Club captain Harry Maguire will start vs West Ham this afternoon.
Manchester United have the chance to leapfrog West Ham and potentially end the day in the top four, depending on other results.
Ralf Rangnick’s side have done well in terms of steadying the ship of late, despite leaving plenty to be desired in terms of performance levels. In the end, stringing wins together is what it’ll come down to. Today’s game is a good opportunity to make a major stride forward.
Winning at Old Trafford has become somewhat a luxury during recent times and we need to make the Theatre of Dreams a fortress again. Any top side worth their salt builds on from a defensive base. We’ve found it hard to keep clean sheets this season.
For this one, our captain will return to the starting line-up following injury. Rangnick would confirm that the 28-year-old will play this one from the off, in the absence of Victor Lindelof, who is spending some time with family following their home being broken into.
Harry Maguire has had his own struggles this term, but this is a great chance for the skipper to prove he deserves a starting role.
“From the first day I arrived Harry [Maguire] played and was already firmly set within the starting XI.” Rangnick told club media.
“He picked up an injury in the Burnley game that ruled him out for the next 2-3 games and now he is back to full fitness as he came on against Brentford.
“I explained to him that I didn’t want to change anything because I thought Victor [Lindelof] and Rapha’s [Varane] partnership was doing well.
“With Victor now being out, Harry will play from the beginning tomorrow and again be the captain of the team,”
It just cannot be understated how massive a victory is for Manchester United. Defensively, we need to keep it tight and hope our superstars can take their chances up the other end of the field.
For Maguire, this game is absolutely massive. I appreciate that he’s probably not 100% coming into this one following his own injury issues, though the situation requires him to play at a high level.
There are no excuses when you’re the captain of a club like United. There are no second chances, either. If the England international doesn’t start turning his form around in the not too distant future then the crows will start to circle and the media will start to call for his head.
Personally, I think Maguire is at his best when his back is against the wall. I’m fully expecting him to stand up and be counted – starting with putting in a top drawer display against West Ham this afternoon.
Should Harry Maguire come straight back into the starting XI? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
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