Why are we signing two centre backs?

Surely at 21 Mcguire is earmarked as back up. We've lost Faye, Mcshane is very much a back-up of back-up's so it's only 1 extra player and we do occasionally play with 3 centre backs. If these 2 come off, which i dont think they will, if we play 3 it would surely be Davies, Chester and Lescott with Mcguire as first choice reserve with lots of actual playing time coming his way.

I just cant see why we would cash in on Davies when he has 2 years left and is 29. I also really dont see him as the type to stamp his feet and demand a move, he knows what we've done for him and vice versa.

 

Seems odd. With Davies, Chester and Lescott you'd have to assume Maguire would be 4th choice. But we're nowhere near big enough to be signing a 4th CB for that price.

Bruce going makes sense but I just can't see how we're going to juggle all these good centre backs.

 

"Although the raw Maguire would not be immediately considered as a first choice central defender for the Tigers, manager Steve Bruce sees long-term potential in the rookie having scouted him regularly last season."

Exactly what I'd have thought.

Assuming we get to the Europa groups (it'd be a catastrophe if we didn't) we'll need 3 first choice centre halves to rotate around the mass of games. If Bruce is planning on using a 3-5-2 regularly again, then we need at least 4 who have something a bit special about them.

We need improvement at the back, which is Lescott, but Maguire is very much one for the future so it's looking ahead too. I'd be very happy if we got him and another centre half with the quality and experience of Lescott/Dawson etc.

 

I'd guess that this bit:

"Although the raw Maguire would not be immediately considered as a first choice central defender for the Tigers, manager Steve Bruce sees long-term potential in the rookie having scouted him regularly last season."

could suggest he may go out on loan for a season, obviously all dependent on whether the story has legs.

 

Maguire is ****e.

 

Looks like we're building a squad finally, not just relying on 11 main players.

Competition is good for places, subs don't have to be a second choice all time.

We should be trying to be competitive in the league, in cups and in Europe, squad rotation would be required.

Investing in younger players is also good.

 

I agree with you.

 

I'd be happy with this, Bruce and McShane are not good enough to play in the premier league and as we play 3 at the back it makes perfect sense to have a good backup as the 4th CB

 

He looked a good player, but his lack of pace does worry me.

 

Yep seen them.

 

Bollocks

 

McShane is more than adequate cover but we should be looking at higher quality 1st choice, which we are doing. Lovely, smashing, super.

 

It might be that Bruce senior sees Chester as a bit injury prone & needs the extra cover. Bruce junior had a stormer at Wembley & is worth keeping IMO
Signing another wing back would probably mean a 3-5-2 formation for most games so we need cover at centre back

 

I disagree, they are good enough theyre just not consistant enough. On their day they're both brilliant, it's just that they have at least as many off days as on days.

And Im probably being generous with that.

 

A few Blunts at work reckon he's not got bags of pace but he makes up for it with his skill with the ball, plus he's a big unit. We'll probably buy him and loan him back for the season to reduce the final price.

 

Considering Bruce is a former CB I trust his judgement completely on who is capable at this level and who isn't.

With regards to Maguire as a 4th choice all it takes is an injury to Chester and we would be asking why we didn't sign him.

 

Didnt we have much this same discussion this time last year with half the board - nay three quarters - wetting themselves about the inferioir Davies replacing the Godly Hobbs?

He knows what he's doing.