World Cup 2022: How Harry Maguire got his head right to prove his critics wrong - Rio Ferdinand

This World Cup has been a trial of Harry Maguire's quality arsenic good arsenic his quality - and helium has shown everyone helium has plentifulness of both.

Maguire hadn't been playing overmuch for United this play and erstwhile helium did travel into the squad helium looked tense and a agelong mode disconnected the level we are utilized to seeing him play astatine for England.

The magnitude of disapproval helium was getting was mode implicit the top, but you can't get distant from the information helium had not been anyplace adjacent his champion for respective months.

That meant helium came to this World Cup with his planetary spot nether scrutiny too, but immoderate doubts I had astir whether helium should beryllium playing for England successful Qatar were answered consecutive away.

The archetypal game, against Iran, was a pivotal moment. If helium had been shaky determination for immoderate reason, past this mightiness person turned into a precise antithetic tourney for him.

But helium made a affirmative start, got connected the shot and got immoderate content backmost - and helium has kept connected gathering his assurance successful each crippled since then.

He was our champion subordinate against the United States, erstwhile helium showed what an fantabulous defender helium is erstwhile the shot comes into our box, and looked highly composed against Wales too.

A antithetic subordinate for nine and country?

The mode England are acceptable up is 1 of the reasons Maguire looks much astatine location playing for his state than helium does for his club.

Gareth Southgate uses a strategy that plays to everyone's idiosyncratic strengths and protects their weaknesses - specified arsenic Maguire's mobility.

Being successful a squad that defends heavy with a debased artifact suits him acold amended than erstwhile helium plays for United and helium is overmuch higher up the pitch.

For United, Erik 10 Hag wants his centre-halves to beryllium 10 yards wrong the absorption fractional erstwhile the squad is successful possession, which leaves a monolithic spread betwixt Maguire and his goalkeeper for opponents to exploit.

That doesn't truly hap with England due to the fact that helium has got much team-mates astir him, and little abstraction down him wherever his deficiency of gait tin beryllium exposed.

All of this helps Maguire defensively, and the different portion of his crippled has ne'er been successful question. He is truthful comfy connected the shot and bringing it retired of defence, which is inactive captious to the mode Southgate wants to play.

John Stones and Harry Maguire started each 3 of England's radical games unneurotic and kept 2 cleanable sheets. They archetypal played alongside each different against Lithuania successful October 2017 and were partners astatine the 2018 World Cup and past year's European Championship

Having John Stones alongside him is important too, of course. They person played unneurotic successful either a 2 oregon a 3 astatine the backmost astatine this level successful each sorts of situations, including astatine the past 2 large tournaments.

In total, they person played unneurotic 31 times for England successful the past 5 years and mislaid lone 3 times implicit 90 minutes, truthful that spot is determination - they cognize each different truthful well, and you tin tell.

The value of feeling wanted by your manager

After the mode helium has started this World Cup, Maguire volition not beryllium reasoning astir his problems astatine United immoderate more.

It was down to him to get his caput close successful bid to beryllium the doubters wrong, but helium could not person done it if Southgate hadn't stuck with him successful the archetypal spot and fto him reply his critics connected the pitch.

The manager's portion successful this was to marque Maguire consciousness wanted and valued, which Southgate has done by picking him successful his team.

Maguire has started lone 1 Premier League crippled for Manchester United since August and has lone made 9 appearances retired of a imaginable 21 for his nine successful each competitions each season, but Southgate continued to prime him for England

I deliberation the infinitesimal you consciousness the manager doesn't rather deliberation you are worthy oregon ready, past determination is simply a problem.

That benignant of man-management is 1 of Southgate's main strengths. He has created a blessed situation that allows each his players to flourish.

I was portion of England squads wherever you knew definite players didn't privation to beryllium progressive and would marque excuses implicit injuries to debar call-ups.

Now it is different. Southgate has intelligibly brought the squad unneurotic and, looking from the outside, they each privation to beryllium determination and they each consciousness a portion of it due to the fact that they bask it truthful much.

The large happening for maine is that they each look similar mates, genuinely, which was not truly the lawsuit successful my day.

Rashford has refocused to get backmost to his best

Maguire is not the lone England subordinate to person travel done a hard clip to radiance astatine this tournament.

His United team-mate Marcus Rashford has been connected a akin travel wherever helium seemed to suffer immoderate of his confidence, with the quality being helium has been playing truthful good successful the Premier League this season. Now helium is doing the aforesaid for England.

I'm truthful pleased to spot him flying again and possibly helium conscionable needed to bash immoderate refocusing to get backmost connected track.

He had been carrying immoderate injuries arsenic well, truthful getting a due pre-season past summertime was monolithic for him. He looks caller and, arsenic I said connected BBC One aft the Wales game, a smiling, hungry, dynamic and upbeat Marcus Rashford is simply a devastating player. At the infinitesimal helium is each of these things.

When helium gets the ball, helium turns and runs and is assertive with it - helium is not receiving it and playing it backwards. Instead helium is facing his defender up and saying, 'I americium going to trial you'.

Rashford has 3 goals already, aft lone 1 start. He took america to a antithetic level against Wales and it is going to beryllium precise hard to driblet him for the Senegal crippled now.

Four years agone it was Harry Kane who got astir of the goals erstwhile we reached the semi-finals successful Russia. This England squad is doing things differently, but I americium getting akin vibes astir our chances of going acold this clip too.

I consciousness assured astir the full squad and I emotion the information that erstwhile we person made changes we person not looked weaker astatine all. It feels similar we are acceptable and I can't hold to find retired what happens next.

Rio Ferdinand was speaking to Chris Bevan successful Doha, Qatar.

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