But pace is not the only attribute one should have to be considered great ? Smalling and Jones have all the pace but have they actually developed into world-class defenders? Never mind world class, actual Man Utd defenders? Im not saying that Maguire is the best defender out there and me personally i would have rather seen Koulibaly in the red shirt, but you dont always get what you want.
Harry Maguire | Signed
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Haz MaG
Finally we're going to have a decent quality centre back at the club.
I think there is an irrational obsession about his pace. It’s fair to be critical of his positioning but pace isn’t a necessary requirement for a CB. Even in PL the only top class CB with pace is Van Djik. Yet we have one of the fastest defenders, Smalling, and no one here seems to rate him even though he is virtually impossible to beat in a foot race. In recent times our best CB was probably Blind and he is one of the slowest players I’ve seen. Vertonghen is quite slow and yet he has been one the best defenders in the league for many years.
At the very least, we need a presence in our box to defend set pieces and against teams that try to play long balls, we should finally look a lot more secure with Maguire. He’s of course obscenely priced but let’s try to improve our team even if it’s marginal.
At the very least, we need a presence in our box to defend set pieces and against teams that try to play long balls, we should finally look a lot more secure with Maguire. He’s of course obscenely priced but let’s try to improve our team even if it’s marginal.
Ever thought that it might be better to buy a player that doesn't rely on pace as he would have more longevity as he has already learned how to be a very good player by reading the game?
I'm going to be optimistic and back this fully. We need a centre half, and a leader and if he excels here we will not give two shits about the fee.
Let's hope he becomes a monster here l, him and bissaka can transform the defence that looked hopeless last season
Let's hope he becomes a monster here l, him and bissaka can transform the defence that looked hopeless last season
He is 26, why will he get slower?
Smalling has been left for dead many times, which is why he has had to resort to his trademark grabbing/shirtpulling. We saw glimpses of that on Saturday. But at least it's generally agreed that Maguire (along with Wan-Bissaka) will hopefully resolve most of our defensive frailties going forward. Only time will tell whether they turn out to be sound investments or not.
When I was younger than 23 I used to believe everything over 25 meant decline and old. The poster might be young.
Do you think you will up you highest bid so far (60m + 20m in addons, as reported), or just try and wait Leicester out, expecting Harry to agitate for the move as the window closure gets closer?
Never heard of the saying 26 is the new 40?
For some reason I hear Celine Dion singing "All by myself" while reading this. I don't even like her.
"Those days are gone..."
Agree, but even if they signed him he'd be a replacement for Otamendi who wants more starts and competition for Stones. I dont think he'd improve them much if at all defensively but might be better on the ball than Stones/Otamendi and their 2nd best in that regard after Laporte. Even in a team that has so much of the ball I think Maguire would improve them only a small amount like he would with us
Maguire might be a good second CB next to VVD for example. But if you put tried tested and failed centre backs like our lot next to him he we wont look good.
I just cant fathom why we have 4 senior CB on our books and to be honest none if them are top 6 club rated.
I just cant fathom why we have 4 senior CB on our books and to be honest none if them are top 6 club rated.
if he gets slower then he is at the moment then he'll become a statue.
Yeah, he will replace training dummies or goal posts.
I am not worried about him getting slower tbh. That's because the only way that player can do well is for that club to compliment that player with players whose strengths counter those weaknesses. Players (and the clubs they play with) tend to struggle to adapt when the player has lost a key attribute of his game rather then when that player has never had that attribute in the first place. For example Rio couldn't adapt to the fact that one of his strengths (ie pace) had suddenly became his weakness. We had the best defender of his era (forget Cannavaro, Terry, Vidic or Nesta, Rio was the man) who simply couldn't adapt losing that yard of pace. On the other hand Teddy Sheringham didn't had these issues as pace was always an issue for him.
Agreed, if he makes us better then who cares about the fee?
Yeah, agree with this. Also I don't know why anyone is worried about physical decline of a player when he is just 26 and barely had any injuries.
Just reading an article from 2 years ago. Harry was in the top 20 slowest players in the premier league then. Presumably he's got no quicker.
Because he is gonna turn 30 in just 4 years?
That's also true especially for someone like Maguire who rely so much on his physical attributes rather then his pace. The former are the last things to go. If we bring the right players to partner the guy and assuming that he doesn't pick some nasty injury then I can see the guy still be around at age 34-35
Not everyone can be like Lingard whose been 16 years old for the past 10 years.Because he is gonna turn 30 in just 4 years?
Yep and if we end up paying whatever add ons there are then I assume it will be because of a positive impact
Wasn't it Maldini who said 'as soon as I have to make a tackle, I've made a mistake'
Don't get me wrong, I love fast players, but we desperately need a leader at the back, that commands the box, can break away with ball, aerially strong.
Its funny as I've always felt that centre back is about the partnership and never the individual. Always feel that if Smalling has a top quality partner his own game would elevate, it can't have been easy swapping round partners with lindelof Jones Rojo blind bailly and more for years.
Smalling and Maguire or Lindelof and Maguire could be great for us
Don't get me wrong, I love fast players, but we desperately need a leader at the back, that commands the box, can break away with ball, aerially strong.
Its funny as I've always felt that centre back is about the partnership and never the individual. Always feel that if Smalling has a top quality partner his own game would elevate, it can't have been easy swapping round partners with lindelof Jones Rojo blind bailly and more for years.
Smalling and Maguire or Lindelof and Maguire could be great for us
Did we offer them £75 plus Jones?
Vertonghan also appears in the most recent list.
Smalling is so much better alongside a ball playing centre back that takes charge and leaves Smalling to just defends as we saw with Blind and he’s one of the quickest centre backs in the league, I think he’ll be good alongside a leader like Maguire.
Also Tuanzebe is very quick as well as being very good on the ball himself so I think a core of Maguire, Smalling, Tuanzebe and Lindelof is the best group we’ll have had since Rio, Vidic, Evans and Smalling. Jones will be kept regardless as we’ve just signed him for another how ever many years so he can be fifth choice which allows us to move Bailly, Rojo and Darmian on and hopefully bring in around £30-£40 million.
Also Tuanzebe is very quick as well as being very good on the ball himself so I think a core of Maguire, Smalling, Tuanzebe and Lindelof is the best group we’ll have had since Rio, Vidic, Evans and Smalling. Jones will be kept regardless as we’ve just signed him for another how ever many years so he can be fifth choice which allows us to move Bailly, Rojo and Darmian on and hopefully bring in around £30-£40 million.
Anyone expecting Lindelof/Tuanzebe to partner him is going to be bitterly disappointed. It will 100% be Smalling.
Yeah but they were determined that they want 70
That video just shows him being really slow.
To think people were laughing when Van Dijk went for £75 million.
It matters because we only have a certain amount of money to spend and it could be much better spent elsewhere.
Can’t believe Jones is actually not far off his testimonial here, yet has averaged less than 20 appearances per season. Utter waste of space and the club are a fecking joke indulging in him.
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Sane is among the fastest players in Europe and Maguire does well against him whilst the German is in full flow. I guess you were against the signing of De Ligt who is also slow?
But again most of them would get a comparable salary elsewhere. Who wouldn't? Two or three maybe but then you're looking at the likes of Rashford who is on that money precisely to stop him going anywhere.
Can we change the title of the thread to something that is at least true ?
Yep, a lot of fans can't seem to grasp how values work.
Don't think so, They're both the same sort of player. Maguire is aggressive and likes to attack the loose ball, so does Smalling.
They need a covering foil who can mop up after them, I think Lindelof is better in that regard.
Against teams like who like long ball then they'll be a great pair, but the more continental teams or people who sit deep then Lindelof/Tuanzebe will be preferred purely for their better football ability.
Signing Maguire will allow us to play Lindelof as a CB to the right which will let him use his ball playing skills even more. It will improve his performance and is a super uppgrade on our current alternatives.
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