Harry Maguire is struggling at Manchester United due to having 'absolutely no protection' from his midfield.
That's the verdict from ex-United player, Paul Ince, who offered mitigation for Maguire amid ongoing on-field woes at Old Trafford and beyond this season.
Since returning from the international break, United have been defeated on penalties by Middlesbrough in the FA Cup and they were pegged back, twice, for consecutive Premier League draws with rock-bottom Burnley and then Southampton on Saturday lunchtime at Old Trafford.
Brighton are next up for Maguire and his teammates at the same venue on Tuesday night (8.15pm).
Manchester Evening News understands United are set to prioritise midfield recruits during the summer window as Ince sheds light on the extent that 'problem' position is having on Maguire.
Speaking to Mail Online, former United midfielder said: "The thing with Maguire is that he's not the quickest.
"He's not a bad player, everyone loses form and regains form. Harry Maguire is going through this period now where everything he does he is making mistakes and it is getting magnified.
"For me, it's not just Harry Maguire, it's the midfield. He gets absolutely no protection. If I'm playing in midfield with Roy Keane, Harry Maguire does not get isolated like he does at Man United."
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Ince added: "You've got to make sure you've got midfield players around Maguire to protect him and help him out. The amount of times where Steve Bruce wasn't the quickest but I'd come across or Keane or Gary Pallister, because we knew.
"For so many teams it is so easy to get through United - and that's why we are seeing Maguire getting punished so much because he has no protection whatsoever."
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