We are terrible at the back, no question.

O'Brien, Dabizas & Hughes were so poor on Saturday that changes have to be made. Distin should be shifted into the middle and Elliot should be playing at left back imo - even this leaves me cold. Griffin (who has a dead leg - feckin injured again more like) can't be relied upon. I won’t think the unthinkable - Marcelino. Caldwell? Caldwell? We simply don’t have options but we must do something, doing nothing is not an option for me.
We can’t defend big punts up the field – Ipswich; we can’t defend crosses - corners or free kicks; we can’t deal with wingers; skilful players put us in a panic. What can we defend? The answer is nothing because individually and collectively we are shite.
The game was lost in the first few moments at Highbury, 2-0 ten minutes gone - game over as far as I could see.
Fair enough blame can be heaped on that poor midfield and static attack but it’s the best we’ve got at the moment and games still must be won. We are good going forward but how on earth can creative, inventive, dangerous football be produced under the present circumstances?
Attacking teams must take risks but when every time the opposition has the ball we simply don’t know what to do. Coaching can be called into question and our marking and tackling is poor at present but I feel we need new players at the back because what we have is not good enough.

Everton on Friday, Everton are p*ss poor. If we take it one game at a time we can still make the Champs League but only if we act now.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Answers

Everton maybe pi$$ poor but can you see Dabs and Obrien mixing it with Furgeson and Campbell, I dont think so.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Ooopps! should have read the Distin - Centre half or Left back? thread

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

If Newcastle want to make the next step and challenge the best, we have to sort our defense out. It is totally incompetent. They simply aren't good enough.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

sorry about that Testing, testing?

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Oh! I seem to have a problem with html tags and cock eyed symbols in my last couple of posts. Most odd is the bbs OK?

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

The most annoying thing is that Robson won't change it. Full backs and Distin must be bought, I still think we can convert O'Brien and Hughes is out of position. The Hughes at RB debate has gone on for a while and although he has done some decent work there, he want's to be playing centre and is a much better player in the centre. I think Caldwell (both of them) should start to be blooded properly and given a chance. This may make the present holders of the positions think twice.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

This would have been the perfect opportunity to blood Gary Caldwell in the 1st team. However, he won't be back until the end of the season - when he's out of contract, and can move wherever he wants!

I have a really bad feeling that we've screwed up the situation with GC, and that we'll lose him to some cr@p SPL team. Fortunately, due to his age, a transfer fee will be payable, and hopefully we'll value him at a figure beyone most SPL Club's budget - unless Celtic or Rangers take a fancy to him, of course!

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

The Borough have got the right idea. Building from the back. Their defence is top class now and it's allowing them to beat teams like Manure by only scoring one goal. We have to score 4! Give Borough a couple of quality players which mean they can score more than 1 goal a game and they'll be a top six side.

This P*sses me off because we've had years of that "staying up" time under Dag and Rud. If only then they'd said, "right we're gonna win nowt this season lets build a solid side." Then By the time BR came and added players like LR and Bellamy we'd win the league.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Jim , yer spot on . Why we didnt attempt to sign Southgate is beyond me , and im sure he would have chosen us above the boro. Same goes for ehiogu both are England quality defenders.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

It's getting a bit old hat to continue blaming Dogleash and Huge Gullit for our problems - let's not forget that BR has bought Quinn, and O'Brien, and brought in Elliott, Bernard and Distin. That's 5 defenders, only 2 of who are now regulars.

To be fair mind he has only spent about £2m so far on the 5 of them, and recouped ca. £5m from the sale of Charvet, Howey and Goma.

The £4m or so it will cost to make Distin's transfer permanent will take his net outlay on defenders to ca. +£1m, but will still not have solved our longstanding defensive problems.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Bernard is more a wing back and has never let us down , but i doubt he's gonna sign a new contract and will be away on a bos end of the season. Dabs is the biggest mistake and it wasnt wor bob who signed him was it??

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

I wonder if Veron is available? He'd fit right in with our lot, judging by last weekends performances.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Veron? Yeah, canny player him like, worth every penny like!

Now watch him play out of his skin for the Argies in the World Cup :-(

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002

Gullit tried to build from the back. Splashed out a whole heap of cash on our most expensive defender ever.........

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2002