Nigel and Nicola have been brilliant in the transfer market so far with truly inspired signings but I am really worried about our defence. Fonte struggled a lot last season and is already showing signs of doing the same this. Hooiveld could do alright but he will need a strong quick fellow centre half alongside him. I fear that unless we strengthen the squad with at least two good centre halves all the other squad improvements will have been in vain. The match against man City looms very close now and there is not a lot of time left to get the best possible squad together.
If we need a player i'm sure Adkins will see this. Then it's about whether we can get a deal done to sign somebody.
Any day now surely? Adkins as good as said that there will be signings before City. Lets hope for a nice surprise this week.
It has all gone quiet. Adkins seems certain we will get someone else in and I'm sure he is looking at defence. However, you do wonder if we are working our way down a list. Perhaps they are just dotting the 'i's and crossing the 't's as we speak.
A quality centre back is the priority.. May be it's just a feeling, but I kind of believe when the rumour mill has gone quiet is when something is cooking.. Plus letting Martin go on loan also suggests there has been a identified target for sometime.. Wishful thinking? Well I have support Saints for a very long time so it kind of goes with the territory..
If we are not strengthening that department we would have kept Aaron here. Someones in the pipeline I'm sure.
I am surprised with Fonte but he does look slow and was caught out a few times last year. Could be a few red cards if he pulls back the speedy forwards he will be playing against. I do like Fonte & big H but we deffo need another CB. Would rarther have someone in soon rather than deadline day!!!
No, This thread was about my concern for our squad without a strengthening of our defence. I have no idea whether we will sign someone or not and I do not wish to speculate on who it may or may not be. I am stating a fact - we must strenghen our defence.
Just posted this on the rumour thread but it's probably more pertinent to here. Anyway I completely share your concerns! Is anybody starting to worry a touch about the CB position? Seems to me the one position in which a couple of games would be vital to imrove an understanding...remember FOnte and Hooiveld in their first game against Forst at home looked on completely different wavelengths. of course NA knows this so I just worry that our targets may not have come off.
I think we have another 4 or 5 players coming in of which two of them are centre backs, one a winger/attacker and another left back. We need a full strength squad not just a starting eleven.
I share the concern! But the thread by its nature rings all the bells about signings and who they could be.....it wasn't a criticism, it's much more interesting than the actual rumour thread!
Never you fear; we'll sign a quality CB at 3:49pm, Thursday the 2nd of August. Trust me, I'm in the know about such things.
I'm concerned as well, I'm pleased with midfield and up front but concerned about our centre-backs in particular. We conceded quite a few in the Championship, but obviously it didn't matter so much as we were potent up the other end. Goals are going to be harder to come by this season and we cant afford to be leaky at the back.
Sides who get relegated do so for one of two reasons. Letting in too many goals (as we did in 2004/05) or an inability to score goals (see Brimingham 2010/11). Or if you're Derby, then you do both. For this reason, a strong centre back pairing and good organisation is vital for a promoted side. Although, Swansea managed to survive with a defence based around Garry Monk, so what do I know.
I do wish people would remember that Fonte was playing while slightly injured, on occasion, last season. Probably right around the times where people thought he looked suspect. Ok, he looked a little ring rusty in the televised game against Ajax, but that's no reason to react like kiddies. If it was Titus Bramble we were talking about, then we certainly would have a problem.
You need to have more faith in Fonte. He's a quality footballer. Don't always think of the defence as individuals, try to think of them as a unit. You chop and change them too much, and it hurts the team.
Our defensive unit is rocked by an injury just hours before the City game, and you replace them with............. The youngsters we have no doubt will be stars in their own right but City away first game of the season is tough. Morale needs to be high and a shoddy first defensive outing wont help at all. Martin has gone on loan but until someone actually signs on the dotted line i think its a massive gamble.
Do you want Tal Ben Haim? I give you a tenner to take him of our hands. Hold on I'll get Peter Storries number...
