Alternative fullback options?

[sirpiechucker]

Now that we've missed out on Eckersley (can't say I blame the lad for wanting Premiership football) who should we go after?

[stainrodisalegend]

Ideally Fox. Spurr wd also be great. However, the attempt to sign Eckersley suggests we are looking for a year's loan to save money. Wd like Gunter (even at right back) but that seems dead as he didn't want to play left back. I see Roma are after Bale on a season's loan "as cover". That being so might 'arry prefer him to have first team football in the Championship? Probably too good for us but might be worth a phone call. Suspect the same applies with Gibbs. Also thought Moritz Voltz on a free wd be good at right back, but obviously that doesn't replace Delaney. Beyond that my friend I haven't a clue, maybe a matter of trawling the reserve and even youth teams of various premiership clubs.

[sirpiechucker]

How about Cranie or even Fabio (brother of Raphael Da Silva)? Michael Ball is still available and if we are serious than the likes of Fox, Spurr and Gunter should all be options.

[stainrodisalegend]

Crainie good shout - there seemed to be renewed interest a month or so ago that went suddenly quiet. Anyone know the situation? Suspect Da Silva wd be brilliant, and consequently beyond us. Michael Ball still v gd for an old 'un. I agree we should be after Fox and Spurr but it begs your question whether we really are serious. IF (and it remains an if) this Italian journeyman is the sum total of the reinforcements to our strike force then I would suggest it shows very clearly that we are not serious.

[sirpiechucker]

We've obviously got to have good players to get us up but the problem we have is that we seem to want to sign players who have reached their peak. Agyemang, Helgsuon and now supposedly Pellicori won't improve as players and if we do reach the Premiership we will be stuck with high earning low quality strikers. The reason we will struggle to sell Hall etc is because no team that is looking towards promotion will want them and no team trying to survive can afford them.

[stainrodisalegend]

Which begs the question: long term, will they still be seen as such bargains?

[NewarkR]

How do we know they won't improve?

Will Magilton's tactics suit them better than last year's manager's tactics?

If we reach the premiership, they will have got us there...so they may be more sought after than you think.

[suttonranger]

By Eckers like.........will only have one year in the prem and we will probably see him playing for them down here next year

[stainrodisalegend]

I think Sir Pie's point is that by the age of 28 (Agyman?) and 32 (Helguson?) you are no longer buying a player of promise, he does what he does. Agyman might burst into a great Indian summer but I'm not convinced.

[Youvebeenrangered]

Fox is the most natural LB i can think of who is decent and who we might actually stand a chance of getting.

I guess we just have to wait and see if the board put up the cash. Unfotunatley i dont think they will. But i hope i am proved wrong.

I assume fox would cost around 1 million.

[kingo]

By the look of what JM did at Aldershot, he is looking to see if any of our existing players might be able to fill the fb positions. Rose apparently played there very well and has the speed to overlap, maybe he might uncover a gem that is already with us.

[sirpiechucker]

I think Sir Pie's point is that by the age of 28 (Agyman?) and 32 (Helguson?) you are no longer buying a player of promise, he does what he does. Agyman might burst into a great Indian summer but I'm not convinced.

That is my point and my worry. Why not buy young players who may or may not develop but you can sign on lower salaries and are young enough to sell off if they don't turn into the play you expected them to be. When you sign players who are nearer the end of their career they have learnt their trade and their good/bad habits and have peaked. If Agyemang or Helguson had the quality to play at a higher level then like Jason Scotland they would have been snapped up.

[NewarkR]

Jason Scotland was 28 when he signed for Swansea. Had a good season in League 1 then one good season in the Championship.

Wigan are taking a huge punt on him too.

[stainrodisalegend]

Re Fox, Forest have already reportedly bid £1.6m. If our response to having the worst scoring record in the entire football league is to buy an Italian journeyman for 200,000 Euros I think it is very unlikely we wd pay anything like that for a left back. Love to be proved wrong of course...

[BennyBoyRs]

I'd rather not have Cranie as a full back as he's not ideal for getting forward. Be great as an additional CB but having Cranie as FB is like having Buzz on the wing. Good, but nowhere near as effective as a central role.

Left Backs...

Dan Fox from Cov
Tommy Spurr from Wednesday
Ryan Bertrand from Chelski

Right Back...

Nate Clyne from Palace
Alan Tate from Swansea
Lloyd Doyley from Watford (can play LB & CB too)
Carlos Edwards from Sunderland (can play on the wing too)
Chris Gunter from Spuds (can play LB too)
Gavin Hoyte from Arsenal

That's just off the top of my head.