Harry Maguire remains a permanent fixture in Gareth Southgate's England team. We look at the reasons why.
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00:00 There he is, that's Harry Maguire left-sided centre-back in the back four and the reason we're going to this game is because it included a
00:06 Moment around 50 odd minutes in that can only be described as Harry Maguire
00:10 Doing a Harry Maguire. Now England, whatever their faults, are usually a very well-organized team. When they have to defend they all get nice and compact
00:16 When they move the pitch they all move as a unit
00:18 But sometimes football just happens doesn't it? And on the occasions where football just happens Harry Maguire is occasionally guilty of making very bad
00:25 Decisions as a defender. You'll have seen him do this a few times but it happened in the Italy game when England gets stretched and
00:30 A ball is played from the midfield into an attacker somewhere in England's final third
00:35 Harry Maguire does exactly the wrong thing and gets caught out. As the ball comes in he breaks out of the defensive line to try
00:41 And get an early challenge in to either force the player to move backwards or to maybe even win the ball. Except what the really good
00:47 Attackers will do is they will recognize him charging out of this space. They will knock the ball off to a teammate
00:52 They will get him turned, leave him all at sea and then get into the space he has just vacated
00:57 He absolutely loves making that run. You can almost hear John Stones going "Harry, no!" when he does it
01:03 But he does it all the same and because it is a very poor decision his teammates can't anticipate it
01:07 They can't get back over and cover quick enough. Someone gets cleaved through on goal and they're gonna have another go here
01:12 Anyway now this just happened against Italy, but you've definitely seen him do it before. Look here
01:21 He is doing it again and every time he does it ends up all over social media. People say he's absolutely rubbish
01:26 They can't understand why he's in the team and the cycle repeats again and again and again and again and again and again and again
01:31 But the reason I'm here today my friends is to tell you that while this is a massive problem with Harry Maguire's game when it
01:36 Comes to playing for this England squad that is pretty much the only major problem with Harry Maguire's game
01:42 Yeah, look, I know I can already hear the scoffs through the screen and to be honest I can scarcely believe it myself
01:47 But I'm just gonna really quickly show you what it is he brings to this England side and hopefully his selection will make a little
01:53 Bit more sense. So obviously it varies by opponent situation
01:55 But normally when England have the ball at the back and they're trying to make something happen
01:58 They end up with this little four thing going on between Pickford, Stones, Maguire and one of the central midfielders
02:04 Usually Declan Rice. This gives you some nice passing angles that you can knock it about quite easily the fullbacks
02:08 They'll quite happily come back to join in
02:10 But what you're gonna want to do is keep the ball in this sort of area in their own third for long enough that it
02:15 Creates space in the final third for a line breaking pass
02:18 And what I mean by line breaking is if you imagine this is their forward line. It's pressing the defenders
02:22 This is their midfield line
02:23 It's marking the midfielders England want to be patient enough with the ball at the back that somebody can get a bit of space
02:29 They can hit a line through both those lines
02:32 They get turned and they're in and they're actually pretty good at doing this like you saw it all through the Italy game and all
02:37 Through the Ukraine game either Stones or Maguire getting a ball into either Bellingham or Henderson when they're in a really good position
02:42 And they've got a bit of space to play in and fundamentally the reason Harry Maguire is in this England team is because these passes
02:48 Are really hard they require good vision good intelligence and also excellent technical ability because it is kind of a risky move to do because
02:56 If you've got midfielders who are sort of pushing up field and pulling away from their markers
02:59 And you misplace that pass all of a sudden you're in real trouble there
03:04 And the reason Harry Maguire is an automatic pick for England is because he's really really good at those kind of passes
03:10 Just a quick look at all of his passing numbers here despite the fact he's been out of the Manchester United side hasn't played that
03:15 Much football in the last 365 days, which is what this graph covers
03:18 He's still almost in the top 5% of European football for the number of long passes
03:24 The really interesting stat though is this
03:26 Switches because as much as England like to play this pass between the lines or into the full-backs
03:30 They also are not afraid to switch the ball to the opposite side of the pitch if that is where the space appears
03:35 You saw Kane do this for his goal against Ukraine the English side sort of moved over the left-hand side
03:40 Which is given let me just demonstrate
03:41 Saka loads of room on the right
03:43 Kane received the ball around here put it all the way out to that side and then lo and behold Saka gets across it and
03:48 Kane gets the goal England are not afraid of the old school ground switch it
03:53 Also his short passing numbers are really good like for all the problems people have with England's defense
03:57 You very rarely see Maguire, Pickford or Stones ever give the ball away or concede a cheap throw in or lose possession
04:02 When they're in that build-up stage also, he's not the best at this
04:06 But he's still in like the top 20% in Europe for progressive carries
04:09 Which means that when they're knocking it around and it's just not really happening
04:12 He's the one who tends to get on the ball and just make that run
04:14 Into the center of the pitch which sort of pulls the rest of the defense with him and all of a sudden a midfield has
04:19 Got to decide if they're going to engage him which of course creates a bit of extra space
04:22 It's not it's not his main job, but he does do it and it is important
04:26 So why does Gareth Southgate always pick Harry Maguire?
04:28 Well, because England are a possession based team
04:31 They're a passing based team and Harry Maguire is one of the best center backs in the world
04:36 Sorry for progressing and passing the ball and he's just a pretty solid defender at the same time
04:41 Like I know he's guilty of that rush of blood and England do concede goals that way but by and large
04:44 England as a defensive unit are pretty solid. That's kind of an okay weakness to accept for everything
04:50 He brings to the team
04:51 I think and just as one final point players get selected for their national teams for any national team
04:57 Based on their performances for the national team and then if you're a form or you're out of favor with your club side
05:02 Yes, obviously the manager has to keep that in mind
05:03 But bottom line if you play well for your country
05:06 You should keep playing for your country and like it or not my friends Harry Maguire and pretty much any other player in this side
05:12 You would care to pick on does usually play pretty well for England. There's a there's Jordan Pickford
05:17 Of course it is in his natural position of his arms up going
05:20 WAP YOLO FOR THE REAR OF ME LIKE HOW WE THE LADS
05:23 So why does Harry Maguire continue to get picked at left-sided center back for England?
05:27 Well, because Harry Maguire continues to be the best option at left-sided center back for England
05:32 Doesn't matter if you like it doesn't matter if I like it
05:35 He just is but no you're right good point
05:37 He does have a head that looks like a massive paving slab
05:39 So let me know in the comments below whether you would pick him for England
05:42 And if you wouldn't who would you play instead?
05:43 But in the meantime, though, thank you so much for joining us on for for to the subscribe button is right there
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05:52 Not bad until the next one though
05:54 I of course been Adam Cleary at Adam Cleary CLERY on all the socials and I will see you later
05:59 Bye. Bye
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