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As Eden Hazard shimmied past Phil Jones and forced the Englishman into trying to make one of his hopeful, yet unsatisfactory recoveries, Belgium had already taken a lead of two goals in the third spot playoff. For Belgium, it was just another goal. For Manchester United though, it was another harsh reminder.
Just around two months ago, in a very similar situation, Hazard had accelerated past Jones, making his way into the penalty box. The centre-back failed to track his man down and eventually fouled the Belgian inside the box resulting in a penalty for Chelsea. Hazard converted the spot-kick, and that was actually the only goal of the final, leading his club to the FA Cup trophy.
Jones had warranted his place in the playing XI due to his brilliant performance in the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur. However, his moment of madness in the final stripped United of a valuable end-of-season trophy.
The former Blackburn Rovers player has been volatile throughout his stay at United, delivering some commendable performances before indulging in an avoidable error while defending. Additionally, the concerns regarding his fitness never seem to die down as Jones was out for quite a part of last season too, despite having started the season brilliantly.
Jones has always been rated quite highly at United, and the managers prefer to play him whenever he is deemed fit for a match. His game-reading sense is astute, but the tendency to commit an occasional error means there are always concerns surrounding his place in the squad. According to Whoscored, he has made 51 appearances in the Premier League over the past three seasons.
This means that Jones has been unfit for more than half of the Premier League time over the last three years, a disturbing issue for one of the most experienced players in the club. Despite the fact that Jones is one of the better defenders with the ball at his feet, his tendency to let the team down due to lack of pace and a general dip in concentration has never helped United who have so desperately looked for a personality that can exude confidence and assurance at the back in these tumultuous years.
Along with Jones, Chris Smalling is yet another player who divides opinion amongst the media, fan base, and the manager too. A detailed analysis of Smalling’s playing style gives a clear indication of what he has to offer. His abilities on the ball are very limited, and that often forces creative players Like Paul Pogba to drop deeper so that the team can initiate attacking moves. Smalling is physically imposing, and his aerial ability ensures that United have an old-school hard tackling defender at the back.
However, apart from his strong physical attributes, Smalling gets bullied by every quick and creative player in front of him, and apparently, like Jones, is always vulnerable to making a defensive error. Vincent Kompany leapt over him to give City a lead in the Manchester derby in April and his clueless, foolish dive in his own half against Newcastle United at St. James Park led to the Magpies scoring the winner.
He is not quick either and sits too deep on the field for a team looking to get on the attacking front. Smalling’s inability to play out from the back meant that he was ousted from Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad too. England’s manager had underlined the importance of having centre-halves comfortable with the ball at their feet, and Smalling’s lack of productive moves with the ball has been a cause of concern for both club and country.
Hence, it is not surprising that Mourinho is looking for a centre-half with all attributes next to his name; someone who is strong and quick, mobile enough to cover enough ground, aerially dominant and technically adept with the ball. Overdependence on central midfielders to drop back and facilitate the attacking moves result in Nemanja Matic and Pogba finding themselves quite deeper than actually required on the field.
Chris Smalling is currently United’s most experienced defender, and that is a matter of concern. The Englishman rarely exudes any sort of confidence at the back, and Jose too would not be too sure going in with Smalling in the backline in his all-important third season with the club.
Unsurprisingly, Toby Alderweireld and Leonardo Bonucci have been on the club’s radar, however, a deal for either of them is yet to be finalized. Alderweireld might be an ideal signing, as his experience in the Premier League is ably complemented with some solid seasons for Spurs over the past four seasons. However, it is always difficult to prise players away from Spurs, and as Sir Alex once said, “Dealing with Daniel Levy was more painful than my hip replacement.”
There seems to be a difference of around 20 million pounds between United and Spurs’ valuation of Alderweireld, something that can lead to a breakdown in this deal. United can play the waiting game and lure Tottenham with a late offer, but currently, the idea of this deal is quite dormant considering even the BBC has reported the same.
Bonucci is undoubtedly one of the best central defenders in the world but has never played outside Italy. Last year, when he moved out from Juventus, AC Milan bought him for a minimal fee and that shows the Italian’s interest in staying in his home country despite persistent interest from clubs of other nations. Moreover, for the majority of his career, Bonucci has played in a back three and initially struggled whilst settling into the defensive four set-up of AC Milan.
Though he adapted well enough, there is every chance that he would require a decent amount of time to settle in the rigorous English league. This is something that United cannot afford currently, as they are desperate for the title and any minor error could result in disaster.
This is where United’s pursuit of a centre-back comes meets a roadblock. There are not many names from this position to which the club have been linked. On the flipside, it is difficult to conclude a deal for the ones whom they have been touted to make a move for too.
However, if there’s something that England’s World Cup run has confirmed, it is the fact that Harry Maguire is talented and adept enough to start big matches. Maguire travelled as a fan to witness England play in the Euro 2016 tournament. His meteoric rise has been unprecedented, but it’s fascinating from United’s perspective too.
At a time when the club is finding it difficult to finalize deals for experienced centre-backs, Maguire has shot into the limelight as one of the best young prospects in England currently. He is the personification of England’s revolutionary turn under the tutelage of Southgate, as his ball-playing abilities and tendency to add up as an extra, threatening number in attacking scenarios clearly displays the evolution of English defenders.
His potency from set pieces in both the boxes and the ease with which he controls and circulates the ball from the back is something that United lack in their current roster of defenders, sans the likes of Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof. Maguire is very strong in the air, winning duels constantly and plays the ball to forward positions. He has a strong physical stature, and his concentration is top-notch as he hardly allows the opposition player any sniff of open space inside the box.
He might have shot to fame only in the last year or so, but Maguire had a telling impact against United when he scored a late equalizer in the King Power Stadium last season to initiate United’s dull festive season. Maguire has evolved quickly as a defender, and right now fits into United’s requirements in a centre-half.
It is a given fact that Mourinho is looking for a veteran, experienced centre-half and wants to improve his backline instantly with that addition. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, but, the fact that there aren’t many players of that criterion available in the market might lead United to change their stance quickly enough.
Maguire has displayed his class, talent, and temperament to play for big teams. Mourinho criticized him for diving to earn a penalty against Colombia, but that does not take anything away from his overall set of qualities. He does not possess the experience that Mourinho’s setup is craving for currently, but his addition would surely mean an upgrade over the current scenario. He, Bailly and Lindelof could form a young, yet temperamentally strong and talented setup, eventually sliding the likes of Smalling and Jones away from the starting setup.
Manchester United have lacked consistency and general advanced qualities from their defenders in the past few years. A late move for Maguire will surely give Jose better options and players to decide his playing XI.
