Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has, on Monday, spoken out over suggestions that Harry Maguire should be relieved of his duties as captain of the club.
The subject of Maguire’s status as lead member of Rangnick’s squad has of course come back to the fore in a major way of late.
This comes owing to a less than impressive stretch of form on the part of both the English international himself, and United as a collective unit.
Maguire’s latest shaky display en route to a 1-1 stalemate with Southampton over the weekend, in turn, saw calls amongst the Red Devils fanbase begin to mount for a change of captaincy at the club.
Broja vs Maguire in summary ?? pic.twitter.com/eGAecyv1KT
— Kwame Benaiah (@kwamebenaiah) February 12, 2022
Speaking to the media ahead of his side’s Premier League showdown with Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday evening, it therefore came as little surprise when the subject of the captain’s armband was put to Ralf Rangnick.
The German, however, was quick to back Maguire, assuring that, though the former Leicester City man has not enjoyed the best of things over recent weeks, he sees ‘no reason’ to alter his status as captain:
Ralf Rangnick standing by Harry Maguire: “In last 2 games had some weaker moments. But he is our captain + I see no reason to change that. Way we are playing now is new to him. In England team is used to back 3. @ManUtd is a back 4 but not on the front foot trying to defend.”
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) February 14, 2022
European ambitions hanging by a thread
As alluded to above, whilst the rest of the Premier League’s clubs must wait until the weekend to get their respective domestic campaigns back underway, Manchester United will in fact be back in action in less than 24 hours’ time.
This comes with the Reds set to play out a rescheduled meeting with Brighton at Old Trafford.
Tuesday’s hosts will head into proceedings against Graham Potter’s Seagulls aware that nothing but a 3-point haul will suffice, amid the club’s efforts to secure a top-4 berth.
Successive draws with Burnley and Southampton over the course of the last week have seen United surrender the initiative in the Premier League’s race for Champions League football to Arsenal, with the Gunners now just a point adrift of Rangnick and co. in 5th, despite boasting two games in hand.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s relationship with Ralf Rangnick and Manchester United ‘totally fractured’
Manchester United interested in Gladbach star as potential Luke Shaw replacement
