Harry Maguire, according to Manchester United icon Nemanja Vidic, would benefit from staying out of the spotlight by simply playing in the easy games.
The England international, along with several of his Red Devils teammates, came under fire once again after their 1-0 loss to Everton, which dealt a big setback to their ambitions of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
To make matters worse, the Toffees’ Anthony Gordon goal rebounded off the £80 million centre-back and past goalkeeper David De Gea.
That is just one of the captain’s many high-profile gaffes in a turbulent season in which the club is currently on the verge of missing out on Champions League status for next season.
Fans are getting on his back not just at Old Trafford, as a group of Three Lions fans jeered Maguire’s name as it was called out ahead of England’s last friendly at Wembley.
Nonetheless, Maguire was nominated to the Euro 2020 team of the tournament and has previously impressed, so finding a path back to form for the former Leicester City defender must be the priority.
Vidic, who made 300 appearances for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson’s trophy-laden reign, believes Ralf Rangnick should remove Harry Maguire for some games to help him regain confidence.
‘At some point in his career, every player has a form problem,’ Vidic said. ‘I did, and it’s evident that Maguire isn’t having a good season.’
‘The athlete has to feel powerful and strong on the field again, rather than feeling as though it isn’t happening for him right now.’
‘It’s difficult to play well when you’re under pressure because everyone is expecting you to make a mistake.’ You’ve asked me a question, and I’m responding as a coach.’
Maguire’s leadership at Old Trafford has been questioned by some supporters, and rumours surfaced earlier this season that an unknown teammate had questioned previous boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s decision to grant him the armband.
However, both Solskjaer and interim manager Ralf Rangnick have resisted the temptation to assign the captaincy to star forward Cristiano Ronaldo, a United legend.