Ten Hag must unleash Man Utd’s “phenomenal” rock over Varane

On Thursday evening, Manchester United picked up their 11th win of the season as they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 4-3 thriller at Molineux.

Despite the side collecting three points, Erik ten Hag’s team have now conceded five goals in their last two games, with Newport County netting two last weekend.

With that in mind, the former Ajax boss may look to rotate his defence against West Ham United on Sunday in an attempt to tighten up their leaky backline.

Raphael Varane’s recent performances

Raphael Varane has started all of the Red Devils’ last seven matches, but he’s been below par over the last week. United’s French centre-half is usually a solid box defender who is fairly dominant, but he was exposed for his lack of decisiveness against Wolves and even Newport.

During the FA Cup tie, the World Cup winner switched off for the League Two side’s second goal, letting Will Evans drift in front of him at the near post to guide the ball home unchallenged.

On Thursday, the number 19 had the opportunity to prevent Wolves’ first and third goals, but his lack of aggression cost him. In the build-up to the penalty, Varane could arguably have doubled up on Pedro Neto with Casemiro and even stopped the winger before he reached the box.

Furthermore, for the third goal, he failed to get close enough to Neto to block the shot, which sailed through his legs past the helpless Andre Onana. Both goals were avoidable had the 30-year-old been more proactive with his approach.

Harry Maguire could return to the starting XI

Harry Maguire’s time at Man United may not have gone to plan, but since being stripped of the captain’s armband by Ten Hag, he seems to be playing with much less pressure on his shoulders – even winning the Premier League’s Player of the Month award for November.

The England international is a “dominant” defender, according to journalist Rob Tanner, both in and out of possession. The latter is mainly due to his large 6 foot 4 frame and “physical presence,” as per journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft, which makes him exceptional at defending in the box.

The table below highlights some of Maguire’s strengths using statistics from this season and how they compare to his positional peers in the Premier League.

As you can see by his blocks statistic, the “phenomenal” Maguire, as dubbed by analyst Zach Lowy, is willing to put his body on the line for his team, unlike Varane, who ranks in the bottom 88% for blocks this season, as per FBref.

On the other hand, the £190k-per-week brute provides ball progression from the back, as shown by his long passes completed and passes into the final third, which will be vital against West Ham’s inevitable low block.

Maguire also provides aerial dominance, which will be key to stopping James Ward-Prowse’s often deadly corners while also providing more of a threat in the final third from set-pieces, as underlined by his touches in the penalty box.

Overall, the fit-again Maguire deserves a shot to get back into the starting XI, and the game against West Ham – who he perhaps could have joined last summer – is the perfect opportunity to bring him back into the team.