Despite suffering a turbulent start to the Premier League season, Manchester United won all three of their league games in November.

United beat Fulham, Luton Town and Everton in the last month, keeping a trio of clean sheets in the process.

The strong defensive form led to centre-back Harry Maguire winning the Premier League Player of the Month award for November.

Harry Maguire is the Premier League Player of the Month for November. pic.twitter.com/gV9VBGPAPN

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 6, 2023

The accolade marks a stunning turnaround for Maguire who looked to be on his way out of Old Trafford in the summer.

The 30-year-old was stripped of the captaincy due to his poor form since Erik ten Hag’s arrival and United were open to offers for the player.

However, a defensive injury crisis handed Maguire a chance at redemption and it’s a chance he has grasped with both hands.

With his United career hanging by a thread, the latest return to the first team was surely make-or-break for the Englishman.

Maguire was especially outstanding in the two away wins at Craven Cottage and Goodison Park, winning everything in the air and playing forward effectively when in possession.

His form has kept World Cup winner Raphael Varane out of the team with Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and now Luke Shaw partnering him on the left side of defence.

Maguire is now arguably the first defensive name on the team sheet and is likely to partner Lisandro Martinez when the Argentine returns from injury.

Question marks still remain over the long-term future of the centre-half but his performance levels this season have eased the pressure on his shoulders.

However, after losing their first league fixture in December and with a tricky looking festive fixture list on the horizon, Maguire will be tested to his limits in the coming weeks.

Ten Hag will be desperate for his former captain to maintain his levels throughout the next period and help lift the mood around the club, which is sombre to say the least at present.

United entertain Chelsea at Old Trafford on Wednesday in a perfect game for Maguire and his teammates to kick start their jam-packed Christmas schedule.

The post Harry Maguire wins Premier League Player of the Month award for November appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Manchester United were beaten by a goal to nil away to Newcastle on Saturday night, ending their decent run of Premier League results.

In truth, it could have been worse for Ten Hag’s men, who were awful on the night, barely laying a glove on the home side who cruised to the three points.

United’s attackers were non existent for the 90 minutes with a lack of threat and desire plaguing the team’s performance once more.

Marcus Rashford played from the right-flank and suffered another wretched night in a season which is simply passing him by.

The forward was criticised for his efforts after the game but as reported by The Mirror, Harry Maguire quickly leapt to his teammates defence.

“Marcus had an unbelievable season last season. This season, it hasn’t clicked for him. He’s working hard. Everyone in that dressing room knows what he’s about,” he said.

Bar a late flurry, in which Maguire played a role in an undeserved equaliser being ruled out, United were lacklustre throughout and looked devoid of ideas.

“The tempo wasn’t there, the intensity wasn’t there. They were a lot better than us. We grew into the game, but we didn’t have enough in the end,” said Maguire.

In fairness to the former captain, he was one of a very few who held their own on Tyneside, having repelled Newcastle’s consistent flow of attacks the best he could.

It was United’s third testing away game in six days but there was no excuse for the level of labour applied by Ten Hag’s men.

Maguire admitted it has been a “tough week” for United but they have no time to feel sorry for themselves with Chelsea visiting Old Trafford this coming Wednesday.

United’s woeful record in the big games is an issue Ten Hag needs to address quickly if he is to ease the pressure on his, and his team’s shoulders.

The post Harry Maguire defends Marcus Rashford after another poor display against Newcastle United appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Manchester United showed a lack of control in the midfield and little danger up front as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United on Saturday night.

With just eight shots and one on target compared to the Magpies’ 22 shots and four on target, United were clearly the weaker team on the night, only showing signs of attacking promise in the closing minutes of the match.

Still, without a solid performance from United’s centre-backs, the final scoreline could have been far worse.

Harry Maguire was called into action early on in the match, making a crucial block against Tino Livramento to keep the scores level.

Soon after, the English centre-back was called into action yet again, blocking a thunderous shot by Aleksander Isak.

In total, Maguire made three blocks and six clearances, leading both teams in both statistics.

His two interceptions were the most of any United player, while his three tackles were only less than Diogo Dalot’s four out of the United lineup.

Maguire got 61 touches throughout the match – just three less than team leader Bruno Fernandes – however, his passing accuracy left a lot to be desired.

Completing none of his seven attempted long balls, Maguire was only able to complete 23 of 36 passes for a 64% passing accuracy.

Still, it is worth noting that a significant portion of Maguire’s passes were made from advanced positions as he sought to spur on United’s attack during the second half.

One poor moment from Maguire came on the attack when Antony’s equaliser on the stroke of stoppage time was disallowed after Maguire touched the ball while in an offside position.

Despite some moments of vulnerability, Maguire remained focused throughout the match, playing his part to prevent United from losing by a larger scoreline in a match where their attack seemed almost nonexistent.

(Stats via Sofascore)

The post Harry Maguire continues to show signs of improvement in 1-0 loss to Newcastle United appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Their next test against Newcastle United will be a great marker to understand where Erik ten Hag’s team currently lie. The last time the two sides met this season was in the Carabao Cup where Eddie Howe’s team emerged 3-0 victors.

United had lost at St James’ Park last season and their preparations for the game was far from ideal as the team’s flight to Newcastle upon Tyne was cancelled at the last moment.

Shaw as LCB

As per Manchester World, the Dutch manager is contemplating making a tactical change ahead of tonight’s encounter with Luke Shaw set to start as centre-back.

Since his return from injury, the Englishman has played in the Everton and Galatasaray matches in his familiar left-back position.

Ten Hag has utilised this ploy in the past, especially in the absence of Lisandro Martinez, who suffered a season-ending injury last term.

The Argentine is currently sidelined and United have played Victor Lindelof in that position and while the Swede does possess fantastic vision, a left-footed defender naturally has more angles to pass to.

Ten Hag’s preference for a left-footed defender is also partly responsible for Raphael Varane‘s reduction in game time with Ten Hag reluctant to pair the both of them.

Ploy worked wonders last season

Shaw’s passing ability is certainly underrated and he can effectively help the side play out from the back against a rampant Magpies at home. This will mean either Diogo Dalot or Sergio Reguilon plays as the left-back.

“Erik ten Hag is considering deploying Luke Shaw at centre-back for Saturday’s trip to Newcastle United, ManchesterWorld understands.

“With Martinez injured, Shaw is United’s only real left-footed option in that role and could line up alongside Maguire at the heart of defence against Newcastle, with Sergio Reguilon starting at left full-back.”

Last season, Shaw was excellent at the heart of defence and United fans will hope that the tactical shift ends up working as United prepare for the busy festive period.

The post Erik ten Hag to play Luke Shaw as centre-back against Newcastle United appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

The goalkeeper has endured a tough few days following his abysmal performance against Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to conclude Onana single-handedly (albeit, with both hands on occasion) cost his side all three points in the crucial fixture.

A win would have left United second in the group with a strong chance of qualification to the knockout stages.

Instead, a draw leaves them bottom, needing to beat Bayern Munich in their final game while also needing Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen to finish level.

Any other variation of results and United will be eliminated from Europe’s premier tournament.

These mistakes were not Onana’s first in the competition, however.

In the reverse home match against Galatasaray, the Cameroonian international made a dreadful pass out from the back which the opposition easily intercepted and bore down on goal.

In response, Casemiro desperately slid in to try and rectify his team-mate’s mistake. The result was a red card and a penalty. United were winning 2-1 at the time; they finished 3-2 losers.

Similarly, in the first match away to Bayern Munich, while fielding a severely weakened side due to injury, United started the game brightly, matching the German giants for the first twenty minutes.

This equality ended after a speculative shot by Leroy Sane was calamitously thrown into his own net by Onana. United would ultimately lose the match 4-3.

The criticism and pressure on the goalkeeper has been acute this week. Which has clouded what had been a series of excellent performances domestically by Onana.

United have won five of their last six league games, winning all three in November. A combination of favourable fixtures and the international break have undoubtedly played a significant role in this statistic, but Onana has consistently played well in the past two months since the Galatasaray howler at Old Trafford.

While Erik ten Hag’s side have suffered some embarrassing losses – 3-0 to City, 3-0 to Newcastle and 4-3 to FC Copenhagen – these have all stemmed from errors elsewhere on the pitch.

In November specifically, Onana did not concede a goal in the league. He leads the league in joint-first place for clean sheets while his underlying stats have been equally impressive – first place for save percentage and second for post-shot expected goals, goals prevented and overall saves.

Andre Onana’s Premier League stats so far:

13 games
78.8% save rate [=]
51 saves []
5 clean sheets [=]
+3.4 post-shot expected goals [=]
2.67 goals prevented []

Underrated. pic.twitter.com/zM9S0yfUKB

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 27, 2023

In fact, these performances were enough to warrant inclusion by WhoScored for their Premier League Team of the Month, alongside Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes.

Premier League Team of the Month pic.twitter.com/03ttsfIMae

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 30, 2023

While Wednesday’s performance against Galatasaray was undeniably poor and questions can justifiably be raised about Onana, there is enough evidence over the past month to offer glimmers of positivity he will able to turn his Old Trafford career around.

The post Andre Onana selected in Premier League ‘Team of the Month’ appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

After a disastrous start to the season, this run brought United back to life in the race for Champions League spots.

Consequently, United’s prints are all over the top Premier League awards for the month of November.

While Erik ten Hag has been nominated for the Manager of the Month, two huge architects of United’s resurgence on the pitch are up for Player of the Month and Goal of the Month.

Harry Maguire’s resurgence has coincided with United’s and he has been rightly nominated for the Player of the Month award.

Alejandro Garnacho is the overwhelming favourite for the Goal of the Month award for his acrobatic bicycle kick against Everton.

On the Player of the Month front, Maguire faces some tough competition, particularly against Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku, who exploded to life in November.

https://twitter.com/EASPORTSFC/status/1730179908083540404?s=20

Alongside those two are Raheem Sterling, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Tavernier, and Luton’s Thomas Kaminski.

Defenders face a tough fight for the award anyway as their raw stats don’t immediately jump out like they do for attackers.

Still, for Maguire, this is a huge mark of acceptance that he is well and truly reaching his previous reliable levels after a tough few years in the game.

The fight for the Goal of the Month is less intense and is almost a procession. Out of eight strikes, Garnacho’s effort stands head a shoulders above any other.

Barring something truly miraculous or remarkable happening in the rest of the season, his bicycle kick is likely to win the Goal of the Season award as well.

It would put a big exclamation point on the Argentine’s rise to now being an established first-team player, and rightly so.

The post Harry Maguire and Alejandro Garnacho up for major Premier League honors in November appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Wayne Veysey (footballinsider247) indicates a senior source at Old Trafford has revealed the club are prioritising a move for the Crystal Palace defender, who’s seen as a potential solution to the defensive crisis Erik ten Hag is currently being confronted with.

At various points this season, Ten Hag has been devoid of his entire first-choice defensive unit from last year.

While Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw have returned from long-term injuries in recent weeks, Lisandro Martinez will continue to be unavailable until the new year.

Similarly, Raphael Varane, though currently fit, cannot seem to stay that way.

In their stead, Harry Maguire has performed something of a Christmas miracle by re-establishing himself in the United first-team. Arguably, the former United captain has even been his team’s best player in this period, though this is a very low bar.

It remains to be seen whether Maguire’s future will be at Old Trafford, however, despite this impressive turnaround.

United’s back-line has played far deeper and more conservatively in the last few months; a tactic which suits the strengths of Maguire, but not one Ten Hag will be seeking to employ long-term.

As such, a new centre-back who suits the Dutchman’s style more than Maguire, but can be available more consistently than Varane, makes sense as a priority.

Veysey reports United have been keeping “close tabs” on Guehi, who has gone from strength to strength since relocating from Stamford Bridge to Selhurst Park in 2021.

This mirrors reports by The Peoples Person last month which revealed United’s interest in the defender.

The centre-back has impressed at the heart of the Crystal Palace defence, displaying the well-rounded skill set on and off the ball modern defenders must have to succeed in today’s game.

Indeed, Guehi’s performances in red and blue have even warranted him a consistent spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, having made his debut for his country in March 2022.

Reports earlier in the season suggested Southgate viewed Guehi as a potential alternative to Maguire in the starting eleven for the Three Lions. This may be set to come true at club level as well.

One potential issue a pursuit of Guehi could produce would be the potential aerial fragility in United’s back-line.

A large part of United’s success last season stemmed from the impressive partnership of Varane and Martinez, who complimented each other style’s perfectly.

Martinez’s aggressive and proactive style was buttressed by the aerial dominance and world-class anticipation of Varane; the Argentine yin to the French yang.

Guehi clocks in at just under six foot and, while he is not weak in the air, he would not offer the same imposing frame Varane offered alongside the more diminutive Martinez.

Ten Hag has not been afraid to deploy an undersized centre-back pairing before, however, enjoying great success with a combination of Martinez and Jurrien Timber at the heart of his Ajax defence.

Perhaps Guehi could be set to form one part of the Dutchman’s newest defensive duo in January.

The post Manchester United make Marc Guehi their “number one” target appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

The plaudits will rightly go to Alejandro Garnacho for scoring a worthy winner of the goal of the season award while Kobbie Mainoo shone on his first-ever start in the Premier League.

It was also a fantastic result in terms of the defending as United kept their third clean sheet in a row and have now gone 312 minutes in the Premier League without conceding, the best current record in the league.

Maguire, Lindelof keep yet another clean sheet

Manager Erik ten Hag has been forced to tweak his defence often, due to the number on injuries but seems to have found a working partnership for now.

Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof kept their second consecutive clean sheet and the pair were imperious against the Toffees in front of a charged-up Goodison atmosphere.

The much-maligned pair have been criticised in the past and they had to withstand a storm in the last 15 minutes of the first half but they stood tall and Andre Onana came in clutch at times to ensure yet another clean sheet.

The duo made eight clearances each, as they repelled countless long balls as the team from Merseyside tried to go direct. Both made an interception each as well.

Harry Maguire’s game by numbers vs. Everton:

59 touches
35/45 passes completed
8 clearances
5 aerial duels won
3 long balls completed
1 block
1 interception

Another top performance. pic.twitter.com/sLQvzHalGQ

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 26, 2023

In terms of duels, the duo combined to win eight aerial duels, with Everton utilising set-pieces and long balls to try and get Dominic Calvert-Lewin into the game.

They switched the play cleverly and got their side on the front foot with seven successful long balls and the performance was another reminder as to why Raphael Varane is sitting on the bench.

Ten Hag’s Varane stance vindicated so far

The Frenchman is not used to being so low in the pecking order and there are growing reports that the World Cup winner could be on his way out of the club in January.

Ten Hag has denied the rumours of a rift with the defender, whose poor injury record meant the United boss was forced to start Maguire in the first place.

The former skipper has hardly put a foot wrong and has combined to great effect with both the Swede and Jonny Evans, who is currently out injured.

The injury situation and the number of fixtures coming up means the former Real Madrid superstar will get his chances but he will admit that the duo ahead of him have done well in his absence.

The post Harry Maguire-Victor Lindelof keep second consecutive clean sheet appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

At the moment, Maguire seems to be one of the first names on the team sheet, even ahead of the more accomplished and distinguished Raphael Varane.

In recent games before the just-concluded November international break, Maguire started a number of games, with a fully fit Varane having to make do with a place on the bench.

Erik ten Hag repeatedly explained that Maguire’s continued selection is due to tactical reasons and of course, the Englishman’s good form.

It has undoubtedly been a remarkable turnaround for the 30-year-old who at one point during the summer transfer window, looked set to leave the Theatre of Dreams in search of pastures anew.

He was of course stripped of the captaincy by Ten Hag, who proceeded to name Bruno Fernandes as club skipper.

Solskjaer, who handed Maguire the armband in January 2020, spoke to Nettavisen and had his say on the defender’s improved fortunes.

The Norwegian coach said, “I think he has dealt with it in a fantastic way.”

“It has not been easy. I have kept in touch with him and I have nothing but praise for the guy. He has been in it. It’s not easy to leave Manchester United because you know there’s a downturn almost everywhere you go. You get paid for your efforts when you are that type when you are a good footballer and show that you have a heart for the club.”

Solskjaer added, “I guess he has gradually learned who to listen to. I am very happy that Harry in particular shows what kind of player he is, but not least what kind of type and person he is. That’s why I made him captain. We in Norway call it “hell wood”, and he is.”

Alongside Maguire, Solskjaer also named Scott McTominay as the other United star he is happy to see regain their confidence under Ten Hag.

The ex-United boss noted that the pair are the exact profiles one needs in a team as they possess the right attitude and mentality.

The post “Nothing but praise”: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hails Harry Maguire for incredible turnaround at Man United appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Harry Maguire has come out fighting, defending his record with England and his standing in the footballing world.

The English defender started his career successfully at Manchester United when he signed in 2019. He was made club captain by the then manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, less than six months into his debut season.

However, after a relatively positive first campaign, the defender has since had a torrid career with the Red Devils and he has become the butt of many social media jibes.

However, an injury crisis in United’s defence this campaign has led to the defender getting regular gametime this season and he has already played eleven times for the club. The Englishman also scored the game winner in a crucial victory against Copenhagen at Old Trafford in the Champions League. He spoke after the game about how proud he was of the turnaround in form he has achieved in recent months.

That new-found confidence was evident when speaking to The Times recently.

The man from Sheffield claimed that he is “appreciated in the dressing room”, and that he is also “really appreciated in the football world” by coaches, players and ex-players. The Peoples Person recently reported that David Beckham reached out to Maguire after the defender scored a calamitous own goal versus Scotland.

The 30 year old also spoke about his love of playing for England and how he is desperate to play every minute of the Euros next summer and get the Three Lions over the line by winning a major tournament. The Englishman confidently asserted that “I know I’m appreciated by the England fans who I’ve made many memories with over the years”.

Maguire went on to wax lyrical about his passion for representing England and how he dreamed of pulling on the white shirt as a kid. The former United captain asserted that he wants to play every minute, start every game and help the lads.

There was also time in the interview for United’s number five to label his England teammate, Harry Kane, the best striker in the world.

The Englishman claimed that Kane was a leader on the pitch and he knew that wherever he went in the summer, that he would score goals. This has been proven true as the England captain has taken the Bundesliga by storm by netting 17 goals in only 11 matches.

Maguire continued his praise by stating “he’s a nightmare to play against and can put the ball in the back of the net from any angle. His movement’s very good, he’s a focal point in the team”.

The England international finished by agreeing with the interviewer that keeping Kane quiet will be a daunting task when Bayern Munich come to Old Trafford in December, in what could be a vital game for the Red Devils in their quest to reach the last 16 of Champions League.

United fans will be hoping that Maguire is as confident about himself after that particular game as he was in this interview.

The post Harry Maguire comes out fighting in response to critics appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.