Brandon Williams has come to the defence of Harry Maguire amid ongoing criticism the United skipper is facing, having lost his starting place under Erik ten Hag.
Maguire was retained as captain by Ten Hag earlier this year but after failing to impress in the first two games of the season, he has been on the bench for five of the next six games in all competitions.
In his absence, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane have formed a strong partnership and the pair are unlikely to be broken up anytime soon despite Maguire’s status as captain.
Despite his shaky form at Old Trafford, Maguire was called up alongside Luke Shaw for the upcoming England camp, with Gareth Southgate hoping to play them into form ahead of this winter’s World Cup.
United defender Brandon Williams, who has not featured for the Reds since the 2020/21 season, has now launched a strong defence of Maguire, hitting out at social media trolls.
Read more: Christian Eriksen speaks on playing in different positions under Erik ten Hag
“Harry will go into training a hundred percent every day. Harry will give, whether he’s starting the game, whether he’s not starting the game, one hundred per cent,” Williams told The Sportsman.
“We don’t care about the outside world because the only thing that matters is the opinions on the inside. The opinions on the inside are the most important.
“If you’re doing well in training, who’s some little idiot sat on Twitter that’s going to tell you that you shouldn’t be starting a game. Who is he? I genuinely don’t get it. Harry is a top fella. Top captain and top player.”
SN’s verdict…
The failure to protect Maguire is clear for everyone to see. The criticism has been over the top and in some cases, it can even be seen as bullying.
Williams is right in hitting back at social media trolls but companies that allow abuse to exist on their platforms need to take responsibility. At the end of the day, only they can change the landscape for a famous person online.
On the pitch, Maguire has been underwhelming and Ten Hag was right to drop him but some of the reactions have been silly. Knowing Maguire’s character, he will bounce back stronger.
