Why Maguire is already a great influence
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has emphasised the importance of having a level-headed figure like Harry Maguire in his Manchester United squad.
The defender only completed his move from Leicester City at the start of last week and was a composed presence at the back alongside Victor Lindelof when making his debut a few days later, in last Sunday’s 4-0 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Ahead of Monday’s trip to Wolves, the boss spoke glowingly of his recent recruit and described the significance of having a character like his within the group.
"He's experienced, he's a big presence around the place, he's smiling and he's a personality that you like to have around. To have a cool head at the back is important."
“He’s very level-headed,” Ole told reporters in Friday’s press conference at the Aon Training Complex. “He's just as composed off the pitch as he is on the pitch.
“He's experienced, he's a big presence around the place, he's smiling and he's a personality that you like to have around.
"To have a cool head at the back is important. The defenders who are level headed and not too emotionally affected are great to have, for a manager and for a team.
“Harry's only been here for a little bit more than a week and he's been very good to have around [the club].”
'WE WILL PLAY BETTER WITH A GOOD FOUNDATION'
Maguire’s arrival, added to the signing of Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace, has obviously bolstered Ole's defensive options and the boss feels his midfielders and forwards could also benefit if he's able to select a solid back four.
When asked if Fred could be among the beneficiaries, Solskjaer replied: “Your team will always play better if you're settled, have a good foundation and you’re not conceding goals.
“I think the good teams I played in always had a strong base with the keeper and a settled back line. We hope to provide that for our attackers and midfielders, including Fred, of course.”
Fred missed part of our pre-season campaign after he was granted time off by Ole to get married, but the Brazilian midfielder is back in the fold now and could feature against Wolves - the opponents on the receiving end of his first United goal.
"We believe that he's going to have a big season," the boss added.
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