by Snowball »
11 Aug 2010 11:56
WITHOUT slagging off Alex Pearce, ie presuming he IS good cover, no club can go a whole Championship season
without four recognised, up-to-standard Centre-Backs and expect to do well.
Mills, definitely up to standard, but prone to too many cards. So we could lose him even if this injury is non-serious.
He's by no means certain to be FULLY fit by next Saturday, may play at less than 100%.
Pearce, decent cover, but not (yet)(it appears) fully up to the job.
Ingi, recently badly-injured, not fully fit, almost certain to be slower, likely to be more injury prone and take longer to recover.
Gunnar, a decent old work-horse but surely only COVER for the centre-back spot. Older, slower, more likely to get injuries, and will take longer to recover.
Griffin, EMERGENCY CB cover, but that means bringing Tabb to RB or trying Cummings. All this seriously weakens the defence.
All the blather about promotion-or-not is hardly the point.
We surely NEED a Centre-Back. We might need TWO by season's end.
So why let Cisse go? (I know, for the money, but the CB situation was a disaster waiting to happen)
I think we have to consider selling McAnuff, or Long, or maybe Kebe, and, sadly, Gylfi AND SERIOUSLY STRENGTHENING THE BACK FOUR.
Make the back four, seriously strong (for this level) and hope the other 6 players can nick some 1-0 wins.
Or let Fedders go, maybe swap for a good CB?
If we don't get at least one GOOD Centre-Back we will surely struggle. It isn't just letting in a few. We're a"confidence" side, great in full flow (look at the opening of the Scunny game) but a stupidly-conceded goal can deflate a side so quickly, especially if the front men and attacking midfielders feel let down by the defenders and/or management.