Maguire Backs Amorim and Highlights Manchester United Progress Under Carrick

• Harry Maguire credits Ruben Amorim despite his difficult spell at Manchester United
• Defender highlights improved form and tactical shift under Michael Carrick
• Kobbie Mainoo praised as United’s resurgence continues

There is a tendency at Manchester United for narratives to swing quickly, and Harry Maguire has seen enough of them to know that reality is often more nuanced.

Speaking ahead of England’s upcoming fixtures, the defender offered a measured view on former manager Ruben Amorim, whose short spell at Old Trafford ended in January. Results did not follow, but Maguire was clear that the situation was not as simple as it appeared from the outside.

“I don’t really have much bad to say about Ruben,” he said. “He’s got great ideas. It just didn’t work here.”

It was a comment that reflected the dressing room more than the headlines. Players, Maguire admitted, share responsibility when things unravel. Amorim, in his view, still leaves behind elements that have helped shape what has followed.

Since his departure, a shift has taken place under Michael Carrick. The move back to a back four has brought a degree of stability, and for Maguire personally, a return to a more front-foot role. Results have improved, and so has confidence.

There has also been a renewed focus on players who had drifted to the margins. Kobbie Mainoo is the most obvious example. Not long ago, there were questions about his immediate future. Now, he is back in the England setup and being spoken about as a player of genuine promise.

“Mentality-wise, he’s been magnificent,” Maguire said. “There’s still more to come.”

Maguire himself is part of that wider reset. Ever-present since January, he has played his way back into England national team contention under Thomas Tuchel, ending an 18-month absence that, by his own admission, was difficult to accept.

There are also ongoing discussions about his contract, though the tone remains pragmatic rather than sentimental.

“I love this club,” he said. “But it has to be right for both sides.”

That, perhaps, sums up the current mood at United. Less noise, more clarity. Still a long way to go, but for now, moving in a direction that feels more settled than it did a few months ago.