Harry Maguire suffered a nightmare in the second half against Scotland after coming on as a substitute. Photo: Simon Stacpoole/Getty Images
For his own protection, Harry Maguire should not play for England until his career is back on track. Personally and professionally, the current situation is unsustainable.
There needs to be an open and honest conversation with those closest to him about how to resolve the confusion because this drama around him needs to be fixed.
I watched the England vs Scotland match with my son James. It was painful to watch.
“If it were you, I would want you to get out of the line of fire. This has gone too far,” I told him as Maguire endured a second-half nightmare.
My first thought after the game was: I really hope Maguire is okay. More than ever, we are aware of the mental health issues affecting footballers and anyone else who is subjected to such relentless ridicule. I can't remember any top-level player putting up with as much as Maguire over the course of several years and struggling to find a meaningful response to it. I don't see how putting him on a stage like this all the time without regular, high-quality club football will help him get back to the level he was at. This must end, first and foremost for Maguire's sake.
I like Maguire. I always have it. He seems like a good guy to me, and seeing him suffer is tantamount to persecution. Maguire is being humiliated.
It's not just that Scottish fans are making comical jokes about the hostile atmosphere. It's part of football tribalism. The lockdown at Hampden Park was nothing that many players had not experienced on the road. It's about a collection of incidents that have created a circus and a genuine concern for the player's well-being.
England fans were praised for supporting Maguire in Glasgow. This was the correct answer. But let's not rewrite history because of a belated recognition that it is getting out of control. In March 2022, Maguire was booed by fans at Wembley ahead of a friendly against Ivory Coast. Gareth Southgate called it «a real joke».
Harry Maguire applauds the traveling England fans after the team's performance against Scotland at Hampden -park. Photo: Karl Resin/Reuters
Maguire was jeered by Manchester United fans during pre-season games in 2022 and 2023. One of the worst incidents occurred during a friendly against Borussia Dortmund in July when new signing Andre Onana began shouting at Maguire, disgracefully playing at Maguire. gallery to win over United fans.
I watched it in disbelief, but it said everything about what went wrong. Maguire was still captain of the club at the time. He should have reacted violently, seated Onana in his box and demanded respect. Instead, he looks like a man whose trust and authority have been completely undermined.
A similar story occurred when Cristiano Ronaldo returned and reports emerged of a power struggle in the United dressing room. That's when Maguire's undermining gained momentum.
Football is cruelty. When powerful characters want to impose power, they don't force you to either resist it or give in. Those who are familiar with the game will tell you from day one that you should never let the bullies get the upper hand, otherwise the game will eat you up.
I have my own experience. When I broke into the Liverpool team at 21, I went through some tough times, scoring two own goals against Manchester United. Knives were drawn.
After hearing all this ridicule, including from my own fans, I reacted to the next game, away to Hull City. My default reaction was anger.
“I don’t care what anyone thinks,” I thought. I was going to show people that they wouldn't step on me.
My confession in my 2008 autobiography that I once tackled teammate Rigobert Song late in training because he laughed when he heard, that I was called up by the England team made headlines. No one dared try to pull my ass out again.
Obviously I wouldn't approve of Maguire doing the same thing to anyone being disrespectful, but he could use a little more fire in his belly; get angry and start hitting back. He doesn't seem like that kind of character to me. That's what made him an easy target.
He missed out on a few strikes when he turned down West Ham in the summer. David Moyes would be the ideal manager in the ideal team given Maguire's qualities. I'm sure he would have been successful there.
Too many transfers are delayed because the player feels mistreated and refuses to leave without payment. Maguire had to think about more than that, especially when it came to his international career. It is impossible for a centre-back to qualify for the next European Championship unless he has been a regular for his club for two years.
There are those who argue that Maguire's form is not a problem and has never allowed England to lose.< /p>
I understand. He performed well at the 2018 World Championships and the 2021 Euros. He was also in the team of the tournament after the World Cup in Qatar, although I thought his level was overrated. He endured some difficult moments in this tournament, culminating in losing Olivier Giroud to the winning goal in the quarter-finals against France. There were worrying moments before Qatar, such as the 3:3 draw with Germany. Things have not been smooth sailing for England over the last few years.
Overall, his recent performances for England have not made him irreplaceable.
Centre-back is the weaker part of the team, but Lewis Dunk's performances for Brighton under Roberto De Zerbi have given Southgate a good option — someone who can play every week for the team that will play in Europe. Dunk impressed on Tuesday night.
I love that Southgate is so staunch in his defense of Maguire. Our differences lie in the choice of experts to lead the critique. Which experts?
Maguire has received sympathy and sympathy from my colleagues, but you can't sign for United for £80 million (a record for a centre-back until last summer) and not expect scrutiny when performances fall below club levels. It's about playing for one of the greatest clubs in the world, where modern standards are compared to some of the predecessors who were some of the best defenders of all time.
A known victim of social media and the clickbait era, Maguire is an easy target for those who cannot separate personal and vindictive insults from constructive criticism. Unfortunately, we live in an era where those who control online content do not care or take responsibility for the consequences of words on their platforms. This fuels a group mentality that results in an entire stadium bullying one player. We're all here to be shot at.
No one can convince me that Maguire is a bad centre-back. Jose Mourinho tried to sign him, Pep Guardiola admitted he wanted him and Maguire's United career was going well until his arrest in Greece three years ago. Few people disagreed with him being made captain. He hasn't looked the same player since then, and we can't overstate how that incident in Greece may have affected him.
He's carrying too much baggage now. I fear that continuing to push for him to be in the England squad before he moves to a new club after a fresh start will add to the burden.
Do you agree that Harry Maguire should be dropped? Join the conversation in the comments section below.
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