Or...the long contracts mean that if/when a new manager comes in and wants to clean house, they have players with enough time left on their contracts to make them valuable in the transfer market, rather than having to sell them on in a fire sale frenzy, to get at least something for them, rather than running out a short contract and going on a free.
Well if ETH uses Maguire the same way he did the season gone that means Maguire is due to get less than 10 games comes the new season (played 8 season just gone) and with Euro 2024 just round the corner, Southgate is going to have a hard time justifying Maguires inclusion into the team. Using the excuse of international game experience is only going to get Southgate so far, especially if other players in the same position get more game time than Maguire.
He gets asked that every time he selects a squad. There's always players in form who are not chosen while out of form non-regulars for club are constantly given squad or starting positions. It's worked for him thus far, but he'll hopefully quit that tactic, or lose his position as gaffer next time.
I have to be honest, I didn't bother with 2022 world cup so did not know who was picked but I just did some checking and noticed Maguire was picked!!!. He had only played I think 1 or 2 games I think before the world cup and Southgate still picked him!!!! no wonder Maguire is able to think like he is if Southgate considers a player who only had 2 league games prior to the World cup the best center back the country has!!!! Man oh man what a disgrace. So that changes a lot of things in what I've said. If Maguire knows having only a few league games under his belt is still enough to keep him in the England squad then he knows his position is not under threat and thus can just be a bench player, get a few games here and there. If Southgate is going to pick him with when he is rarely playing, there is no motivation for Maguire to put more effort into wanting to get more games because he knows the chances are he will still be picked for international duty. In his head it will be 'if Southgate picks me when only have 1/2 league games under my belt, he will will do the same again'. Therefore Maguire does not need to push himself into wanting to get more games at United or at any club for that matter because Southgate would probably still pick him. Therefore what I've said for the most part still stands, Maguire has no incentive to leave United to a club that will give him more game time because he does not need to. Therefore he can just see out his contract and watch the money role in from his wages whilst doing very little at United. Quids in as many would say.
Your ability to tell us all how Harry Maguire is thinking is fascinating. You must spend a lot of time with him to know him so well. Thank you for educating us all.
Agreed. Sometimes a player may choose to stay at a bigger club because they feel they will be able to force their way back into the managers plans. Or the manager may have given them some assurances that things are about to change.
It is not obsession, I am just generating topics of discussion that I feel are relevant in todays society when it comes to football players and the reason I have gone as far as I have is because of yours and others defense of him for the way he behaves. You are all very reluctant to pour scorn on players even when they deserve it in my opinion.
Human nature can be very predictable at times. It does not take a genius to know how a human will behave when certain factors are put before them.
Condemning someone you don’t know for something they haven’t even decided upon yet?
Why are you calling it an obsession? You guys reply to my post and then I reply back. You guys reply again and I again reply back. It's called 'debating'. If you do not want to keep a debate going about a certain topic then don't reply to the posts.
As I’m not obsessed by him I probably don’t read as much about him as you do.
Well it's very difficult to miss when your reading the sports pages of a newspaper and there he is as the main sports headline. He's news and thus I am debating about him, nothing more.
Also because the international players are as you rightly point out rarely playing together, there is a very valid reason for trying to keep the core team the same as much as possible.
Exactly.
But do you not find that based on what you've written, that it is a bit concerning that Southgate would chose a central defender that is not only out of favor with his club but out of form?. Maguires form and performance in the world cup was impressive and I am sure it got many United fans talking about why he was not able to produce the same form and performance for his club.
So even if Maguire only played 1 league game, are you are saying that togetherness and cohesion are more important factors than club form and club performance to becoming an England player?
He is out of form with his club, not with the international team.
Because, firstly, at the very top level, club football is far more developed, more evolved, than international football.
As long as he is fit - and as long as Gareth Southgate rates him - I would go so far as to say no league game, though, obviously, that is not a situation that could continue very long.
You really are pushing this.
Chelsea fans are having a good laugh at his expense for his failure in a MLS All-stars skills challenge in pre-season in the US.
