if Davies had played instead of either Maguire or Bruce in exactly the same formation, I think the results might well have been similar. But we will never know for sure.
Brucey could have dropped any of the players after the Derby debacle; that said Curtis has played relatively well over recent matches, and to drop him for what was basically one mistake I also believe was wrong. Other players have made huge errors this season , yet retained their places? If you want to dent a players confidence further after a single mistake, drop him! Curtis seems to have been made the 'Derby scapegoat'.