Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube Channel Vibe with Five raised questions about Harry Maguire’s pace and whether he can lead Manchester United to win the League.
‘Do you think Maguire can help you win the league? ‘That is also a question,’ Ferdinand says.
The thing about Ralf Rangnick and all of the elite teams these days is that they all play on the front foot and seek to win the ball high.
‘If you want that security, you’ll need defenders who can defend on the midway line 1v1, 2v2, or 3v2. However, if you can play 2v2 or 1v1 on the midway line, you can put more bodies in your opponent’s half. As a result, teams do so in order to win the ball early and go closer to the opposing goal in order to score goals.
‘Liverpool, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich all do it really well. Three of the top teams on the planet are following in their footsteps, and everyone is playing football in the same style. That’s how Rangnick’s style is.
‘Do you think you could do it with Maguire? That’s my issue, that’s my difficulty. His speed prevents him from doing so; he’ll always be glancing behind him.
‘I’d be hanging around where Harry Maguire is if I’m a speedy centre-forward or attacker.’ For all of his positive qualities, he has one major flaw: he cannot play 1v1 on the midway line, which is a basic of all elite teams.
‘It’s going to be difficult for Maguire in the long run unless he can find an extra yard of speed.’
‘You’ve got to be able to accomplish it.’ Top teams and players are capable of accomplishing this. It’s fine to leave Jaap Stam on the midway line. Virgil van Dijk, no problem, leave him on the halfway line.’
Ralf Rangnick is in charge of a style of play that requires defenders to be at ease when they are isolated.
United and Maguire are presently battling it out for a place in the Champions League next season.
They are now fourth in the Premier League table, but a disheartening draw against Watford on Saturday allowed rivals Arsenal, West Ham, and Tottenham to cut the gap.
United return to domestic action on Sunday against Manchester City in a must-see match.
