I don’t know about Greek spat... but Maguire’s defending was criminal

LAST week I made a mental note to myself: write something about Harry Maguire. This was before the Manchester United captain made front page headlines following an alleged brawl on Mykonos.

Maguire’s case will go before the Greek authorities today and I’m no wiser than anyone else about what went on out there.

I do know, however, that the 27-year-old (right) isn’t the first United captain to be arrested following an alleged altercation; I remember Roy Keane spending a night in the cells after an incident at (the now ironically titled) Harry’s Bar in Deansgate, Manchester.

Of more pressing concern, however, was Maguire’s performance in the recent Europa League game against

Sevilla in Cologne. His positioning — or, rather, the chronic lack of it — contributed to both Sevilla goals and United’s third semi-final defeat of the season.

As an MUFC fan, I shudder to think what damage better teams than the Spaniards — fourth in La Liga last season — might have inflicted on old ‘Slab

Head’ when he’s in that sort of form. Don’t get me wrong; I think Maguire has been a welcome addition to the United squad.

It’s not his fault that he is currently “the world’s most expensive defender”; that’s more a measurement of market forces than ability. And he’s a hugely popular figure with fans and team-mates alike, a natural leader and someone who will give his all in every game.

But he ain’t no Virgil van Dijk, Aymeric Laporte, Clement Lenglet or Leonardo Bonucci. Being a decent operator in the Premier League isn’t really good enough for a club that have far too many ‘all right’ players and nowhere near enough outstanding ones.