Can Hull City survive relegation with this Manchester United outcast and 2 other signings?

Add as preferred source on Google

Embed from Getty Images

David Marshall

Although it may seem harsh to propose finding a replacement for a man who missed out on the ultimately successful Play-off campaign through injury, it is time for Hull City to look elsewhere when it comes to the man between the sticks. Allan McGregor has been on Humberside since the summer of 2013 and has racked up just over a century of appearances for the club.

However, his performances have not always been without fault and while the potential for the Scotsman to make a calamitous error remains as a nagging feeling, Hull’s back-line cannot be at their most confident. More of a shot-stopper than a man who commands his penalty area, The Tigers need someone who has proven themselves capable of standing up to Premier League tests. Furthermore, as the experienced ‘keeper will be turning 35 during the course of next season, it might be beneficial to acquire a younger man too.

Erratic is the exact opposite way of describing one potential replacement for McGregor, in the shape of fellow countryman David Marshall. Having drawn the attention of many during his time in the Premier League with Cardiff City, Marshall still finds himself in the Championship, operating in a division which many would argue is below his maximum level. In the top flight, the Scot seemed to be the only man capable of sustaining Cardiff’s slim survival hopes and although he was ultimately unsuccessful, it did not take away from the multitude of wondrous saves that he produced over several consecutive months.

David Marshall impressed for the Welsh outfit in 2015/16, keeping 13 clean sheets in 40 appearances, conceded an average of 1.08 goals per game – pretty impressive for a club not in the upper echelons of the table – while also boasting a claim success of 97%. This kind of statistic is perfect for any club, but potentially even more so for a newly promoted side who need to battle hard to pick up any points at all. To have a man between the sticks that is a safe pair of hands and can take the pressure off the defence is invaluable. It probably makes the most sense to retain Eldin Jakupovic as the reserve ’keeper, while bringing in David Marshall to be tasked with blocking the inevitable stampede on Hull’s goal.