[Archived] A Case For The Defence

[Stuart]

First Team

Martin Olsson - probably leaving

Gael Givet - if we are prepared to pay him enough for long enough he may stay

Grant Hanley - could be poached, probably not

Adam Henley - still a bit green

Scott Dann - probably stuck with

Bradley Orr - "aka Fan's Favourite Bradley Orr"

Waiting in the wings

Anthony O'Connor - dunno enough to comment

Bruno Ribeiro - ho-ho

Myles Anderson - no comment

We have a pretty weak defence, and one in which the "strongest" 4 couldn't prevent us from leaking goals like a sieve last season.

We don't appear to be linked with any defenders during the window as we go all out seeking goals.

Do we have a major problem brewing?

[windymiller7]

In short, yes!

Shebby has said in interview on Sky website that he expects 2 more signings and then that'll be it. Assuming one of these is the other Portugese lad, Silva, then we're going to need the other one to be one hell of a defender!

[Gav]

Do we have a major problem brewing?

Brewing Stuart its been stewing in the cup for the past 12 months!

[BRFCBOY]

fully agree, ideally a left back and centre half

[AJW]

IF we do retain those top 6 i think we need a C/B , Lowe can challenge Orr for R/B , 2 L/B's in Martin Ollsson and Henley so another C/B would give us a bit more balance

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Keeping Givet has to be one of the main priorities we have.....perhaps the biggest one, I believe we should go all out to keep him.....Since Warnock left we have needed a real left back so that is vital as well.

But we were leaking goals 2 seasons ago, and kept 3 clean sheets in 21 games, with Samba and Phil Jones as CB's with J Jones and Nzonzi ahead of them.

The point is Kean is unable to set up a team in the right manner defensively regardless. However the loss of Yakubu for Best now hopefully means we can start to defend from the front, and by all accounts Best is a hard worker, so we can start to close down and hassle players early.

If Silva comes in, that will mean hopefully mean we have a defensive midfielder who likes to get stuck in....and if Formica is played alongside him and Murphy in a 3 then that will be good as we all know Formica loves to get stuck in as well.

So with all of that, and the lesser standard of opposition we will face, which will also mean we will get punished less for defensive errors, perhaps we will look a bit more defensively organised......and if Givet leaves, then we can play Dann and if he leaves we obviously need a replacement, even though we should be signing 2 CB's as 3 is not enough in any division and especially when one of them is 20 yrs old.

An ideal back four at the moment for me is - Orr Hanley Givet Henley/Morris.

But hopefully Kean has learnt (I know) that we are only "good" when we attack so regardless of how stupid it is to just concentrate on scoring as much as possible, we are much better at that than sitting back and conceding anyway.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Markus Olsson played as emergency left back at the end of the season - not my idea of a solution - but with Kean you never know.

Orr can play centre back - and Lowe can cover right back.

Obviously Givet can cover both left back and centre back.

For me Henley is ready for the 1st team - but I wonder how he will find the rough and tumble of the Championship.

IMO the biggest problem - Givet and Orr should be steady and ok - all the other players have question marks against them for one reason or another. Henley and Hanley - can they continue with the promise of last season; Dann - can he show why so many teams were after him previously - or will we have a repeat of last season; Olsson - will he even be at the club ?

[RibbleValleyRover]

I've always been a believer in having two players for each position ideally. Looking at the current squad we really need another CB, so that we have Givet/Hanley/Dann/unamed player as the central defender options. If Olsson does indeed leave then we need another left back to compete with young Henley. Right back position should be ok for now with Orr and Lowe as possible options.

So to summarise we need a LB and CB minimum if the transfer window plays out as we expect.

Defense however isn't the only problem area, the midfield has contributed a lot to the defensive frailties we have seen over the past year or more. For that area to be addressed we need to get rid of some deadwood in midfield, however that is easier said than done when you consider the finance available to go out there and get those players we clearly need and the contractual situation we are in with some players.

[cn174]

Markus Olsson played as emergency left back at the end of the season - not my idea of a solution - but with Kean you never know.

I'm sure he played him there and hoped that people wouldn't notice that he was the crapollson!

[Rover_Shaun]

Shabbani Singhonia says that rovers are looking to do most of the transfers by the end of the week and we may only see 1 or 2 more players come in.

No mention of any recruitment for our dogsh1te defence

[Earlydoors]

We don't appear to be linked with any defenders during the window as we go all out seeking goals.

Do we have a major problem brewing?

Remember, Forwards, and Attacking Midfielders, cost more in transfer fees and wages than defenders, which means.............

Agents get more money trading them.

Defence is soooooooo last century.

The team doesn't need balance, just more overly priced/overly paid commission earning individuals

[roversoutsider]

If two players come in, one will be Silva and the other will have to be a Cb who can play at LB! Don't really know how good the likes of morris and henley are throughout the entire season. I can see Ollson staying with us if he doesnt get a move to a top decent club. My back 4 would ideally be Orr/Hanley/Dann/Givet

Givet is poor at LB but he wont be caught wanting at the championship.

[hesfromburn]

We also have that other hanley from the youth team who has played all across the back 4, and did we release ramm or is he still with us?

[1864roverite]

Steve KEANSCUM is a cock, why do you think he would begin to address the defensive side of the football team ? He hasnt got a fooking scooby doo about anything to do with setting up a football team tactic wise.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I've always been a believer in having two players for each position ideally. Looking at the current squad we really need another CB, so that we have Givet/Hanley/Dann/unamed player as the central defender options.

I'm not sure a championship club can afford to have two for every position, each being good enough for this level.

[Robert Tressell]

Its pretty depressing that Orr and Dann seem to be our automatic starters now, both are dross, doesn;t Orr still owe us an apology? I cant; wait for the day when there is a new regime or at least new manager who will start assembling a competive team, and not just use it as a PR exercise. i was always impressed when Souness came in and he quickly sorted out the wheat from the chaff. whoever our new owners will be in the future, however distant, the work is forever piling up for them, not only will they need to revemp playing squad, but they will have to pay up the contracts of the car salesmen-like chancers who are swelling the ranks plus also the horrible pschyo drunk who goes around calling himself 'braveheart', if rumours turn out to be true.

[thenodrog]

I'm not sure a championship club can afford to have two for every position, each being good enough for this level.

Indeed not. Allardyce recognised that for a low cost club in the Prem and seemed to value utility players who could play in more than one position very highly. A smaller squad but one that is interchangeable being the way forward.

[Kelbo]

Our friends down the road have signed the centre back we should have been going for, the best in the Championship and captain at Derby!!

[donnermeat]

Our friends down the road have signed the centre back we should have been going for, the best in the Championship and captain at Derby!!

I would definitely agree with this, a very good player at this level. Always impressed me whenever I've seen him.

[jim mk2]

We don't appear to be linked with any defenders during the window as we go all out seeking goals.

Should be another "exciting" season then with goals flying in at both ends - ours in particular.

At least the ninnies who complained about the lack of "entertainment" under Allardyce will be pleased.

[Majiball]

Jack O'Connell is with the first team next season.

[MarkBRFC71]

Indeed not. Allardyce recognised that for a low cost club in the Prem and seemed to value utility players who could play in more than one position very highly. A smaller squad but one that is interchangeable being the way forward.

Is that why he signed 3 specialist right-backs within weeks of each other?

[roversfan99]

Right Back:

Orr - Forgetting what he said after the Wigan game, he did well for us last season and is proven at this level.

Lowe - A more than able deputy at this level assuming we have enough cover in midfield.

Henley - Needed at left back

Centre Back:

Givet - You'll struggle to find a better centre back in the league when he's on his game, however we have to hope he is 'available' and also the club ties him down to a new contract.

Hanley - Showed promised last year, I would expect him to be fine at this level.

Dann - A complete donkey last season. But I don't see us bringing in a replacement so we might need to hope he can suddenly get back to the level we had expected now we are a division below. I would class him as 3rd choice.

O'Connell - Never seen him, wouldn't like to put pressure on him and would rather loan him out and get another player in.

Left back:

Mn Olsson - I've accepted he won't be here.

Henley - Promising but still young, I would be happy to give him a go.

Morris/Givet at a push for back-up.

I think we definitely need another left back, and a centre back ideally too. I doubt this will happen though.

[Stuart]

_{http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/9802495.Givet_will_seek_Rovers_talks/?ref=nt}

It's looking like the club are getting ready to make Givet out to be the bad guy.

If we sell Givet, it's curtains as far as I'm concerned.

Didn't he (allegedly) stand up to Kean last season? Odd that he's now being linked with a move away. I sense another "Salgado injury" on the horizon.

[JAL]

Jack O'Connell is with the first team next season.

Looked a tad too slow at home to Burnley youths and duly got sent off. Plus Chelseas kids kept putting them slide balls inbehind him he just didnt have a clue how to handle it.

From what i've seen of young Jack i'd say hed be more suited to playing for Tranmere Rovers than Blackburn Rovers but then again this lot seem to be hell bent on lowering the standards of Blackburn football so it probably fits in with what they are trying to achieve. The barstewards!