In his unique column for CaughtOffside, former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker Stan Collymore discusses a few of soccer’s greatest speaking factors, together with Harry Maguire and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s England woes, in addition to which groups will come out on high after this weekend’s North London and Manchester derbies.
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Large wins on the playing cards for Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis…
I feel it’s a must to favour each house groups – Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis.
Each groups’ type has been glorious in the course of the opening phases of this season. I don’t wish to take an excessive amount of away from Tottenham Hotspur, as a result of they too are taking part in rather well, and are greater than able to going to the Emirates and coming away with all three factors, however I simply suppose Arsenal will edge it.
Manchester Metropolis and Manchester United in a derby is a tasty fixture too, and to be truthful, the previous cliche of ‘type goes out of the window in derbies’, is definitely true, significantly on this case. The shape information positively has no place in a fixture of this magnitude, however with that being stated, I nonetheless suppose Pep Guardiola’s males will come away victorious.
Derbies these days have a tendency be to very technical, stand-offish and cagey encounters, and I don’t anticipate that to be any totally different this weekend.
One factor that I do suppose will function excellent news to followers is the referee’s directions to permit video games to movement the place potential. For instance, if Jack Grealish performs for the Residents, you’re more likely to see United gamers go flying into him early on and possibly get away with it. The identical will in all probability apply to the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka for Arsenal, so these two fixtures are virtually sure to have a good bit of chunk to them.
Sadly for each away groups although, I simply can’t see something aside from Metropolis and Arsenal wins.
Virgil Van Dijk’s transfer to Liverpool didn’t assist Harry Maguire, and right here’s why…
Harry Maguire went from Hull Metropolis to Leicester Metropolis and did very nicely, however anyone who has watched soccer for a major time period will know that he’s not Franco Baresi or Rio Ferdinand. He’s a standard, stand-up defender who will head it, kick it and organise these round him, so from that perspective, he’s a stable British defender that any membership within the final 60 years would have snapped up.
Nevertheless, the most important drawback that each Maguire and Manchester United have had is that on the time he joined from Leicester Metropolis, the Purple Devils had been going by an extremely turbulent interval. They wanted to bolster the backbone of their group. But additionally, that they had a particular want for a dominant defender and that has been demonstrated by the likes of Eric Bailly, who it sadly didn’t work out for, so Maguire’s significance, which is all the time going to be in comparison with the likes of Nemanja Vidic and Jaap Stam, has been amplified even additional.
Liverpool’s signing of Virgil Van Dijk for round £75m didn’t assist Maguire both. Particularly contemplating how a lot of a profitable switch he has been, however on the time, Liverpool set the bar very excessive and it allowed Leicester Metropolis to dig their heels in and ask for a similar type of eye-watering price for Maguire.
Had Van Dijk not moved to Anfield, Maguire would in all probability have left Leicester Metropolis for nearer to £40m and the strain on him could be far much less and his price ticket, which he had no management over, grew to become the stick during which the media and a few followers have used to beat him with.
Criticism has gone too far…
Gamers perceive that there’s all the time going to be quite a lot of deal with these of them who price probably the most however what they don’t anticipate to occur is for criticism to increase from taking part in performances to virtually private assaults, which is what I concern is going on with Maguire.
All people is aware of that Manchester United was an enigma a few years in the past and that’s as a result of that they had a high squad however they weren’t gelling on the sphere, and in Maguire’s case, he appears to be a scapegoat it doesn’t matter what.
For instance, I noticed not too long ago a broadcaster and an internet site take a pop shot at him as a result of he has beforehand been relegated with Hull Metropolis, got here to United, who then missed out on Champions League soccer, and most not too long ago has been relegated to the Nations League’s B division with England, and I actually don’t suppose that’s truthful – It’s truly grossly unfair.
There is no such thing as a constructive criticism in that punditry, that’s mainly saying “have a look at all of those relegations, what’s the widespread denominator? – Maguire. It should be his fault!’ – Nicely, why doesn’t the identical logic apply to Liverpool’s Andy Robertson? – He additionally obtained relegated with Hull Metropolis and has hardly reworked Scotland into worldwide contenders. We should be constant in our approaches and in Maguire’s case, it’s actually one-sided.
Admittedly, Maguire hasn’t performed nicely for 18 months, however I don’t suppose he has been the basis reason behind England and United’s issues. I feel it might be truthful to say that he has been part of it. It’s a group sport, so no matter contributions a participant makes, good or dangerous, they’re considered one of 11, and we should keep in mind that.
Time at Outdated Trafford is operating out however there might be quite a lot of golf equipment …
I can’t see him getting again into Erik ten Hag’s beginning 11. The one method I feel that might be potential is that if ten Hag determined to go along with a again 5, and once more, I can’t see that occuring.
He does stand an opportunity of coming in throughout home cup matches, and ten Hag could even throw him in with the under-23s to maintain him ticking over, and though I anticipate Maguire to be a ok skilled to get his head down and do no matter is requested of him, I feel his time at Outdated Trafford is in the end coming to an finish.
Maguire’s agent is Paul Stretford, who was additionally my agent once I was an expert participant, so I do know Stretford won’t need his star shopper sitting there not doing a lot. He’ll know that he has an actual huge asset on his arms, so he’ll need him to be taking part in.
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The World Cup is now simply weeks away, so for Maguire, if he does have a extremely good marketing campaign, it is extremely possible he’ll return to Manchester with a variety of English and European golf equipment , so I feel if he does have run within the World Cup, he’ll be a needed man and can look to get out of United in the course of the subsequent switch window.
I do know some folks would argue ‘However Stan, would Man United actually promote their captain mid-way by a season?; – I imagine so, sure.
Let’s be completely sincere right here – Maguire isn’t actually United’s captain anymore. He solely has that title on paper as a result of ten Hag didn’t wish to stick the knife in any additional.
The truth is that between Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, it’s unlikely Maguire will get again into that squad, so in relation to a possible departure, both in January or subsequent summer season, for the membership and the fanbase, they received’t care. It received’t matter if a participant, captain or not, is offered, simply as long as the group is transferring in the suitable route.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is simply too good for England to disregard…
Once you get known as as much as your nationwide group, it’s nonetheless the height. I do know some folks would argue that the Champions League is the extra prestigious competitors, however given the actual fact they solely come round as soon as each 4 years, World Cups, for me, are nonetheless the top.
Nevertheless, one participant who has come shut however has did not progress internationally has been Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.
All through my profession, I performed with Gareth Southgate twice, as soon as in Crystal Palace’s youth setup, and once more at Aston Villa the place he was my skipper, and I can inform you for sure that he likes spherical pegged gamers for spherical holes.
Relating to full-backs, Southgate’s first precedence is defending after which attacking and sadly for Alexander-Arnold, as everyone knows, his sport could be very a lot the other of that.
Alexander-Arnold goes to offer his supervisor a complete host of offensive and artistic choices, however the greatest concern with him is his means when going again in the direction of his personal objective, and that has been the case for him whereas taking part in in an excellent Liverpool group, so you possibly can maybe perceive Southgate’s warning.
I feel in Southgate’s thoughts, he’s frightened that the likes of John Stones and Maguire, who aren’t precisely within the type of their lives, would come below extra defensive strain if Alexander-Arnold had been on the suitable aspect of the backline.
Nevertheless, my recommendation to Alexander-Arnold could be to maintain going. Hold turning up each time known as upon and wait to your likelihood – as a result of it’ll come.
Sure, it is extremely unlikely he’s going to play on this winter’s Qatar World Cup, however he can’t throw the towel in. He’s solely 23 years previous, so even after this yr’s match, he’ll nonetheless have not less than two extra World Cups forward of him.
Whether or not it’s Southgate that provides him that likelihood or one other supervisor, he’ll get it and when he will get it, I hope he grabs it with each arms as a result of he’s simply too good to disregard.
