Season Review - Centre Backs

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Maguire 7/10 - another good season but the defence has been poor this season so not prepared to go higher than 7 for him. For me he’s our best CB option by a mile but the standard is not that high. Had a few dodgy games but think we saw his value when he wasn’t there at the end of the season. Needs to improve in the opponents box he should be scoring more goals.

Lindelof 5/10 - just not convinced by him at all think he was poor this season even by my low expectation of him. Had some good games but the moment the opponents target him in the air or get physical he can’t handle it.

Bailly 6/10 - less injuries this season had some good games but you just can’t rely on him handy squad player nut not good enough to start every week.

Tuanzebe - 3/10 bit like Williams just hasn’t played enough injuries are an issue for him and often looks very nervy in games when he has played. Could be sold this summer to fund new signings but think he needs to be out on loan next season to try and get 30-40 first team games under his belt.

Jones - didn’t play at all his absence seems to be being kept quiet should move on this summer hopefully get a second wind in his career like Evans and to an extent Smalling have had after moving on. Can’t really give him a rating.
 
Maguire 8/10
Lindelof 7/10
Bailly 4/10
Tuanzebe 5/10

In my view a 9 is a grade like an A, 8 is a B, and so on. Lindelof was a C, or average. Bailly and Tuanzebe both fail.
 
Think in an out of 10 system you have to say C is a 5 as that is supposed to be the average/middle grade.
 
I know lots of people are not huge fans of Victor Lindelof but, for me, he readers the game better than others in the back four and has improved hugely this season (some people just seem to pick up on any little error - am not even sure he was the main culprit for the Villareal goal).

If there is a problem, it's that as a pairing he and Maguire's failings (he isn't exactly the fastest in the world!) are not always covered by their partner's strengths ie if Maguire was as fast as, for instance, Pallister was, far fewer mistakes would lead to a goal.

I'm sure we will buy a CB this summer, but I actually think there are far more pressing areas in which we need to strengthen
 
Maguire - 7.5
Bailly - 5
Lindelof - 6
Tuanzabe - 4.5

The biggest problem we have is that neither Bailly or Lindelof partner well with Maguire.

I'd move Bailly on and bring in a CB who will work well with Maguire and be an obvious starter. Lindelof and Tuanzabe will then need to fight hard for game time.
 
I think there’s issues all over but it’s clear the centre back partnership needs to be better as does the central midfield partnership.

Of the current crop no partnership really looks convincing so I think a new player needs to come in and one of the current players probably has to move on as a result.

Just hard to see how any move on other than Tuenzebe because of the wages and fee the club would demand.

Tuanzebe for me is prime for a sale and buyback type deal get him out playing regular football for a year or two then pay a premium to bring him back if he kicks on.
 
Maguire: 7/10. That's probably increased because of how awful we looked at the back once he got injured. He's our best CB by some margin, but isn't that commanding presence we need. He reminds me of a young Rio in that he can look composed and then drop a clanger, which at 28 he shouldn't be doing. He needs a proper partner back there, but also has to clean up the individual mistakes, and learn to head the damn ball when attacking corners.

Lindelof: 2/10. Weak, gets caught under the ball far too frequently, useless in the air. Can join Martial on the first bus out of OT.

Bailly: 2/10. What happens if Calamity James came back and played in central defence. Good bye.

Tuanzebe: 5/10. Was brilliant against PSG and then sat for a long time. Came back and looked unsure of himself. I'd send him out on loan to somewhere physical and let him get matches under his belt. I think he has a much higher ceiling than Lindelof or Bailly.
 

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