Harry Maguire was beating his chest, joining in with the supporters signing Take Me Home, the anthem with John Denver’s lyrics adapted to incorporate Old Trafford. A few minutes later, Manchester United scarf around his neck, he went up to collect the first trophy of his captaincy. It was not quite as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the manager who signed Maguire for £80 million and fast-tracked him to the captaincy, must have imagined.
United won silverware on Solskjaer’s 50th birthday but the Norwegian is no longer in charge. Nor, really, is Maguire, who was confined to a couple of minutes on the pitch, plus stoppage time. The Carabao Cup, with its three handles, was lifted by two players: Bruno Fernandes invariably wears the armband these days and is Erik ten Hag’s usual skipper.
