Harry Maguire has been told to "keep battling on" by former Manchester United star Wes Brown, who knows all about the challenges of establishing oneself in a back four.
The Red Devils academy graduate spent over a decade at Old Trafford, playing across the backline and coping with many selection snubs during his decorated career. That is exactly what Maguire is experiencing this season, having seen Lisandro Martinez seize his spot in the starting XI.
Erik ten Hag's summer signing, a £56.7million buy from Ajax, has come into the line-up to assert himself alongside Raphael Varane, who also looks more accomplished after a difficult first year in the Premier League. It has left Maguire looking in from the outside, and Brown concedes the combination of Martinez and Varane leaves the skipper having to knuckle down.
Brown, an 888 Sport ambassador, said: "It has been difficult for Harry. Last season was very poor defensively and a lot of blame got put on him for that, but I'm pretty sure if you ask him he knows he can play better. But at the moment the manager has chopped and changed, but likes the Martinez-Varane shout. I've been there myself, but it is one of those where you've got to keep battling on.
"I'm pretty sure Harry will go to England and focus on getting his game right and when he gets his next chance he's just got to take it. There are combinations that work, they take a while to sort out as the manager decides what's best, but the Martinez-Varane is going very well."
Since Martinez and Varane have teamed up at the back, United have won all four games, which has seen them rise up the table after two consecutive defeats that saw them ship six goals. In that time, the Red Devils have also conceded just twice, keeping two clean sheets.
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Ten Hag told MUTV on the pair's latest shutout in Europe, against Sheriff Tiraspol : "The reason (for another clean sheet) is we were good in possession and we defended very well. With Rapha Varane there as the leader, he puts everyone in the right position, he fits really good together with Licha Martinez and also the two full-backs did their job really good."
Brown, who was up against some stern competition during his time in Manchester, said on the changes in defensive pairings: "I know people make a big thing out of it, but in my day it was like that (changes in selection) all the time, until you got the [Rio] Ferdinand-[Nemanja] Vidic partnership. We were pretty much swapping quite often with the manager always seeking that right connection."
