Injury to Harry Maguire highlights just how vital he is to Man Utd
By Mitch Wilks
Almost two years on from a world record £80m transfer fee, it's bittersweet to see an injury prove just how important Harry Maguire has become at Manchester United.
Fans of the club and beyond ridiculed that transfer fee to no end in 2019 when United made England's favourite 'slabhead' the most expensive defender in the world. And it was somewhat warranted considering the circumstances at that point.
Sure, he looked good for Leicester. But this is United, where another mass rebuild was under way, this time under the nose of a club legend. Is another overpriced Englishman really the sensible approach?
It absolutely was. Since the move, Maguire has grown into the role of captain at Old Trafford. Despite the doubt over his ability at the top level, he has quietly developed into a key piece of the puzzle for United.
All good things must come to an end, though, and after an incredible run of 72 consecutive Premier League starts for United, injury against Aston Villa looks to have ended that run.
It's a weird feeling as a fan to be so gutted and subsequently concerned regarding his absence. But make no mistake, that absence will be felt tremendously. Maguire's ability to keep up such incredible fitness levels in a horrendously congested fixture climate is impressive enough, so to do it at a seriously consistent performance level that has been key to United's development is even better.
Of course it's what you'd expect from an £80m signing, but nobody has ever really seen Maguire as that. He is by no means perfect, but the prospect of going into the final chunk of Premier League games and a Europa League final without the captain is, frankly, a bit terrifying.
Over his last 365 days of football, Maguire has averaged 4.23 aerial duels won per 90, as well as 1.66 interceptions. His work at the back in covering for full backs, organising United's strong defensive set-up and keeping things calm is tremendously underrated. He also bridges the gap in possession; with United still lacking that defensive midfielder who can dictate play from the base of midfield, Maguire steps out with the ball and has averaged 5.65 progressive carries per 90.
And while there were defensive wobbles earlier in the season, there has been little overall Maguire could do as the ever-present in defence. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's captain has always been called upon no matter who else completes the defence with him and is tasked with leading the charge. And the truth is, he makes whichever central defender that starts with him operate at a higher level.
There have long been doubts over the long term ability of Victor Lindelof, and rightly so. Another defender is needed in the summer to partner Maguire, but Lindelof has found a vein of consistency through 2021. The issue, though, is that United simply cannot trust him. The Swede always looks capable of dropping a clanger of a performance even when at his best.
As for other options, Axel Tuanzebe cannot find enough fitness to break into the XI and the same can be said for Eric Bailly, which makes United's decision to hand him a contract extension all the more peculiar. Bailly looked strong in early 2021 with good performances against Aston Villa, Burnley and Real Sociedad in particular, but again fitness levels have been his downfall; an issue that will seemingly always plague him.
The grey areas surrounding United's other defensive options throw into question the validity of some of Maguire's stats this season that see him rank first among his colleagues for aerial duels, blocks, clearances, successful passes and more. But those stats and the fact he has been able to remain first for so long is again testament to consistently impressive levels of performance over a two season stretch; one that becomes more impressive when considering how the fixture congestion has made it harder than ever for players to maintain fitness and performance levels.
Again, there is still room to improve and recruiting the long term partner for Maguire in the transfer market in summer looks like the best bet. But for now, it's time to give the 27-year-old United captain the credit he most definitely deserves.
When he's not riding pool inflatables and scoring headers for England, he's dominating the backline as captain of Manchester United, doing everything that Sir Alex Ferguson hoped Phil Jones would be doing by now.