Purse With Beevers? Yes Please!

Wednesday boss Brian Laws has a welcome selection headache ahead of the new Championship season - what central defensive partnership to choose for the big kick-off.

Laws has added experienced defender Darren Purse to his squad for the 2009-10 campaign, and with Richard Hinds also performing well last season, the Owls gaffer has a number of options at his disposal.

So we at Vital Sheffield Wednesday thought we'd give him a hand in deciding, with the latest poll set-up on the homepage.

For the last month we've been asking fans who they think should partner the in-coming, and recently made captain, Purse at the heart of the Owls defence.

It's fair to assume, given his new captaincy responsibilities, that the former Cardiff, Birmingham and West Brom defender will be the first defender down on Laws' team sheet when the new season kicks-off against Barnsley.

But in former skipper Richard Wood, highly-rated Mark Beevers and 'utility man' Richard Hinds competing for the other slot, Laws has a tough choice ahead of him.

But the overwhelming winner in the fans' vote goes to Mark Beevers with 57 per cent of the voting.

The Barnsley-born product broke onto the scene at S6 in scintillating fashion but was used mainly on the bench towards the end of last season.

But Owls' fans believe the youngster, who was touted as one for the Premier League, will make the step up next season to become a defensive rock alongside Purse, who can no doubt give him plenty of experience at the back.

Richard Wood was next up with 31 per cent of the voting.

Woody was team captain last season but has been stripped of that honour with the arrival of Purse, something which Laws has revealed didn't go down too well with the Wakefied-born defender.

Woody was linked with Coventry City last season, a move which could well come to fruition again this season, and a potential move which didn't go down too well with the Owls faithful, especially given he held the captain's armband at the time.

The Owls academy product is no doubt a good Championship defender but many fans believe Beevers has much more potential in which to develop alongside Purse, something which Laws may also share.

Richard Hinds impressed last season with his no-nonsense defender, on top of coming back from a serious injury at the start of the campaign.

The former Scunthorpe man has racked up 10 per cent of the voting, offering a good back-up, from the fans' point of view.

But Hinds could well prove the dark horse, given Laws' favoured opinion of the defender, who can play all across the back four.

But that versatility could also mean he acts as a back up for all four positions rather than a first team regular in the centre back slot.

Lewis Buxton, who's also versatile at the back, was also thrown in the hat but he got just two per cent of the voting, a sign that the centre back slot is maybe not one for him.

So, the fans have had their say, over to you Mr Laws!

For the very latest Championship odds

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.