Harry Maguire has opened up about his relationship with team manager Erik Ten Hag after the team's success in lifting the Carabao Cup last Sunday at Wembley Stadium.
Harry Maguire hasn't played back-to-back games since the first two opening games of the season; the two games resulted in defeats at the hands of Brighton Albion and Brentford. He has started just nine of the 40 games that the Red Devils have played since the Dutchman's arrival.
Despite impressing with the England national team at the World Cup tournament last year, it wasn't enough to convince Erik Ten Hag to give the Red Devils captain a regular starting position in the team, choosing Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez ahead of him and Victor Lindelof.
The 29-year-old made a two-minute cameo during the Red Devils' 2-0 victory over Newcastle United on Sunday and joined in on the celebration as they lifted their first trophy under Erik Ten Hag and their first silverware in six years. Harry Maguire has stated how much the manager still confides in him, but he has admitted Raphael Varane and the manager's tactics are the reasons he hasn't been able to return to the starting lineup.
"I think he has been asked numerous times about my role in interviews, and he tells me honestly; he believes in me, but this is football," he stated at full time in Wembley Stadium.
"The lads who are playing and starting, Rapha, are playing really well, and we have seen his ideas, the manager, what he wants, and he does like a left-footed center-back playing, so no, it’s high competition for places."
"This is Manchester United." "We want to win trophies, and big trophies, and to do that you need competition for places, and the manager speaks to me daily, and he really respects me and believes that I am a top center-half with all the attributes to play in his team, but also he understands that the players who are playing—and I understand that the players who are playing—are playing very well."
While Harry Maguire continued to settle for a place on Manchester United's bench, Bruno Fernandes has stepped up as team captain each time the Red Devils step on the pitch; however, the captain is delighted with the team's progress and also edified Erik Ten Hag for his impact.
"I don’t have any mixed emotions; it’s been so long since the club won a trophy; it’s a really good day for the club and the fans," he said.
"I am club captain, and my main job is to move this club forward and bring success back to the club, and [Sunday] has been part of it," he said.
"Obviously, I am a footballer who wants to play games, and I want to lead the boys out of the tunnel at the start of the game, but also, like I said, I understand this is part and parcel of football when you play at the top level and you have got huge competition for places."
"It’s a real good day for the club and for me, and a proud day for my family, who were in the stands and saw me lift my first trophy for Manchester United."
"I think winning games breeds confidence and a good atmosphere amongst the fans and the club," he emphasized.
"We are all pulling in the same direction; we all want the same thing; we have got a good squad; there is good competition for places; and the manager’s made a big impact on the style of play and in the demands he brings, it seems to be going in a good direction."
Harry Maguire admitted that there was an obvious improvement from the players regarding Erik Ten Hag's demands post the World Cup tournament; they played better and won 15 of the 19 available matches. They also eliminated Barcelona from the Europa League and are competing in three more competitions.
"I think coming back from the World Cup we have started to play really well; before the World Cup we had great fight and spirit [but] we didn’t really put in the actions that the manager wanted," he said.
"But since the World Cup, we did that. "We are in four competitions, three now because we have won one, and it's going to be tough to win all four, but while we are in them, we go into every game trying to win it, starting with Wednesday."
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