Ex-Chelsea star aims dig at Man Utd boss Ten Hag over decision to strip Maguire of the captaincy

Erik ten Hag should have been kept Harry Maguire on as “club captain” at Manchester United, according to former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel.

The Dutchman decided to start the season with a new club captain, stripping Maguire of the armband and giving it to Portugal international Bruno Fernandes.

With Maguire falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford it was generally accepted as the right decision, although some disagreed on who should be the new skipper at Man Utd.

Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane are Ten Hag’s preferred partnership at centre-back, while Victor Lindelof is now also getting more game time at Man Utd than Maguire this season.

Performances haven’t improved under Fernandes’ guidance and former Premier League midfielder Mikel reckons that Man Utd boss Ten Hag should’ve kept Maguire as club captain this season.

“You don’t change a club captain, you can change the pitch, you don’t change a club captain if he’s still there. If he’s not playing he’s not the captain, if he’s on the pitch he’s the captain,” Mikel said on The Obi One podcast.

READ MORE: How do you solve a problem like Onana? You don’t drop him…

“A club captain should always remain a club captain. I’m not saying he should play, I’m saying he should remain a club captain. Once he departs the club then you can appoint another club captain.”

Scott McTominay scored a brace in stoppage time over the weekend to give Man Utd a 2-1 win over Brentford and Maguire has attempted to rally his team-mates by saying that they “must kick on”.

Maguire told Sky Sports: “That was a really important win. Obviously it has been a difficult time for us at the start of this season. We’ve not had the results that we, as a club, demand. Like I said, I think the season must start now.

“This must be a turning point for us all, as individuals and as a club. We must kick on from this.”

On his lack of action, Maguire added: “I’m always ready when I’m playing. I work hard in training and keep fit every day, and I’m happy that I contributed to a win.

Casemiro is one player who has come in for criticism this season and former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino fears the Brazil international is now in decline.

Cascarino told The Times: “It sounds crazy to say about someone with a contract to 2026, but this feels like the start of the end for Casemiro as a first-choice player.

“It reminds me of the situation with Bastian Schweinsteiger.”