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Manchester United already have a better captain than Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire
MANCHESTER UNITED duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcus Rashford are reportedly involved in a power struggle at Old Trafford.
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Manchester United duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire are currently embroiled in a power struggle at Old Trafford, reports have stated. The current Red Devils skipper has denied those claims this morning, however. Yet, regardless of what the truth is, Ralf Rangnick already has a player more deserving of the role than either of the duo.
Maguire took to Twitter today to shut down talk of a dressing room rift with Ronaldo.
“I’ve seen a lot of reports about this club that aren’t true and this is another,” he said.
“Not going to start posting about everything that is written but I needed to make this one clear.
“We’re united and focused on Sunday. Enjoy your day everyone.”
Maguire has been United’s skipper since January 2020, when Ashley Young left for Serie A giants Inter Milan.
But there are certainly some within the footballing world who feel Ronaldo would be a better candidate for the role.
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After all, he’s a player who has won every trophy imaginable during his glittering career so far.
Yet while Maguire’s CV pales in comparison, Ronaldo isn’t the player who should be in the frame to take over.
He quit the club for Real Madrid in 2009 and it was during that time where United could have really done with his leadership.
Also, his powers are starting to wane. Like with Wayne Rooney in 2014, giving the armband to a player whose performance levels are dipping wouldn’t be ideal.
Instead, talk should be centred around David De Gea being captain instead.
The Spain international is currently the club’s best performer, having rediscovered the form that made him undroppable during Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal’s spells at the club.
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De Gea is one of the last disciples of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, having been part of the team that won the Premier League title under the Scot in 2013.
And he’s been an exemplary figure throughout his time at the club.
Sure, his own displays weren’t entirely convincing when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ruled the roost.
But De Gea has shown he’s a class act by knuckling down and working hard to re-establish himself as one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.
He knows what winning at United means, having been there and done that.
And though he tried to push for a move to Real Madrid in 2015, he quickly changed his mind by signing a new contract with the club.
No matter how bad things have got, De Gea has always given his all.
He could have easily sought a return to Spain during his early months at the club, when he struggled to cope with life in the Premier League.
Yet De Gea has always dug deep to ensure he’s a class act.
And, as a winner with the right mindset, he’d arguably be a better pick than Maguire or Ronaldo when it comes to leading the team.
Rio Ferdinand said in December that De Gea should have been made skipper over Maguire, insisting the England international got the duty far too soon.
“The fact that he has had the armband has given him that grace. Which it would do. I think he was given it too early,” he said.
“It’s a hard enough job coming into Manchester United, getting your feet under the table and stating to feel comfortable as it as without the added pressure of being captain.
“Being captain is a massive responsibility, there is history that goes with it, a big weight on your shoulders.
“You need to experience being there for a period of time to carry that weight. It was more important for Maguire to come in and concentrate on becoming a Manchester United mainstay than being captain.
“The thing you can counter that with, is that there weren’t many captains at the club, who else are they going to pick?
“David de Gea would have been my choice because of the time he’s been there and he knows what it takes to win.
“This is all with hindsight but you have to got to think about these times that might come with someone like Harry Maguire, new at the club in that sense.
“And that added pressure is weighing on him heavily at the moment.”