‘Never a Man Utd Player’: Obi Mikel urges Carrick to drop star who never suits the club
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has urged Michael Carrick to drop England international Harry Maguire after Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to newly promoted Hull City.
Manchester United’s disappointing opening-day defeat has placed Harry Maguire under renewed scrutiny, with former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel calling on Michael Carrick to remove the experienced defender from his starting XI.
Maguire featured alongside Ayden Heaven as United lost 2-0 to newly promoted Hull City, with both goals coming from set pieces.
Mikel believes the performance highlighted problems that Carrick must address quickly, particularly with Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro providing alternative options at centre-back.
The former Nigeria international was particularly critical of Maguire’s suitability to United’s style, telling The Obi One Podcast: “When your top centre-back is Harry Maguire, you have a problem.”
‘Never a Manchester United player’
Mikel did not stop there, delivering a much stronger verdict on Maguire’s long-term position at Old Trafford. “Harry Maguire was never a Manchester United player, never suited the system or the football club,” he said.
The former Premier League midfielder questioned how the defender had remained at United for so many seasons and argued that his role should now be reduced to that of an experienced squad member rather than an automatic starter.
“Is he good to be a squad player because of his experience? Yes. But not to start games, not to be your number one centre-back,” Mikel added.
Carrick refuses to panic
Harry Maguire’s latest criticism comes despite an improved spell under Carrick last season, when his performances helped him regain importance at United and push for international recognition.
Carrick, meanwhile, has refused to allow one disappointing result to dictate his wider plans. After the Hull defeat, the United boss said: “Two goals conceded any way is frustrating,” while stressing that the team had previously defended set pieces well.
He added that “one game doesn’t change the direction of everything”, although he acknowledged that improvements were required.
Ipswich test arrives quickly
Michael Carrick now has an immediate chance to respond when Ipswich Town visit Old Trafford. With Martinez and De Ligt working towards full fitness, competition for the centre-back positions is expected to intensify.
The fixture could therefore provide an early indication of whether Carrick remains committed to Maguire or is prepared to make the defensive changes Mikel has demanded.
For United, the priority is clear: recover from the Hull setback and avoid allowing one poor performance to become the defining story of the opening weeks.
