HARRY KARI
Professional suicide as Maguire lets down faithful Southgate
THE man known as Slab Head looks like he must have concrete for brains.
Harry Maguire should have been looking back on the past few weeks of his life knowing he had a lot to thank Gareth Southgate for.
Friends have been hard for Maguire to find of late, in the wake of a tumultuous period that appears to have broken him.
The roof caved in on his world following his high- profile arrest in Greece following an ugly brawl with police.
He has appealed his subsequent conviction for aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempts of bribery that landed him with a suspended two- year prison sentence.
But the episode still lingers – and the dark clouds have continued to hang over him since his return to these shores from a prison cell.
The truth is Maguire hasn’t looked the same. In fact, he’s looked anything but someone who became the world’s most expensive defender when he joined Manchester United from Leicester in an £ 80m deal.
His start to the new domestic season has been wretched. United have conceded an astonishing 11 goals in their opening three league games and he has been to blame for most of them.
Six came in the trouncing Tottenham dished out at Old
Trafford before the international break, when Maguire defended like someone plucked from a pub team on a Sunday morning.
There were rumours of a dressing room bust- up with team- mate Bruno Fernandes, before United fans took to social media to call for him to be replaced as captain. in.
Joining up with England used to fill players with dread, d, but it must have ve felt like a sanctuary ry to Maguire, despite te the fact he didn’t n’t deserve his invitation.
Waiting to put an arm around him was Southgate Southgate, who went on to pick him in two of the three games as well as heap praise on him.
LUNGE: Maguire prepares to make the reckless challenge that earned him red
The England boss boss, who had been forced to axe the defender from his squad in September when news of his conviction came through, has been at pains to point out that the 27- year- old remains hugely integral to his plans going forward.
But Southgate’s faith has been proved blind and will now be tested to the limit, following Maguire’s latest act of dimwittery in the shape of his shambolic sending off against Denmark last night.
Two yellow yello cards in the space o of 31 mad minutes saw h him get his marching ing orders.
Both of his crude lunges could have been straight reds.
People will ask, ‘ W What was he thinking?’ ing But even he migh might not know the answer, swer, because b his mind appears toha to have melted. He looked ashen as he trooped from the field towards the dressing room and a shower.
Let’s hope it was a cold one, because Maguire dropped his team right in it, and also betrayed the trust Southgate had shown in him.
As the weeks roll on, the case for his defence is looking, well, indefensible.