Manchester United has been home to some of the finest central defenders in the Premier League era, from Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand to Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister.
And, if Leny Yoro continues to develop at such a rapid pace, perhaps the Red Devils already have English football’s next superstar centre-back at their disposal.
The aforementioned Ferdinand certainly thinks so. French duo Yoro and William Saliba are the rising defensive talents of world football, he says.
So impressive in recent months, the sight of Yoro limping off against West Ham had supporters wincing in their thousands. Manchester United have been here before, of course. Losing a talismanic defender on the brink of a Europa League final.
Four years ago, it was Harry Maguire who suffered the dual heartbreak of watching on from the stands as Villarreal fired all eleven of their penalties past a helpless David de Gea.
Flash forward to May 2025, one week out from Man United’s Europa League decider against Tottenham Hotspur, while Ruben Amorim hopes Yoro’s injury is only a ‘small thing’, another race against time is the last thing the beleaguered Red Devils need.
Former assistant coach Rene Meulensteen cannot help but look wistfully back at the days of Vidic, Ferdinand, Bruce and Pallister. While Harry Maguire’s revival is an example to all facing adversity, Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by West Ham saw those old frailties come to the fore.
Rene Meulensteen explains his Harry Maguire doubts at Manchester United
As Manuel Ugarte coughed up possession inside his own half, Maguire found himself square on against Mohammed Kudus. West Ham’s quicksilver Ghanaian breezed past him like an antelope dodging a charging wildebeest before Jarrod Bowen turned in Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross at the back post.
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For Meulensteen, while the story of Maguire’s bouncebackability makes for pretty inspiring reading, the long-serving former captain is still far from the elite centre-halves of yesteryear.
‘With Harry Maguire, I am not a big fan of him,” Meulensteen, who assisted Sir Alex Ferguson from 2007 and 2013, says in quotes reported by the Daily Mail. “[His weaknesses have not] changed and I highlight the goal conceded over the weekend, how easy Kudus walks past him.
“I think he lacks certain aspects of the game with speed and agility to be a really good central defender. On the ball he is okay – tidy but a little slow at times – but if they keep going with him, you will get the same results you’ve seen this year.
“If you did a survey with Man United fans to write down the top five central defenders, you have Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce, Rio Ferdinand, Vidic, Jaap Stam… Maguire wouldn’t even get a mention.
“That’s what I mean when I talk about the standards Man United has had and where they are now.”
Meulensteen wants Casemiro and Eriksen to headline Old Trafford clearout
It speaks volumes about the various weaknesses in a historically poor squad that Maguire is maybe one of the very few the fans would choose to keep.
Meulensteen feels that Casemiro – despite the Brazilian’s exhilarating contributions in Europe – has run his course at Premier League level, with Christian Eriksen, Luke Shaw and Matthijs de Ligt also among those he feels are not at the required level.
“In midfield, I can’t see Casemiro and Christian Eriksen being there. If they are, they are definitely going in the wrong direction,” argues Meulensteen, who worked most recently with the Australian national team.
“In the back line, starting with the goalkeeper, [United are] lacking stability and can’t keep clean sheets. Every team that plays United, they know they definitely have chances to score goals. They can open them up.
“If you see older combinations at the back, there’s so much vulnerability and lack of stability. Whether it’s Maguire, Shaw, De Ligt, there are too many players for too long that don’t have the calibre to play for United.
“Should Man United build their team around Harry Maguire and Casemiro? I would say absolutely not. I think on their best days, they both bring something to the game. But in my opinion, neither are good enough to play for Manchester United now.
“The Premier League has run away from Casemiro, Yes, he can still find a pass and every ball tends to land on his head when he’s in the box.
“But equally, I can be really critical and say the amount of missed passes, the amount of times he is reckless in tackles and the amount of players running off him…”