Tyrone Mings hits out and responds to Harry Maguire's Manchester United critics

Tyrone Mings doesn't think Harry Maguire should be considered the 'weak link' at Manchester United.

United have endured a miserable season and they've been reduced to fighting for Champions League football. United were eliminated from all cup competitions as early as March and the club has now equalled its worst period without silverware in 40 years.

Maguire is captain of United and he's had to shoulder a large portion of the blame this term. His credentials to lead the club have been intensely scrutinised and it's been a difficult season for him personally. Maguire has struggled for form all term, prompting some United supporters wondering whether it would be best for him to leave the club this summer.

ALSO READ: Manchester United player ratings of the season so far - David de Gea good but Harry Maguire poor.

However, Maguire's England teammate and Aston Villa centre-back Mings has claimed the criticism isn't justified.

“I think he [Maguire] comes under a lot of scrutiny, a lot of it misplaced at times because people are going on like the team is actually fully functioning and Harry is the weak link which I don’t think is fair whatsoever,” Mings said.

“I think as a centre-back your mistakes are always highlighted – that’s just the territory of the position you play in so that is what we accept. He is the same and I think that’s credit to the character he is.

"Whatever is happening at club level, the manager and the players here [with England] make it really easy to leave it at the door and come into a whole new environment, with different faces, voices and stimulus.

“I think that’s probably why you see players playing differently for the national team than they do at club level because it is a whole different world