There are politics at certain clubs when it comes to signings, and the best ones are able to simply accept when they’ve got it wrong and they move on.
Man United have a lot of problems to deal with just now, but they’ve compounded so many issues by trying to stick by players who simply aren’t good enough in the hope that they might finally come good.
Harry Maguire is the perfect example. He’s far too slow and hinders the entire system because it has to be built around his weaknesses, but so much money was paid for him that no manager has been able to drop him without upsetting those behind the scenes.
You have to think that Erik ten Hag was in a position of strength when he took the job in terms of demanding certain things, and not having to pander to Maguire may have been on the list.
That would make even more sense when you consider the latest reports suggest that the centre-back could be stripped of the captaincy going into next season.
The captaincy role is mostly ceremonial these days without much of a tangible function, but it’s still a matter of pride and it could signal the end of Maguire’s days at Old Trafford if this happens.
At this stage it appears a short-term solution is in the works as Cristiano Ronaldo is set to take over as the new skipper, but he’s unlikely to be there beyond the end of this season.
Fans might be worried that it’s yet another sign of player power and pandering to individuals without a long-term strategy in sight, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.