No more defenders coming in

[mrfrostsdad]

According to Fergusons interview with the Star today.
Truth or just bluffing?

Total and utter folly if it is true. A centre back was a priority all summer according to Ferguson. We then get one injured (2 if you count McCullough) and all of a sudden we're not bringing anyone else in??

Hmmm.

[DRNaith]

If it's because we cannot get anyone better than we currently have, then I can understand that.

[steve@dcfd]

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers/doncaster-rovers-ferguson-updates-with-latest-on-defender-hunt-after-missing-out-on-steven-taylor-1-8669251

So we missed out on our prime target because he wanted to stay at the club he was at. We have tried other targets if we can believe what we were told of different age groups, It now appears our pursuit of a type of centre back is over. So we go with what we have at the club or maybe not.

[bobbymax]

Here's a plan. Let's go out and give a lucrative two-year contract to every 30-plus has-been with a history of injuries just so we can satisfy a few clueless 'fans' that we' re steadying the ship.
Or let's wait until the PL teams announce their squads so we can have a defender with class and potential for six or 12 months for a fraction of the cost.
Hmm... decisions, decisions!

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

The wait is a little frustrating as we are definitely still a little short there.  It's not desperate though so I can see why Ferguson wouldn't go for a signing for the sake of it.

But it's definitely the area that concerns me most.  I guess the thinking is that we do have the below who can play as centre halves;

Butler
Baudry
Wright
Alcock
Mason
Mccullough
Andrew
Garratt

That's a fairly decent number of them, granted 2 are currently injured and I still think it lacks quality.

Hopefully something does come up in the next week, it remains our biggest weakness.

[steve@dcfd]

Whether fans are clueless or not is irrelevant as bfyp says are biggest weakness even with the utility players we have is our defence.

It was not the fans who brought in 30+ defender for training and trial. It was not the fans who said he would like to sign him and it failed financially.

We all know that when Premiership clubs have their 25 lists sorted, players could be available will they be what we need? We were told experienced not going to happen now it appears so let's see what DF and GB come up with in the next 9 days or another 25 days later.

[MrFrost]

The wait is a little frustrating as we are definitely still a little short there.  It's not desperate though so I can see why Ferguson wouldn't go for a signing for the sake of it.

But it's definitely the area that concerns me most.  I guess the thinking is that we do have the below who can play as centre halves;

Butler
Baudry
Wright
Alcock
Mason
Mccullough
Andrew
Garratt

That's a fairly decent number of them, granted 2 are currently injured and I still think it lacks quality.

Hopefully something does come up in the next week, it remains our biggest weakness.

I'm sorry but only one of those listed would be anywhere near good enough at CB at this level, IMO.

We weren't anywhere near good enough defensively as a whole in a lower division last season, and we haven't strengthened.

He admits in his interview that we will no longer be searching for a defender.
We are obviously only looking at free transfers here, otherwise we would be looking at players with clubs, but for whatever reason we don't/can't pay a transfer fee.

I guess that's that then. It's going to be a long season.

[roversdude]

How did we ever through a close/pre season before t'internet

[IDM]

Would you rather have had a really solid defence last season and finished mid table??

Or lose a few games, concede some goals, yet get promoted??

Of course we were good enough defensively!  Maybe not perfect, many would agree including me - but if the aim was promotion then we clearly were "good enough"..

[GazLaz]

Time for Wright to stake his place. Seeing him at Guiseley at the weekend made me realise how vocal he is marshalling people. Much more so than Butler.

[MrFrost]

Time for Wright to stake his place. Seeing him at Guiseley at the weekend made me realise how vocal he is marshalling people. Much more so than Butler.

Will be interesting to see how he develops. Still think we need more experience.

[Jonathan]

I really hope that this is a bluff as it's not the kind of noise the club should be making to generate any kind of encouragement.

We do need to add another quality centre half, and we've needed to all summer. Baudry's injury has only made that need greater.

Higher up in this thread there's a list of players in our squad that can do a job in central defence, but many of those players are either injured or are not central defenders and are needed to play (not cover) in positions elsewhere in the team.

I really hope we don't opt to address this need with a loanee, too. If all we do is sign someone on loan then next summer that loan will have expired, added to which Butler, Baudry, Alcock and Wright (I think) will be out of contract and will either need to be let go or their deals renegotiating. So if we sign someone on loan then, as is almost always the case, it just creates an even bigger problem to solve further down the line.

We need to bring in at least one good quality central defender and for this story to suggest we'll not do that is a bit concerning at this stage.

I steer clear of all the moaning about budgets and ambition, I've no problem at all with the manager or the Board. This is just a fundamental weakness in the team that needs to be addressed. 

[Danmckay456]

Massive pressure on Ferguson this season this summer has been farcical, the lack of strength in depth is all there to see , and yet all we hear is contradictions from week to week about players

[graingrover]

and Fielding .

 I don't MOAN about DF's dealings in the transfer market because of his record to date in putting together this squad . 

[Danmckay456]

I think fans are underestimating league one it won't be easy as people think.

[MrFrost]

I really hope that this is a bluff as it's not the kind of noise the club should be making to generate any kind of encouragement.

We do need to add another quality centre half, and we've needed to all summer. Baudry's injury has only made that need greater.

Higher up in this thread there's a list of players in our squad that can do a job in central defence, but many of those players are either injured or are not central defenders and are needed to play (not cover) in positions elsewhere in the team.

I really hope we don't opt to address this need with a loanee, too. If all we do is sign someone on loan then next summer that loan will have expired, added to which Butler, Baudry, Alcock and Wright (I think) will be out of contract and will either need to be let go or their deals renegotiating. So if we sign someone on loan then, as is almost always the case, it just creates an even bigger problem to solve further down the line.

We need to bring in at least one good quality central defender and for this story to suggest we'll not do that is a bit concerning at this stage.

I steer clear of all the moaning about budgets and ambition, I've no problem at all with the manager or the Board. This is just a fundamental weakness in the team that needs to be addressed. 

One defender and a midfielder i'd be happy with.

[Tom-RTID]

And yet Fergie still plans on bringing 3 more midfielders in...

[GazLaz]

And yet Fergie still plans on bringing 3 more midfielders in...

Looks like he will bring in someone who can play on that right hand side of the diamond or right hand side of a central three and then Houghton. I've heard Houghton will be costing us a very minimal amount.

[the vicar]

On what we saw in league 2 we was caught short on many occasions, so if that is it we could be heading for trouble  this term with the midfielder and strikers in league 1

[selby]

Frostie, a long season you say,the last part gets me,but I am more used to it now,getting well clear of the pack and then just hanging on.
   Will do me again this year though,do you think if Wright does well Manchester City will come in for him?

[selby]

On a serious note I will put my head up to be shot at.
  I am I will not say pleased,but I dont see it as a disaster, but an opportunity for Wright and possibly Fielding to make a break through to first team football.
  We have been poor at giving youth a chance in the past until Mandeville,Lund and Middleton,and although Lund and Middleton have not enthused they have  both played a part in  our promotion.
  If they are not given a chance we will never know if they are good enough or not,Fergie knows better than me,and I do think that a loan will come about,hopefully for the West Brom guy,but both Wright and Fielding are good young players,we will see.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

The wait is a little frustrating as we are definitely still a little short there.  It's not desperate though so I can see why Ferguson wouldn't go for a signing for the sake of it.

But it's definitely the area that concerns me most.  I guess the thinking is that we do have the below who can play as centre halves;

Butler
Baudry
Wright
Alcock
Mason
Mccullough
Andrew
Garratt

That's a fairly decent number of them, granted 2 are currently injured and I still think it lacks quality.

Hopefully something does come up in the next week, it remains our biggest weakness.

I'm sorry but only one of those listed would be anywhere near good enough at CB at this level, IMO.

We weren't anywhere near good enough defensively as a whole in a lower division last season, and we haven't strengthened.

He admits in his interview that we will no longer be searching for a defender.
We are obviously only looking at free transfers here, otherwise we would be looking at players with clubs, but for whatever reason we don't/can't pay a transfer fee.

I guess that's that then. It's going to be a long season.

I'm not going to disagree, we are short.  I would say Butler and Baudry I'm happy with.  Wright has something to prove but should be given a chance to do so.  Alcock I'm not the biggest fan of but is a good squad player.  Garrett has a lot to prove but also should get an opportunity.

I tend to think one centre half, two midfielders is what we need.  The injury situation dictates it really.  But, if the centre halves are young, I would rather see our young players given the opportunity, not an unproven kid from another youth team.

There must be the odd player about we can afford and would want surely?

[Alan Southstand]

The only trouble with that hypothesis, Selby, is the manager saying only a few days ago, that Fielding will be going out on loan. We have Butler and Wright as cb's and that is it. Never mind dressing it up with who can cover there, we are weak in that area and the manager is fully aware of that.

If anything happens to Butler or Wright then we are stuffed.

I have absolutely no problem with the manager, as he is having to work within his given constraints. I do have a problem with our inabilities to get what most people think we need. To start the season with what we have defensively is simply asking for trouble. The only answer can be that we are going to get in a loanee and we'll have to live with it.

[Herbert Anchovy]

The amount of pessimism being expressed on this forum is mind blowing but not surprising. We get this every single pre season. With all due respect to the doom merchants out there, Fergie knows better than any of you (and me) what's required to succeed in this division. I'm sure that if he feels that we have enough in defence to see us through for now then we're ok. That's why he's a football manager and we're not.

I realise that pessimism, negativity and worry is a way of life for some but lets at least wait and see how things pan out first before we begin to write the season off hey? 

[MrFrost]

The amount of pessimism being expressed on this forum is mind blowing but not surprising. We get this every single pre season. With all due respect to the doom merchants out there, Fergie knows better than any of you (and me) what's required to succeed in this division. I'm sure that if he feels that we have enough in defence to see us through for now then we're ok. That's why he's a football manager and we're not.

I realise that pessimism, negativity and worry is a way of life for some but lets at least wait and see how things pan out first before we begin to write the season off hey? 

Did he know what was required the last time we were in this division?
If I remember rightly, his inability to address the defense back then was one of the major downfalls.

[RoversAlias]

Apples and oranges. He arrived after the summer and was stuck with Dickov's squad, a squad he had 'assembled' by deciding we didn't need to have one right back on the books due to the fact he thought the raw and slow McCullough could be converted. Fergie did what he could in January that season, we didn't go down due to lack of quality at the back but due to lack of backbone throughout the whole team.

[Move DRFC]

I cannot believe this. At the start of pre season i would have put a centre back at top priority and that was even before Baudry was injured. Has Fergie forgot what Butler was like last time in League One? Butler isn't good enough and we needed a partner for Baudry.

Starting the season with Butler and Wright at CB is worrying. He obviously wanted a centre back hence trying for Taylor and Greer. Get a grip and keep on looking Fergie.

As you were

[Donnyjim]

We were poor in this area all season. Butler is simply not good enough at this level. A tall experienced centre half with leadership qualities is a key component of getting out of league 1.

[GazLaz]

We were poor in this area all season. Butler is simply not good enough at this level. A tall experienced centre half with leadership qualities is a key component of getting out of league 1.

Every club in the division is after that man though.

[Susan Abbott]

DF knew of the problem when arrived and has not really shown that it bothered him too much . His focus has tended to be on good midfield and converting chances in to goals .I do think his not too flexible budget has meant he has had to go for the long term player and build within his available funds .