Harry Maguire and his impact on Manchester United

Manchester United finished sixth in the Premier League last season as they missed out on a Champions League spot. The Red Devils shipped away 54 goals in the season, which meant that they had a worse record than 10 teams in the division. 

To improve on this aspect, the English giants spent big on their defence. Manchester United broke the world record to sign Harry Maguire from Leicester City. The Red Devils spent an eye-watering sum of 80 million pounds in an attempt to improve their fragile defence. 

Huge transfer fees bring huge expectations, which means even the smallest mistakes made by Maguire are scrutinized by fans and critics. The English defender has absorbed pressure nicely as he has improved the defence to an extent. While United is in a worse position than they were last season, but that has been due to lack of creativity and misfiring forwards. 

As mentioned above, the Red Devils were in bottom 10 defensively last season. Manchester United have conceded just seven goals in seven games this season, which means they have the third-best defensive record in the Premier League. It is quite clear that United have improved defensively and some of that credit goes to Harry Maguire.

The England International has looked solid and has shown signs that he can be a future leader at the club. The 26-year-old regularly barks orders at the other defenders, which shows that he is ready to take responsibility. As time goes on, the English defender will only improve as he gets settled with his new teammates. 

Everything has not been rosy, however, as Maguire has shown some chinks in the armour. His lack of speed was exposed when Victor Lindelof misjudged a header, and Crystal Palace took the lead in the third match. The English defender would also want to improve his positional awareness, but it will improve when he gets to know more about his new teammates.

Overall, Harry Maguire seems to be a good signing as he has certainly improved United's defence. While the transfer fee is huge, it is a seller's market, and United had to pay the cash if they wanted the player. If Maguire can continue in this vein, he can prove to be an excellent signing. 

Cover image credits: Bleacher Report