Manchester United legend Roy Keane will be pleased to see Erik ten Hag continuing to be brutal with his decision-making at Old Trafford this summer. Harry Maguire revealed at the weekend that he had been stripped of club captaincy ahead of the upcoming campaign, a decision which Keane will likely agree with.
Ever since his arrival in the United dugout, Ten Hag has made it his mission to reconstruct the United dressing room and assert his authority over his troops. The former Ajax boss prioritised squad harmony, brutally axing several stars from pre-season training that were awaiting moves elsewhere.
Cristiano Ronaldo felt the wrath of Ten Hag next, with the Portugal international soon realising that he no longer ruled the roost at the Theatre of Dreams, as previously reported. The United hero’s decision to step out of line in pre-season saw him consistently benched during the opening stages of last season before a jaw-dropping interview with Piers Morgan saw Ronaldo’s contract terminated.
Ten Hag has now taken the popular decision to remove the captain’s armband from Maguire, who hardly featured for his side last season. The Red Devils are hoping to sell the defender this summer, despite his desire to fight for his spot in the starting eleven.
Keane has consistently called for Maguire to have his captaincy duties removed and labelled the central defender, telling Sky Sports last year that Maguire was playing for his future: “Is Harry playing for his future? He’s got to do better himself. If you want to be a decent captain you’ve got to be at the top of your game and you hope the rest of them follow. He’s not been good enough and the team haven’t been good enough.”
Keane has consistently spoken about how United must improve defensively and highlighted that Maguire has been central to their demise, despite his best efforts. Thus, taking a forceful approach when pushing the 30-year-old towards the exit will be an approach that the former Republic of Ireland international can appreciate.
United have also parted ways with David de Gea this summer in another decision by Ten Hag that will have won further respect from Keane – who he repeatedly criticised for poor decisions that ultimately cost the club precious points.
The Spaniard saw his contract expire at the Theatre of Dreams after contract negotiations hit several hiccups late on. A deal had been agreed, but not signed, before United apparently reneged on the agreement in hope of bringing De Gea’s wages down further.
The Red Devils are set to replace the Spaniard with Inter Milan’s Andre Onana, who has worked with Ten Hag at Ajax and was identified as his top goalkeeper target this summer.
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