"He can be proud of himself" - Erik ten Hag lauds Manchester United star's resurgence and details his importance to the team

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has lauded defender Harry Maguire for his resurgence this season while stressing his importance in the squad.

The Red Devils have gone through the motions in their 2023-24 campaign but Maguire has been a shining light in defense, putting up improved showings. According to WhoScored, the Englishman averages a staggering 3.8 clearances per game in the Premier League this season. He also has over one block and maintains close to 85% pass success rate.

On top of this, Maguire has also bagged an assist in eight league games. It was no ordinary assist either as he set up Scott McTominay's 97th-minute winner against Brentford on October 7.

Ten Hag has been in awe of the otherwise erroneous centre-back's resurgence as a reliable figure in the Manchester United squad. He lavished praise on him at a recent press conference, saying (via The United Stand on Twitter):

"Very important. And he fought back and he showed great mentality. He can be proud of himself. But as I say: we are in a season, we are in the right direction. Harry is in the right direction with this team."

Maguire also scored in their 1-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League in October, which is their only win in the competition this season. He has garnered a rating of over 7 on WhoScored in their last two games.

Manchester United will next visit St. James' Park to face Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday, December 2.

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Manchester United blighted by leaky defense in recent games

Manchester United have no issues finding the net in recent games, especially in the Champions League. In their last four games, they have scored thrice in a match on three occasions, against Copenhagen, Everton, and Galatasaray.

However, it's their leaky defense that's holding them back. The Red Devils have conceded 10 goals in their last six games in all competitions. All of them have come in just three games - against Newcastle United, Copenhagen, and Galatasaray.

On Wednesday (December 29), the Turkish side fought back from two goals down to peg United back in a pulsating 3-3 stalemate at RAMS Park. United's defense crumbled under pressure and weren't helped by Andre Onana's errors in all three goals. In the Premier League, Ten Hag's side have a goal difference of 0, having scored and conceded 16 times each.

Clearly, all's not well at the back. Even though Harry Maguire has improved, the rest of the bunch has arguably declined. This has cropped up a new headache for their Dutch manager, whose job has come under real threat this season.