Hi If in doubt, I think we understand what you are saying and I know Upson has been a good defender in the past. Personally I think that currently defensive standards in the Premiership are fairly low, which is good for newcomers as it means there is likely to be a smaller difference between our centre backs and those in the top flight. Often a long term understanding is better than bringing in new players. If I use Norwich, Swansea and QPR as an example QPR have added a lot of defenders with Premier League experience whereas the other two have not. Yet it is they who are struggling. This may be due to other factors but it is more important to bring in players who fit the system rather than Premier League experience in my opinion. Don't envy you up in chilly Aberdeen today .
And i completely understand what you are saying. Don't get me wrong, your defence has been good this season but is that not a lot down to having a good goalkeeper. from what i have seen (and its not as much as you) that your keeper has been outstanding. I would say the same for Vorm and Ruddy at Norwich and Swansea respectivly. You have to rememeber that Upson doesnt just bring something to the first team, he will bring a lot to your Youth set up and a wealth of experience to your starting back 2. Not only does he have PL experience he also has experience of relegation battles. I'm not saying that you WILL go down but there is that possability and that will come in handy. Hell i'd take Upson at Arsenal just now for cover.
Oh and as for the cold - we love it. Friday = 24 deg - beer gardens and shorts and 3 days later on Monday = 1 deg and snow. No where else do you get that much surprises.
Look at Stoke, a team i, and alot of people on here for that matter, believe we should be learning from. Won promotion in 2008, who did they sign for their survival year: Sorenson, GK, age 31, premier league proven Kitson, CM, age 29, premier league experienced Faye, CB, age 31, premier league proven Higginbotham, LB, age 30, premier league proven They then built upon the squad on survival. As ive said. We will need at very least an experienced cb and an experienced cm
Stoke have one of the best defenses in the league. So it would be hard to get into, so i would happily have an Ex England player at saints. Few people seem to be forgetting we are still a championship team and even if we go up we will be a low prem team. So yea i would take him on board!
It is a good range however Montreal and other parts of the North American continent can experience a similar range of temperature in a similar timespan.
To be honest I think it is our fullback positions that are more vulnerable as we do not have sufficient quality cover. Upson being kept out of the Stoke side is no real indicator of how good he currently is, as Stoke are pretty solid, however I just cannot see the club breaking the mould and signing someone over 30. My other point would be that we really need a right sided centre back rather than left and there is nothing to say we would be able to attract him here, as I am sure he would have plenty of suitors. Someone like Carlos Cuellar would suit me, but he is 30.
If i'm being honest i don't know enough about your team to comment. I hope you appreciate that. If you look into teams that could be relegated though then although he's been awful recently, i still see Roger Johnson as a very good defender or a this is a very big IF villa go down then Richard Dunne??. If Adkins could get him, then get him playing to his best again you'd have a very good purchase there. From what i can gather, you have a chairman that most clubs would dream of.........hopefully he can do what needs to be done to keep you up. I certainly see you as good enough.
he is being kept out the stoke team by the likes of huth and shawcross- both would go straight into our team. he may have gone off the boil, but at half a mil it is worth to see if adkins can work his magic (for sensible wages of course)
- Has this not recieved more replies than pretty much all other threads the past week? Someone looks silly Do me a favour
