Harry

[SwitchBLADE Smiles]

He's a certainty to be named in the FIFA world XI (by better judges than you) at the end of the competition. Maybe that will change your mind a little bit.

My word there are a lot of people getting their knickers in a twist about my interpretation of world class... The point I made is that Maguire cannot be classed as world class YET. You even state yourself "he's certainly to be named in the world 11 at the end of the competition" (which isn't now by the way). So again, not world class... YET.

He is an excellent defender, and someone who I believe will go in to win many trophies at a club much larger than Leicester city (and possibly England too?) and is someone I'm extremely proud has come from my club.

 

[LJBlade]

5Live talking this morning that Maguire has what it takes to be England captain, if it wasn't for Kane.

I think Harry Maguire could well be the captain even if Kane is around.

As good as he is he's never come across as a Captain, in my opinion.

 

[SwissBlade]

As good as he is he's never come across as a Captain, in my opinion.

Yesterday he showed the qualities.

 

[Esablade]

One of the best players for England. so far, along with Trippier and Kane.
Would love him to grab a goal and a clean sheet against Sweden.

He was quality for us and has improved tremendously since leaving...the world is indeed at his feet. ( and head )

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

Just think where we would be if we kept all of our young prospects instead of making a fast buck.

We'd still be 20 points behind the perennial Champions League winners that would be Southampton!!

 

[nopigfansintown]

Pundits round up: “Harry Maguire was sensational defensively and with the ball,” said former England manager Glenn Hoddle.
Gary Neville added: “He deserved a special mention. Sometimes you think about a performance where someone goes from being ‘Are you sure about him? Is he going to be good enough?’ to being a centre-back with a performance like that.
“It was absolutely brilliant, the courage and stepping in to midfield was absolutely fantastic.”
Ian Wright said: “I remember watching him when he played for Sheffield United and he would get the ball and go through the whole team.“Sheffield United fans were cheering and they would big him up, the way he passed the ball and ran with the ball.
“He does it at this level, tried the runs out the back, runs through midfield and take chances with his passes. We need that.”
Alan Shearer selected Maguire as his star man on the BBC’s highlights show: “I was impressed with Maguire tonight,” Shearer said. “(Colombia) didn’t offer a lot going forward, but he did very well in bringing the ball out and sliding those passes through.”
https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/...s/harry-maguire-receives-rave-reviews-1745378

 

[Smirth]

In the last couple of weeks he has moved to a whole new level.

He’s already outgrown Leicester City and needs to move on this summer. Man City would be a really good fit for him and them, he’s already building up a good understanding with Stones.

 

[Blade for Sale]

In the last couple of weeks he has moved to a whole new level.

He’s already outgrown Leicester City and needs to move on this summer. Man City would be a really good fit for him and them, he’s already building up a good understanding with Stones.

It'd be good to see him in Italy. At a low ebb they maybe but as defenders they are true artists. He'd come back from there one hell of a player.

 

[Sheffsteel]

They all irk with me pal, we should lock them down and refuse to sell.

If only it was so easy

Back in the real world football clubs must be run as a business otherwise they risk ending up going into admin.

Maguire outgrew league 1 and needed a higher level to continue his developement. Also he wanted money in line with what he was offered at Hull. In League 1 we couldn’t afford paying £15K to a defender.

The reality is if we’d have kept him we’d still be in league 1 due to having no finances to improve the squad and Maguire wouldn’t be half the player he is now.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Better we keep them all and build a team around them ... I'm sure that was the intention when they started the academy.

The intention of the Academy is develope players able to play in the 1st team and gain benefit from either them playing in the side or accepting a bid that helps improve the team overall.

There’s a pecking order which applies to all clubs except Real
Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Man City. Once a player stands out as being a star asset, it means they are sold.

You could 99% of clubs are selling clubs, but they’d say it’s calling wheeling and dealing. Monaco and Porto are always selling their best players but it never seems to do them any harm.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Perhaps more importantly than what anyone on here thinks, it would appear that Southgate rates him highly and as a centre back himself, will know what he brings to the team. I'd be interested in what sitwell thought of his performance, as another defender.

I think Southgate realises we have 2 centre backs in Stones and Maguire that are incredibly comfortable on the ball, Walker good on the ball too.

So he’s realised that in international football where possession is so important he can use his 3 central defenders to take the sting out of the opposition and when needed we just keep possession and control the tempo of the game.

England have never used this tactic before because previously our defenders have just been defenders not ball players. It’s the reason why it took Columbia 70 minutes before they got into the game.

 

[PokerBlade]

When we had him I was sure he'd play the top of the Championship. I thought he might make it in the Premiership. I honestly didn't expect that he'd not only play for England, but be a stand out player for them at a time where they're actually doing well. Part of that is because I never expected England to be doing well but never mind.

I still find it funny that for how classy he is with the ball he manages to look lumbering and ungraceful.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Got to love old Ian Wright as well talking about the Blades and Harry too .

I didn't hear what Ian Wright said about us. What was it he said?

 

[BushBlade]

I didn't hear what Ian Wright said about us. What was it he said?

#66

 

[Brian Blessed]

MaGuire not Kane (although he was pretty good). For me our Harry was head and shoulders the best player on the park, what a fantastic footballing CB. We saw his potential at the Lane but how he's developed is incredible. Possibly the best England CB since Moore.

He's had an excellent tournament, but it has to be said that it's been against mediocre opposition so far.

Best England CB since Moore though? Go home Batman, you're drunk!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

He's had an excellent tournament, but it has to be said that it's been against mediocre opposition so far.

Best England CB since Moore though? Go home Batman, you're drunk!

Name a better one

 

[Lowen]

I think a Maguire dribble could be key to unlock a rigid Sweden side.

 

[Brian Blessed]

Name a better one

Off the top of my head, Terry Butcher, Tony Adams, John Terry, Des Walker, Phil Thompson, Mark Lawrenson (before anybody says Irish international yes he was English) Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell , Emlyn Hughes, Norman Hunter, Steve Bruce

Come on mate, we all love Harry but there's no way he's anywhere near the quality of the above.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Off the top of my head, Terry Butcher, Tony Adams, John Terry, Des Walker, Phil Thompson, Mark Lawrenson (before anybody says Irish international yes he was English) Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell , Emlyn Hughes, Norman Hunter, Steve Bruce

Come on mate, we all love Harry but there's no way he's anywhere near the quality of the above.

Maguire is a far better 'footballer' than Steve Bruce.

 

[unitedbhoy]

This world cup is for Maguire what 2002 was for Rio Ferdinand
- Starred on the world stage and got his £30m move to Man Utd.


Our Harry will be at Man City or Man Utd within the next 12 months no doubt.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Off the top of my head, Terry Butcher, Tony Adams, John Terry, Des Walker, Phil Thompson, Mark Lawrenson (before anybody says Irish international yes he was English) Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell , Emlyn Hughes, Norman Hunter, Steve Bruce

Come on mate, we all love Harry but there's no way he's anywhere near the quality of the above.

In the air some of them match up, passing wise 1 or 2 on that list, ability to dribble out of defence at speed and carry the ball 60 yards none of them. That for me puts Harry above all of them.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Off the top of my head, Terry Butcher, Tony Adams, John Terry, Des Walker, Phil Thompson, Mark Lawrenson (before anybody says Irish international yes he was English) Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell , Emlyn Hughes, Norman Hunter, Steve Bruce

Come on mate, we all love Harry but there's no way he's anywhere near the quality of the above.

Kind of agree.

None of the 3 England centre backs, Walker, Stones and Maguire are particularly great at defending.
In fact pre WC tournement almost everyone had concerns defensively about all 3.

But the reason they’ve been so impressive is because they play as a unit keeping possession and playing the ball out of defence
Instead of lumping it upfield like other England defenders.

This style of play is massively important in international football.
Last night Columbia did absolutely nothing for the first 70 minutes.

The reason was because whenever Columbia looked like threatening our defenders just knocked it around keeping possession
And taking the wind out of the Columbian sails.

Regards actual defending we’ve had far far better then Maguire
But for comfort on the ball and passing I think Maguire and Stones are up there with the very best compared to other defenders.

For the style Southgate is wanting England to play I’d much rather have Maguire, Stones and Walker than any on that list but we’ll see over the years but it does looks promising and great to see us calmly play the ball out of defence.

 

[Sheffsteel]

In the air some of them match up, passing wise 1 or 2 on that list, ability to dribble out of defence at speed and carry the ball 60 yards none of them. That for me puts Harry above all of them.

Agree, the ability for any central defender to run with the ball into midfield and play a killer pass is very very rare.
Maguire is encouraged to go forward because he has 2 other centre backs covering him if he loses possession.
Also although Walker isn’t the greatest, he’s perfect in the England because his pace can help out the other centre backs.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Agree, the ability for any central defender to run with the ball into midfield and play a killer pass is very very rare.
Maguire is encouraged to go forward because he has 2 other centre backs covering him if he loses possession.
Also although Walker isn’t the greatest, he’s perfect in the England because his pace can help out the other centre backs.

He's more than capable of doing it in a back four, as we have seen at Bramall Lane.A point that hasn't yet been made about Maguire, is that he's playing out of position on the left of the three.His best positions are at the centre of a back three, or the right sided centre back in a back four.His one weakness is direct pace running at him, which is exposed easiest in wide areas.You'd think Stones would be the obvious candidate for one of the wide positions, given his athleticism..

 

[nopigfansintown]

Off the top of my head, Terry Butcher, Tony Adams, John Terry, Des Walker, Phil Thompson, Mark Lawrenson (before anybody says Irish international yes he was English) Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell , Emlyn Hughes, Norman Hunter, Steve Bruce

Come on mate, we all love Harry but there's no way he's anywhere near the quality of the above.

Out of that lot I'd give you Lawrensen and Terry, but purely from the defensive aspect.In current world football there are no Lawrensens and Terrys which says it all.You also have to factor in that Maguire is playing consistently out of position which, if memory serves, none of those did.
Maguire has also only played one full season at the highest level, so there is a lot of growth yet.If I was Liverpool I'd be giving Leicester whatever they wanted for Maguire. They'd then have the best centre back partnership in Europe.If I was Barcelona, looking to replace an ageing Pique; I'd do likewise.

 

[Sheff de party]

MaGuire not Kane (although he was pretty good). For me our Harry was head and shoulders the best player on the park, what a fantastic footballing CB. We saw his potential at the Lane but how he's developed is incredible. Possibly the best England CB since Moore.

He’s probably my favourite player ever to play for the Blades after Alan Kelly, but he’s neither world class nor England’s best player on the night.

I love him and I’m excited too, but a bit of perspective!

 

[super_pig]

He's more than capable of doing it in a back four, as we have seen at Bramall Lane.A point that hasn't yet been made about Maguire, is that he's playing out of position on the left of the three.His best positions are at the centre of a back three, or the right sided centre back in a back four.His one weakness is direct pace running at him, which is exposed easiest in wide areas.You'd think Stones would be the obvious candidate for one of the wide positions, given his athleticism..

all defenders are suspect against real pace. in fact i have heard it argued that if you have to resort to pace then you must have been out of position in the first place.. like Harry Bobby Moore had no pace but superb positioning

 

[fuerstenberger]

Personally I was never sure about Maguire. I think, because of his low cadence, he is perceived as slow but when he accelerates away from players, few seem to be able to keep up. The way various ex Bayern legends have been talking about him publicly, add to that endorsements from Hoddle and Neville, seem to suggest I was wrong. We just have to wait to see if he is consistent. To be honest, given the accolades I wouldn't be surprised to see him playing for one of the giants of European football.

 

[I should coco]

Name a better one

Off the top of my head, Terry Butcher, Tony Adams, John Terry, Des Walker, Phil Thompson, Mark Lawrenson (before anybody says Irish international yes he was English) Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell , Emlyn Hughes, Norman Hunter, Steve Bruce

Come on mate, we all love Harry but there's no way he's anywhere near the quality of the above.

I agree with Butcher and Campbell and to a lesser extent Adams and Ferdinand.

I'd also chuck in Kevin Beattie and Roy McFarland who were vastly superior to the likes of Thompson, Hughes, Bruce and '"you'll never beat....."

 

[nopigfansintown]

all defenders are suspect against real pace. in fact i have heard it argued that if you have to resort to pace then you must have been out of position in the first place.. like Harry Bobby Moore had no pace but superb positioning

His reading of the game was his most obvious quality when I first saw him.Exceptional. I've very rarely seen him having to slide tackle, which is a sign of a top defender.I do think players with less athletic qualities have more of a slow burner of a career, because they can't get out of jail using pace.I still think the right sided centre half position in a four (preferably with a quick partner) or the centre of a back three is his best position - with and without the ball. More angles to pass the ball, easier to carry the ball directly towards goal, and less contact with pacy wingers/wing backs.In the last England game we played on the counter attack and Young sat deeper, probably due to worrying about Cuadrado exploiting this.