Centre Back. The search goes on.

[boltonboris]

Sorry to go over old ground, it's been done to death. But this one is a little bit more specific.

We all know we're short of a decent centre back.. Douglas has also confirmed that we are owed a loan from the blues, as part of the Cahill to Chelsea deal..

What he has also said, is that he doesn;t really like the loan system as he's not keen on developing another teams' players only to then leave us without after the deal has expires (I get that). Last season, he brought in Dawson, which was very nearly a masterstroke and sorted the back 4 out no end. But he seems reluctant to do it again.

Do we genuinely think he'd potentially jeapardise the success of the team because of his beliefs that it isn't beneficial?

Chelsea currently have the below players on the fringes, who I believe are 'gettable' for us.

Sam Hutchinson
Kenneth Omeruo (can also play full back - Wiki) played 36 times for Den Haag last season on loan
Adam Nditi.

Now, I don't know for sure. but these lads have to be better than what we currently have.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

can we have Azpilicueta as well?

(He was a favourite of Benitez but I don't think Mourinho will play him)

[BWFC_Insane]

It's an interesting point. Dougie did say we didn't get a choice of who we loaned from Chelsea so would have to take who they offered at any time.

IMO we need someone at the back who is a leader. I've never seen any of these lads play but I'm not convinced a youngster from Chelsea is the answer.

Dawson was brilliant (and young yes) but he was the right combination of physical and tough, but also a leader. But whatever he was he was a fully formed player. I'm not convinced loaning a young, relatively untested CB is necessarily the answer to our problems.

I suppose the other thing with loans is you can do them over a larger window. So we can leave that decision till later in some ways to see if first choice targets become available in the meantime etc....

[plymouth wanderer]

What about Bruma is he still there?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Bruma signed for PSV last summer; Chelsea hold a buy-back clause.

Hutchinson can play right-back too. Loaned to Forest last season, but had injury problems. He's probably the lead contender, but is he a leader? As BWFCi says, we need some bugger to organise the backline. Maybe Baptiste or Tierney are better in that respect, but you and I both know that you need a 'boss' at the back; Dawson felt like an outlier here in that he has that quality despite his relative youth.

[bwfcdan94]

That Nditi kid is meant to be the real deal isn't he, many are saying he could already get in a top flight team.

[boltonboris]

Fvck knows

[Loyal White]

Don't think age is the issue, Dawson was only 22 remember, it was more his personality and leadership.

By all accounts Baptiste and Tierney are both in a similar mould, both have previously been captains at other clubs, maybe Dougie thinks they can compensate until the right deal comes along?

[LeverEnd]

You'd think these chelsea boys would be better than our reserves but then again that boyota the like was pretty poor when I saw him, and you'd have thought the same of him.

[officer_dibble]

If we signed Dawson I'd change my backing of us to win the league to win the league playing blindfolded with nicky hunt up front.

As it happens we either need a loanee whom we pay minimal wages towards, OR someone to take Mills/Ream/both off our books to be able to sign a proper centre back. We have a month!

[Relentless09]

I'm a bit concerned that there doesn't seem to be many young defenders coming through, maybe someone who is more informed with the youth squads would know a few.

[officer_dibble]

Cian Bolger!

[Tombwfc]

What's the basis for thinking any of those are better than what we've got? Or even that they are the best central defenders we could get on loan?

[Little Green Man]

That Nditi kid is meant to be the real deal isn't he

Didn't Bob Champion ride his dad to win the Grand National?

[Lord Kangana]

Are they better than what we've got though? Inexperienced youngsters at centre half, in a team that's 'foreign' to them doesn't fillme with confidence. Dawson (etc) yesn but I'm not sure its as easy as it sounds.

[boltonboris]

I don't know of they're better. I've never seen them play. But if they're not better than the shit (and they are shit) that we've got, then they've no future in the game.

[Tombwfc]

I don't know of they're better. I've never seen them play. But if they're not better than the shit (and they are shit) that we've got, then they've no future in the game.

That's nonsense really though. I think people enjoy writing off our players as the shittest of the shit, when actually with the right management and other players around them they'd be perfectly adequate for us. You only have to look at West Ham's team for evidence of that.

[boltonboris]

I've lost patience with Knight & Ream, with good reason. Wheater and Mills I've not seen enough of to to really comment at this level, but I'm not exactly filled with confidence. If its "nonsense" then so be it. But I'm genuinely as concerned (as I can be about football) about going into this season with these centre halves. I think these will be the difference between upper mid table and a genuine promotion push.

[boltonboris]

I'm not looking forward to having to score 2/3 goals in pretty much every away game to get a win because of individual errors, poor communication and piss weak mentalities

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I've lost patience with Knight & Ream, with good reason. Wheater and Mills I've not seen enough of to to really comment at this level, but I'm not exactly filled with confidence. If its "nonsense" then so be it. But I'm genuinely as concerned (as I can be about football) about going into this season with these centre halves. I think these will be the difference between upper mid table and a genuine promotion push.

What has changed your mind in the last few weeks? I'm sure I can recall you saying Knight et al at CB should suffice for this level (a few weeks back).

Not Bishing you, just genuinely interested in what has changed in recent weeks for you to change your mind.