Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been tipped to lose his job in the early part of the 2024/25 campaign.
Old Trafford losses against Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, both by three goals, along with draws against a struggling Crystal Palace side and to clear underdogs FC Twente in the Europa League, have left many feeling that not enough has changed for the Red Devils from last season.
Now, one report suggests that a senior player in United’s dressing room is waiting for Ten Hag’s sacking before deciding his own future.
Report suggests Manchester United’s Harry Maguire is waiting for Erik ten Hag’s sacking
It has been reported by Football Insider that United and England defender Harry Maguire is waiting for Ten Hag’s sacking before deciding his future beyond next season.
The 31-year-old’s current contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of this season, but it does contain an option to extend for a further year, which could still be activated.
Maguire has made nine appearances in all competitions so far this season but has only started three Premier League games so far.
One of those, however, was a crunch fixture against Aston Villa, with the manager’s job appearing to be on the line.
Despite that, there is no escaping the fact that Maguire’s role with the Red Devils has been reduced from the days after his £80 million signing from Leicester City.
A regular starter, he was made United captain by former United striker and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, before current boss Ten Hag removed that title in favour of Bruno Fernandes.
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In FourFourTwo’s opinion, this report makes the relationship between Maguire and Ten Hag seem much more fractious than the United manager’s on-field decisions allude to.
Having let a two-goal lead slip against Porto and desperately chasing a goal, the Dutchman turned to Maguire for the final 10 minutes of the match and the defender duly repaid that faith with a stoppage-time equaliser.
Still under pressure from a poor start to the season and those chaotic scenes at the Estadio Do Dragao – and facing down a tough challenge away at Villa that weekend – it wasn’t Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt or any other Ten Hag-flavoured signings that the boss went for, but one Harry Maguire.
If Ten Hag’s belief in Maguire were so low and noticeable, to the point of the England international actively willing the head coach out of the club, then it would seem an odd choice for the manager to make with his job seemingly on the line at Villa Park.
FourFourTwo believes the defender’s decision will ultimately come down to what role he’s willing to take at Old Trafford. The Red Devils added De Ligt and Leny Yoro to an already fairly strong defensive cast, so Maguire will surely recognise that competition for starts will be fierce under any manager.
