Perhaps Harry Maguire winced last Sunday night, as clips of his agonising last-minute miss at Anfield went around the world. But he shouldn`t have.
Momentarily, United fans saw a famous 3-2 win flash before their retinas, and then quickly disappear. But when the final whistle sounded soon after, they were left humming with pride at the spirit shown by every Red that took to the pitch.
And Harry Maguire crashing into tackle after tackle, with an inspirational mezze of heart, soul, muscle and bone, would have been foremost in their minds.
Maguire`s opportunity to join Arthur Albiston, Gary Pallister, Diego Forlan and John O'Shea in the pantheon of unlikely Scousebusters might have passed by, but last weekend's game at Anfield was further evidence towards what all right-minded Reds already know: that Maguire is a character you can hang your hopes on, no matter how dim the circumstances might seem.
He`s never shirked a shift or a battle; never turned away from duty. But since Ruben Amorim's arrival, and the advent of that 3-4-2-1 system, United's no.5 has seemingly gained a new lease of life, and cuts a happier, more confident figure.
Maguire’s only goal of 2024/25 so far came in the final minutes of a wild 3-3 draw with Porto back in October. In classic Harry style, just when all seemed lost, he fearlessly shrugged off all opponents and applied his noggin to Christian Eriksen’s outswinging corner, producing a 91st-minute equaliser that remains a vital moment in our ongoing bid for Europa League qualification. But Maguire is principally here to stop goals, rather than score them – despite his threat from set-pieces, in particular – and that’s what he does best.
An excellent finish from Cody Gakpo aside, Liverpool produced little of note last Sunday – with their xG boosted by a highly fortuitous penalty, converted by Mohamed Salah. Instead, the game was more memorable for the blocks and clearances supplied by Maguire and his defensive colleagues Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez. We can’t forget Leny Yoro’s top-speed challenge on Darwin Nunez either, which was arguably the choicest cut of the lot.
However, I’d argue that Harry’s best performance in recent weeks came at the Etihad Stadium, where he, De Ligt and Martinez silenced Erling Haaland in a way that few teams have over the last 2-3 years. In the early stages, Maguire was straight into Norwegian giant, letting him know he was in for an uncomfortable afternoon. The pushing and the shoving continued throughout, the messaging clear: you won’t be bullying us, pal. When Kyle Walker tried to get silly with Rasmus Hojlund in the second half, who was straight in to back him up? Maguire.
It’s been a difficult few years for Maguire, really. In 2023 he ceded the captaincy to Bruno Fernandes, after a season in which he recorded fewer appearances than fellow centre-backs Martinez, Varane and Lindelof. He featured more in Erik ten Hag’s final full season at the club, but to what extent was that due to the long, enforced periods of absence for Martinez and Varane? Then, in the summer, United acquired two new central defenders: De Ligt and Yoro.
