It isn't looking to good as far as our centre backs are concerned. Both experienced stallwarts are crocked. Simple question. Should we look to utilise the loan market for a short term experienced CB and is there anyone out there suitable? Or do we simply battle on and try to (literally) limp over the line?
What is wrong with Turner and how long will he be out? I've not seen any reports on that other than his absence was a bit obvious last night. I expect Hudson to be out until the Peterboro game anyway.
Not exactly got the best out of loan players have we? If what we have are not that good perhaps they can only get better. Life might be easier if we were not defending for most of the games. Scoring goals is difficult from your own penalty area. jck
What are our real options at the back with both Huds and Turner crocked? Looks like a Connolly/Nugent pairing at CB - at least we'll have a right and left footed player on each side. As far as I know Oshilaja is the only other made to measure CB option from the development squad. Kev can play there as well mind - he's proved more than adequate in the past, but that was a few years back. I seem to recall that Lappin has played in the middle intead of the left on occasions, but to what success I don't know. If we don't loan someone in, we might have enough cover already in the squad with youngsters like Coulson and Declan John good enough for bench cover as well. That's if Malky trusts youth though, and on past showings he's reluctant to take a chance except when forced like in Nugent's case. Dependent upon the severity of the Huds/Turner problems (anyone really know?), I think Malky will sit this one out until after the international break.
After Saturday we have close to 2 weeks off but then the games come thick and fast, we need Hudson fit if not get a loan in.
Sorry for the delay BfB. Heard Turner has an ankle injury. My worry with Kev is can he put in a full 90 + mins. He did ok last night but doesn't look match fit. Lappin could be an option.
Probably make do with what we have against Wednesday. If it doesn't look like Hudson and Turner will be fit after the international break then get someone on a months loan. The other way of looking at this is Malky may be forced to go with the idea that attack is the best form of defence. It could be that these injuries will force him into playing an attacking side. We can but hope.
You know what worries me most and I raised this last season, Malky has a habit going back a few seasons into his Watford days of utilising a small squad of favoured players. I begin to wonder if we are starting to witness burnout of key players again this year, eventhough we clearly have played far less games than last year. Training methods may be too intense but Compare the top five sides and players used : Palarse 35, Watford 34, Hull 33, City 28, Leicester 27. Compare this with current form : Watford 3rd, Palarse 4th, Hull 5th, City 11th, Leicester 16th. Coincidence?
I hope MM sorts it before Saturday HB, 5 points from a possible 15 is not good enough. We have a good squad but the starting 11 haven't done the business and injuries may force MMs hand now. We clearly miss Hudson when he is out and as someone suggested earlier, he's probably missed more that Bellamy! We have been in this situation before in as much as we had a healthy lead but let it slip. Apparently there should be no excuses now with a fitter squad that plays for each other. Am I concerned, too bloody right I am. MM needs to show his ambition and managerial skills now more than ever as he is in danger of ruining his cv. He had an excuse last year but this year there can be no excuse if we don't get an auto spot from our current position.
Doesn't seem that MM is looking at defensive loans. Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling, 18, could be set for a loan move to the Championship with either Cardiff City or Bolton Wanderers. Full story: Metro
Code: I believe very little of what is written in most papers Blue, especially the freebies. Rodger's reason for leaving Sterling out is the ammount of game time he's had has tired him. Why would we want a tired player, especially given the current options we have in positions he might play.
He's loads better than Conway. Sterlings intelligence and movement is very much out of the top top draw. He's barely kicked a ball for 2 months so shouldn't be tired. Can't disagree that we have options already in his position but if MM did loan him he'd have to use him, so we'd get something different at least!! Like others have said it's in the metro so it's almost certainly bollocks.
