Harry Maguire has overcome pressure from Iranian fans when they used his name to mock in the stands. The performance of the Manchester United captain in the national team and club jersey has always been a contrast, this time too.
At Man United, Maguire is remembered for his mistakes rather than his brilliance. In England, especially in the match against Iran, Maguire still made mistakes but his excellence in supporting his teammates overwhelmed the defensive shortcomings, which caused Southgate to struggle psychologically.
The 29-year-old centre-back left a sense of security for the "Three Lions" fans because they did not know when he would make a mistake again. With England leading 4-0 against Iran, Maguire easily defeated Mehdi taremi, thereby helping the West Asian representative score the first goal at the 2022 World Cup on the 11m mark. The M.U center back showed his heaviness in moving at short distances, easily being used by opponents for speed to exploit.
Before Jordan Pickford's net was penetrated for the first time at the 2022 World Cup, Maguire made his mark when he felt unwell and had problems with his vision. After Iran scored, Maguire wanted to be substituted. If Maguire makes mistakes and loses in more important matches, for some reason, England will pay a heavy price. Maguire's problem is that he is often a victim of bullying. While playing well, he suddenly made a silly mistake just because of a slip, which is an unrequited image for the English midfielder.
Since winning the World Cup in 1966, England have not had more assists than Maguire and Harry Kane (2), except for David Beckham. The centre-back's ability to cause trouble and attract people in the box is an effective weapon for Southgate in the context of strikers needing space to handle situations. In just the first 45 minutes against Iran, Maguire headed the ball, assisted Bukayo Saka and almost brought a penalty to the "Three Lions".
In general, Maguire is a real threat in the opponent's penalty area. It also explains why Erik ten Hag used this central defender to play... in attack when Manchester United was at a dead end.
Southgate has a reason to choose Maguire despite being left cold at the club, but this strategist also needs to have a frank conversation with his student. If Maguire feels unwell, he should leave the pitch as soon as possible, not until he is on the scoresheet before giving way to someone else. If at that time, the score is 0-0 instead of 4-0, Maguire's image will be completely different in the eyes of the "Three Lions" fans.
Maguire has been the focus of criticism in recent times and every time he plays for the national team is an opportunity for him to prove his worth. Just be smarter in self-control, he will leave many positive points, joining in the good performance of the England team like in the most recent major tournaments.
