Harry Maguire is “doing a great job” as Manchester United captain, says Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with the Red Devils’ defensive unit offering plenty of cause for optimism as a collective.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have not always been watertight, with the odd leak having sprung at untimely intervals.
Plugs have been found over recent weeks, with eight clean sheets taken from the Red Devils’ last 10 fixtures.
Maguire has become the on-field leader that United hoped he would be when investing a record-breaking £80 million ($104m) in his talent during the summer of 2019.
The England international is considered to be doing a fine job since inheriting the armband from Ashley Young, with Wan-Bissaka telling United Review: “The captain has one main job: be a leader for the team.
“Harry’s stepped in to do that role because that’s what he’s good at and he’s doing a great job.”
Wan-Bissaka was another big-money addition for United in the same window as Maguire and has also slotted seamlessly into the fold at Old Trafford.
GettyThe 22-year-old right-back is earning plenty of plaudits as an individual, but he is encouraged by how the Red Devils’ back line are performing as a group.
He added: “I’d say the partnerships between us have improved and we’ve been growing together. You can see it in the clean sheets.
“That’s always the main aim: to get the clean sheet, then the team can get the win.
“I think it’s down to better communication. Sometimes the formation changes, so we’ve been getting used to both five at the back and four at the back, and the communication has helped.
“I don’t have a preference [between the two defensive systems]. The five at the back allows me to get forward more at times during the game.”
Further value was found by United in the transfer market during January, with Bruno Fernandes proving to be a shrewd addition as another creative influence in the middle of the park.
Wan-Bissaka said of the Portugal international: “He’s brought a lot. You can see that he’s brought goals, assists… you can see how everyone plays around him when he’s on the pitch.
“He’s confident, he wants to play forward, create chances. He’s sharp, quick, hard to mark.
“You can see that he lifts everyone. Him being on the ball makes sure that others make runs because they know he’s capable of giving them that ball.”