Harry Maguire remains a permanent fixture in Gareth Southgate's England team. We look at the reasons why.
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00:00There 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
00:06Moment around 50 odd minutes in that can only be described as Harry Maguire
00:10Doing 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
00:16When they move up the pitch they all move as a unit
00:18But sometimes football just happens, doesn't it? And on the occasions where football just happens, Harry Maguire is occasionally guilty of making very bad
00:25Decisions as a defender. You'll have seen him do this a few times
00:28But it happened in the Italy game. When England gets stretched and a ball is played from the midfield
00:32Into an attacker somewhere in England's final third, Harry Maguire does exactly the wrong thing and gets caught out. As the ball comes in
00:39He breaks out of the defensive line to try and get an early challenge in to either force the player to move backwards or to
00:45Maybe even win the ball. Except what the really good attackers will do is they will recognize him charging out of this space
00:50They will knock the ball off to a teammate
00:52They will get him turned, leave him all at sea, and then get into the space he has just vacated
00:57He absolutely loves making that run. You can almost hear John Stones going, Harry, noooo
01:02When he does it, but he does it all the same. And because it is a very poor decision, his teammates can't anticipate it
01:07They can't get back over the cover quick enough. Someone gets cleaved to one goal, and they're gonna have another go here
01:16Anyway. Now this just happened against Italy, but you've definitely seen him do it before. Look, here
01:21He is doing it again. And every time he does, it ends up all over social media. People say he's absolutely rubbish
01:26They 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
01:31But 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
01:36Comes to playing for this England squad, that is pretty much the only major problem with Harry Maguire's game
01:42Yeah, look, I know I can already hear the scoffs through the screen and to be honest, I can scarcely believe it myself
01:47But I'm just gonna really quickly show you what it is he brings to this England side
01:50And hopefully his selection will make a little bit more sense
01:53So obviously it varies by opponent and situation
01:55But normally when England have the ball at the back and they're trying to make something happen
01:58They end up with this little four thing going on between Pickford, Stones, Maguire and one of the central midfielders, usually Declan Rice
02:05This gives you some nice passing angles that you can knock it about quite easily. The full-backs
02:08They'll quite happily come back to join in
02:10But what England want to do is keep the ball in this sort of area in their own third for long enough that it creates
02:15Space in the final third for a line-breaking pass. And what I mean by line-breaking is if you imagine this is their forward line
02:21That's pressing the defenders. This is their midfield line
02:23That's marking the midfielders. England want to be patient enough with the ball at the back that somebody can get a bit of space
02:29They can hit a line through both those lines
02:32They get turned and they're in. And they're actually pretty good at doing this
02:35Like you saw it all through the Italy game and all through the Ukraine game, either Stones or Maguire getting a ball into either Bellingham or
02:41Henderson when they're in a really good position and they've got a bit of space to play in. And fundamentally
02:45The reason Harry Maguire is in this England team is because these passes are really hard
02:49They require good vision, good intelligence and also excellent technical ability because it is kind of a risky move to do because if you've got
02:56Midfielders who are sort of pushing up field and pulling away from their markers and you misplace that pass all of a sudden you're in
03:03Real trouble there. And the reason Harry Maguire is an automatic pick for England is because he's really really good at those kind of passes
03:10Just a quick look at all of his passing numbers here
03:12Despite the fact he's been out of the Manchester United side, hasn't played that much football in the last 365 days
03:17Which is what this graph covers
03:19He's still almost in the top 5% of European football for the number of long passes
03:24The really interesting stat though is this
03:26Switches because as much as England like to play this pass between the lines or into the full-backs
03:30They also are not afraid to switch the ball to the opposite side of the pitch if that is where the space appears
03:35You saw Kane do this for his goal against Ukraine
03:37The England side had sort of moved over to the left-hand side which given, let me just demonstrate
03:41Saka loads of room on the right
03:43Kane received the ball around here put it all the way out to that side and then lo and behold Saka gets across it and
03:48Kane gets the goal. England are not afraid of the old school-ground switch it!
03:53Also his short passing numbers are really good like for all the problems people have with England's defense
03:57You very rarely see Maguire, Pickford or Stones ever give the ball away or concede a cheap throw in or lose possession
04:02When they're in that build-up stage. Also, he's not the best at this
04:06But he's still in like the top 20% in Europe for progressive carries
04:09Which means that when they're knocking it around and it's just not really happening
04:12He's the one who tends to get on the ball and just make that run
04:15Into the center of the pitch which sort of pulls the rest of the defense with him and all of a sudden a midfield has
04:19Got to decide if they're gonna engage him which of course creates a bit of extra space
04:22It's not it's not his main job, but he does do it and it is important
04:26So why does Gareth Southgate always pick Harry Maguire?
04:28Well, because England are a possession based team
04:31They're a passing based team and Harry Maguire is one of the best center backs in the world
04:36Sorry for progressing and passing the ball and he's just a pretty solid defender at the same time
04:41Like I know he's guilty of that rush of blood and England do concede goals that way but by and large
04:45England as a defensive unit are pretty solid. That's kind of an okay weakness to accept for everything
04:50He brings to the team
04:51I think and just as one final point players get selected for their national teams for any national team
04:57Based on their performances or the national team and then if you're a form or you're out of favor with your club side
05:02Yes, obviously the manager has to keep that in mind
05:03But bottom line if you play well for your country
05:06You should keep playing for your country and like it or not my friends Harry Maguire and pretty much any other player in this side
05:12You would care to pick on does usually play pretty well for England as a miss Jordan Pickford, of course
05:17It is in his natural position of his arms up going
05:20Me like how we in the land
05:23So why does Harry Maguire continue to get picked at left-sided center back for England?
05:27Well, because Harry Maguire continues to be the best option at left-sided center back or for England doesn't matter if you like it
05:34Doesn't matter if I like it. He just is but no you're right a good point
05:37He does have a head that looks like a massive paving slab
05:39So let me know in the comments below whether you would pick him for England and if you wouldn't who would you play instead?
05:43But in the meantime, though, thank you so much for joining us on 442. The subscribe button is right there
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05:54I of course been Adam Cleary at Adam Cleary CLE or why on all the socials and I will see you later
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