Maguire key to United’s defensive improvement
The away game at Everton on 1 March was almost a perfect example of how United have progressed during the last couple of months. The first half was a delightful blizzard of confident, creative attacking play – bar an uncharacteristic David De Gea mistake – which perfectly encapsulated how Bruno has liberated the midfield and forward line with his creativity and wit.
But in the second half, the Toffees came roaring back, most notably with an almost ridiculous number of set-pieces. Everton had 13 corners, and Maguire headed away the overwhelming majority, relieving pressure on the goalkeeper and fellow members of the backline.
Incredibly, the 26-year-old made 15 clearances in the contest – a brave and colossal effort in what, at times, was a siege-like scenario.
As each corner floated into the box, the sight of Maguire whipping bodies out of the way to get his famously prominent noggin on the ball had Reds dewy-eyed, as their thoughts drifted to legendary, fearless foreheads of the past such as those owned by Nemanja Vidic and Steve Bruce.
