Wayne bridge in talks

[Albion Dan]

I think that we need an improvement in the defence at full back and centre defence as I have said many times as everybody has got carried away with Dunk and missed the fact that we do not win any headers in the box. As many have said we need a support to Bridcut and I have suggested many times that Vincelot "may" be the defensive midfielder to do this job. If we dont have the players to do these jobs then we need to bring them in whether they be old experienced players looking for clubs or others on loan. Possibly until El Abd is back I dont think that we have the players to rectify the situation.

Now where am I misreading your post?

 

[Gritt23]

I dont disagree with you. I think a small tweak could make a massive difference, but if you read BG's post he is suggesting changes all over the park.

Hmm, I did, but I didn't read it the same way. One experienced player at the back could help marshall the troops, and just that organisation and discipline could help us at full-back AND central defence, just with the one addition. Meanwhile, I agree with BGs suggestion of trying Vincelot alongside Bridcutt to tighten up teh midfield. That change is already at the club, so that's no biggie either.

I see what you're getting at, and if we are looking at signing a full back AND a centre-back AND a defensive midfielder, then that's too much. I just didn't read it that way.

Bridge, and that'll do for me.

 

[kevtherev]

I know Mr Bloom was seen briefcase in hand with the club doctor at 3pm this afternoon in the West Stand. One would assume Mr Bloom was not with him regarding his own welfare.

 

[BensGrandad]

I can understand your misinterpretation. I have said that we need somebody to win the ball in the centre of defence in the air. This problem may be overcome when El Abd is back but until then we need either a central defender to win these balls or a full back to stop the crosses coming in Wayne Bridge would do that hopefully, and as has been said we already have Vincelot here to partner Bridcut and shore up the midfield defensivly. So 1 man on loan or an experienced player looking for a club on a short contract may do the job.

I would add that we don't have many options at full back and at the moment only Steve Cook in the centre of defence so we do not have the players to use and a vacancy because Tanno has retired.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

indeed - so does anyone of you lot thats 'in the know' about this deal (and there have been a few so far) got a time frame for this before i get sacked for doing no work. Still recovering from the Vicente thread.......

All you will get is vague details and rumours my friend

 

[chucky1973]

a lot of comments on here about needing to change a lot of things are a bit over the top, we dont become a bad team over night, we lost to Liverpool and Leicester in one week....on paper I would have put defeat down in both games as they have better squads than us, we drew with a very good Leeds team, who albeit have had an indifferent start to the season, but seem to be on the right track now, and yes we had a dreadful game against the scum, but I always thought that was going happen, and then an Ipswich team turned us over on there own patch, 4 days after turning over West Ham on there patch. So putting things into perspective here, we are still 5th in the CHAMPIONSHIP but not one for 5 games. I say thats not a bad position to be in and this break i think would have done the players good and time to refresh themselves, take stock and work on new things. We have a decent squad, maybe lack a big striker, but still a very good exciting squad of players who are good enough in my opinion to be top 10 this season. All i am saying is, just remember who we are, where we have come from and come back down to the real world.

 

[BensGrandad]

All i am saying is, just remember who we are, where we have come from and come back down to the real world.

What has happened in the past is history we have got to plan for the present and future. We cannot live forever on what we achieved last season, it is what we do this season that is now important. The problem is the sides we lost to are no better than a lot more in this division so it is no good saying we expected to lose to them, or are we expecting to lose a lot more games.

 

[Napper]

What has happened in the past is history we have got to plan for the present and future. We cannot live forever on what we achieved last season, it is what we do this season that is now important. The problem is the sides we lost to are no better than a lot more in this division so it is no good saying we expected to lose to them, or are we expecting to lose a lot more games.

Same arguement back at you for the teams we have outplayed and beaten.

We are 5th for a reason

 

[Albion Dan]

What has happened in the past is history we have got to plan for the present and future. We cannot live forever on what we achieved last season, it is what we do this season that is now important. The problem is the sides we lost to are no better than a lot more in this division so it is no good saying we expected to lose to them, or are we expecting to lose a lot more games.

If you take the Palace anomoly of derby game out of the equation we lost to an Ipswich and Leicester side both expected to make the Play Offs, we drew with Leeds who were one of the best sides last season.

It is the (no disrespect) Barnsleys, Coventrys, Watford, Donny, Millwall, Pompey, Bristol City level of teams that you have to start losing to before you need to really start worrying.

Mid table would be a great platform to build on for next season.

 

[pork pie]

If you take the Palace anomoly of derby game out of the equation we lost to an Ipswich and Leicester side both expected to make the Play Offs, we drew with Leeds who were one of the best sides last season.

It is the (no disrespect) Barnsleys, Coventrys, Watford, Donny, Millwall, Pompey, Bristol City level of teams that you have to start losing to before you need to really start worrying.

Mid table would be a great platform to build on for next season.

Thankfully, I don't think that TB and GP show your lack of ambition. Our defense was not strengthened in the summer, and has been found to be our weakest link. I am sure Gus knows that, and will do the necessary. Bridge? I doubt we would get him.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I don't think our defence has been that weak. I think we are playing against a higher standard of attacker and we need to amend our defensive shape at set-pieces where we have been dodgy and we need Dunk to regain the concentration he had at the start of the season. I think concentration has been our only problem at the back in the last month or so, Dunk has had a break now and he'll be back on it on saturday. We'll keep a clean sheet saturday, the last few our out of our systems now.

I would have preferred us to sign a new left back, I'm not a particular fan of Painter but I'm also not one of these people who thinks he's rubbish all of a sudden. When he's on form, he is solid. If Hull come down here with a nippy right winger, we might be in for a hairy afternoon but he's the best we have for that position at the moment.

 

[BensGrandad]

I agree with porky pie whether or not it will be now or in January nobody can say but I would certainly think that it is on the agenda. Unfortunately for whatever reason neither Greer nor Dunk are winning headers well enough at the moment.

 

[DTES]

Thankfully, I don't think that TB and GP show your lack of ambition.

Agreed. I don't believe, whatever other magical words we used, Vicente would have signed if told we were aiming for anything less than promotion - or play-offs at the very least. Of course I may be wrong, but I don't think he's here to be mid-table...

 

[BensGrandad]

It is the (no disrespect) Barnsleys, Coventrys, Watford, Donny, Millwall, Pompey, Bristol City level of teams that you have to start losing to before you need to really start worrying.

Mid table would be a great platform to build on for next season.

I think that people are underestimating the strength and ability of clubs like thos e mentioned above, we do not have God given right to expect to beat them. I would agree about midtable being a respectable finish for this season but somehow don't believe that TB and Gus would agree.

 

[sir albion]

I don't think our defence has been that weak. I think we are playing against a higher standard of attacker and we need to amend our defensive shape at set-pieces where we have been dodgy and we need Dunk to regain the concentration he had at the start of the season. I think concentration has been our only problem at the back in the last month or so, Dunk has had a break now and he'll be back on it on saturday. We'll keep a clean sheet saturday, the last few our out of our systems now.

I would have preferred us to sign a new left back, I'm not a particular fan of Painter but I'm also not one of these people who thinks he's rubbish all of a sudden. When he's on form, he is solid. If Hull come down here with a nippy right winger, we might be in for a hairy afternoon but he's the best we have for that position at the moment.

Maybe the players need to stay 100% focused as playing the ball around the back all the time can get boring for some and thats when we make a load of mistakes.

 

[perseus]

I think that people are underestimating the strength and ability of clubs like thos e mentioned above, we do not have God given right to expect to beat them. I would agree about midtable being a respectable finish for this season but somehow don't believe that TB and Gus would agree.

At the beginning of the season, I would have been happy with 70 pts and a possible play-off position vying with West Ham and Palace for the final spot. Now I want 72 pts and Forest might be out of contention. It beats we have to beat Hull 1-0 though and this might be a darn sight harder than it first appears.

 

[perseus]

I agree with porky pie whether or not it will be now or in January nobody can say but I would certainly think that it is on the agenda. Unfortunately for whatever reason neither Greer nor Dunk are winning headers well enough at the moment.

I see Wayne Bridge as a straight replacement for Greer. Here's hoping for a gift horse for the rest of the season.

 

[BensGrandad]

I cannot see Gus replacing Greer and would think that the more likely option if he signs is Bridge to replace or challenge Painter possibly Calderon. Gus may perservere until El Abd is back as he rates him very highly.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Maybe the players need to stay 100% focused as playing the ball around the back all the time can get boring for some and thats when we make a load of mistakes.

Rubbish, what mistakes have we made playing this way? Aside from Brezovan in the friendly, I can't think of a single example where our football from the back has led to letting in a goal. The concentration I am thinking of is allowing players the yard of space they need to score. And there are numerous examples of that lately.

 

[kevtherev]

Same arguement back at you for the teams we have outplayed and beaten.

We are 5th for a reason

Quite right and that reason is we had a fairly easy start to the season and were still on the crest of a wave..Now teams have started to work us out we have got to be adaptable and have a plan b. That said I am confident we will be fine, with a bit of fine tweaking.