Erik Ten Hag has given a very honest answer to the booing of Harry Maguire, after the Manchester United captain was given a poor reception
Maguire’s struggles at United have been well documented, and last season there were calls from all over for him to be stripped of the captaincy, with even Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies bizarrely joining in.
Ten Hag had been expected to take over as center back this season, but the new manager decided to stick with the £80 million man.
That decision did not appear to have universal support in Australia earlier this week, as United continued their preseason tour.
Maguire was booed throughout the first half of the game against Crystal Palace after making an error against Melbourne Victory.
Ten Hag was asked about the booing during his press conference on Friday morning, and the manager’s response was fairly straightforward.
“We heard, but if you perform, it slows down,” the 52-year-old explained.
“The team and Harry were impressed by how we played.”
Maguire’s performances haven’t always been stellar, especially given the former Leicester City defender’s high price tag.
The manager clearly understands that if the players’ performances improve, fans will stop booing him and instead cheer the player.
He got off to a good start in shutting down the dissenters, too, with a brilliant performance against Palace, which United won 3-1.
The team has been extremely impressive in attack this summer, scoring 11 goals in three games, and the manager stated on Friday, “I am really happy with the performance of midfield and offense right now.” However, you require more options.
It is crucial if you want to succeed; the season is long, but we have time to replace the lost ground.”
Another possibility is Ajax forward Antony, who has been strongly linked with the club, but Liverpool have also been linked with the Brazilian.
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