Is Harry Maguire good enough for Man Utd? Club legend Gary Pallister reacts to criticism of former Red Devils captain & addresses the Jadon Sancho saga at Old Trafford

It has been a testing 12 months or so for Maguire at Old Trafford, with questions constantly being asked of his value to the Red Devils cause. His performances for England – although steady enough at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – have also seen the 30-year-old centre-half become an easy target and international scapegoat for many.

United legend Pallister knows a thing or two about operating in the Red Devils’ defensive unit – as a four-time Premier League title winner – and, speaking on behalf of 888sport, he told GOAL when asked about the sporting circus that Maguire finds himself at the centre of: “For two years there was no issue with Harry Maguire at Old Trafford. He was made captain. I don’t think he’s in the mould of a Bryan Robson, a Roy Keane or a Steve Bruce – it was probably as close as they had at Old Trafford, and therefore he was made captain. For two years he was fine. After the Euros, he got injured shortly into the season and I think they rushed him back a bit too quickly. He didn’t look himself, he made a few mistakes, the crowd started getting on his back and it’s been a tough time since then. I don’t know if he feels the pressure, if he’s anxious about things off the pitch. It’s been a difficult time. Apart from the last six months or so, he’s been exceptional for England as well. He’s not a bad centre-half. I can’t buy into that because he has been in European Championship teams of the tournament, he’s got how many caps for England, Gareth [Southgate] trusts him implicitly and I can’t buy into what everyone’s saying – 'he’s done, he’s washed up, he’s finished'. At the moment, playing at Old Trafford, it has been difficult for him.”

Pressed further on whether Maguire is good enough for United – which is really the only question that matters when it comes to decisions on his future – Pallister added: “There was absolutely no problem for two years. He wasn’t afraid to bring the ball out from the back, he won his headers, won his tackles, he would join in. Nobody was looking at Harry Maguire and saying ‘he doesn’t look like a Manchester United centre-back’. He’s lost his place, the fans have been unsure and it makes it tough. It can be a lonely place, Old Trafford, if you don’t have the fans behind you. That’s probably played a big part in why he’s not in the team at the moment.”

Maguire was stripped of the captaincy at United by Erik ten Hag ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. The armband was passed on to playmaker Bruno Fernandes, with Pallister saying when asked if the theatrical Portuguese is the right man to follow in the footsteps of iconic former skippers such as Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Roy Keane and Paul Ince: “I don’t think there is anybody there of that ilk. It will be interesting to see if eventually [Lisandro] Martinez does get it, because I think he sets a tone for Manchester United in the way he plays the game – he’s a fan favourite, he leaves everything out on the pitch, he’s committed, aggressive, he’s in your face, he’s the kind of footballer that I played with – Robson, Bruce, Keane, Ince. They were in your face captains and led by example and weren’t afraid to give people a rollicking if they needed it. Bruno’s not one of them, but he’s a voice in that dressing room. Erik thinks he’s the right man for the job. Sometimes when he’s screaming at referees and things like that, you scratch your head and wish he’d just concentrate on football, but he’s been an incredible player for United.”

Ten Hag has shown that he is not afraid to make big decisions, with Jadon Sancho another of those to have found that out the hard way. He was dropped for the trip to Arsenal, with his performances in training called into question, before claiming to have been made a scapegoat. Pallister said of that unfortunate saga, with Sancho currently training on his own: “It’s unusual for it to be played out on social media like it has been. Most of that kind of stuff was kept in-house in the days I played at Manchester United. It’s been aired in public a bit. I think they have had a clear the air meeting. I hope they have because it’s not nice to see. If we can get Jadon Sancho performing like he did at Dortmund, then you have got a helluva of a player on your hands. He’s shown it in fits and starts – his ability, he’s scored goals, he’s caught the eye in moments. It’s that consistency that he’s got to find. The club were brilliant with him last year, giving him three months off to try and deal with whatever was going on, and it’s not often you see something like that happen. He’s got to give the club due respect for trying to help him. Hopefully it gets sorted out behind the scenes. There is a role in there on the right-hand side. If he’s put a good week’s training, maybe he’ll get a chance.”

Quizzed further on where it has all gone wrong for Sancho on the back of his £75 million ($93m) transfer from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 – with the 23-year-old looking a shadow of his former self – Pallister added: “He looked incredible. I was really excited when we brought him in. I know the Bundesliga is a little bit different from the Premier League, but he was not just doing it there but doing it in the Champions League as well – scoring goals, creating havoc, and we haven’t seen that level of consistency from him at United. Why? I don’t know. We were chasing him for two, two-and-a-half years to try and get him over the line. When he did come it looked like a really positive move for a player that was proven at that level. It was a big fee but I was excited about it. At the moment you have to say that he hasn’t hit the heights we were hoping for. There has to be a way of getting the best out of him.”

There have been suggestions that Sancho will look to leave United in the January transfer window, as he seeks to rediscover a professional spark and get his still promising career back on track. Maguire also continues to generate plenty of exit talk – having seen a switch to West Ham touted over the summer – and he may be another that requires a fresh start in order to avoid becoming stuck in a serious rut.