team face every Premier League team And whether Maguire does indeed end up losing the armband is something only time will tell, with Ten Hag primed to decide soon. Luke Chadwick, meanwhile, recently spoke to the same publication. And he expressed a belief that he’d be ’surprised’ if Maguire kept the captaincy, while also naming De Gea as his personal preference for the role. “I’d be quite surprised if Maguire stays as captain,” Chadwick said.
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