[Archived] Do We Have Adequate Cover For Injuries

[Rover down South]

OBVIOUSLY SUBJECT TO CHANGE IF ANY PLAYERS ARE SIGNED & ASSUMING ALL PLAYERS ARE FIT.

GK - FRIEDEL (Nielsen, Brown)

RB - EMERTON (???? & he isn't really an established right back as such, more midfield)

LB - WARNOCK (Berner)

CB - NELSEN (Khizanishvili)

CB - SAMBA (Ooijer)

RM - BENTLEY (Derbyshire or Gallacher)

LM - PEDERSEN (Peter)

CM - REID (Tugay or Dunn)

CM - SAVAGE (Mokoena)

ST - McCARTHY (Derbyshire or Rigters)

ST - ROBERTS (Jeffers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Personally I think we need to get signing some players, this squad hasn't enough depth for another european campaign as well as domestic competitions. Not when you consider Nelsen, Khizanishvili, Ooijer, Reid & Savage have all just returned from serious injuries so we could lose any of them. Tugay, although a quality player is getting no younger & Dunny's fitness is not quite at its best yet. Once that transfer window closes thats it, if we end up with lots of injuries we could be out of Europe & some way down the league before we can do anything about signings. No disrepect to Neilsen or Rigters but the only positive I can see this summer is Steven Reid returning & that could go pear shaped at any time (fingers crossed he will be ok). I know money is a major factor but its about time we really challenged. What do you all think?

[elwaxo]

OBVIOUSLY SUBJECT TO CHANGE IF ANY PLAYERS ARE SIGNED & ASSUMING ALL PLAYERS ARE FIT.

GK - FRIEDEL (Nielsen, Brown)

RB - EMERTON (???? & he isn't really an established right back as such, more midfield)

LB - WARNOCK (Berner)

CB - NELSEN (Khizanishvili)

CB - SAMBA (Ooijer)

RM - BENTLEY (Derbyshire or Gallacher)

LM - PEDERSEN (Peter)

CM - REID (Tugay or Dunn)

CM - SAVAGE (Mokoena)

ST - McCARTHY (Derbyshire or Rigters)

ST - ROBERTS (Jeffers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Personally I think we need to get signing some players, this squad hasn't enough depth for another european campaign as well as domestic competitions. Not when you consider Nelsen, Khizanishvili, Ooijer, Reid & Savage have all just returned from serious injuries so we could lose any of them. Tugay, although a quality player is getting no younger & Dunny's fitness is not quite at its best yet. Once that transfer window closes thats it, if we end up with lots of injuries we could be out of Europe & some way down the league before we can do anything about signings. No disrepect to Neilsen or Rigters but the only positive I can see this summer is Steven Reid returning & that could go pear shaped at any time (fingers crossed he will be ok). I know money is a major factor but its about time we really challenged. What do you all think?

A big bed cover should do the job...........good night!

[USABlue]

You never can tell with those sort of things can you. Look at the Geordies last year.

[Beta Ray Bill]

Ooijer is also cover for RB, as is Zurab (and even Moko).

Henchoz is additional cover at CB, as is Moko.

Isn't Enckleman still around for keeper cover, or has he gone whilst I've been on holiday?

Dunn can play LM to a degree.

Bentley has performed support striker role.

A club our size cannot have a huge squad for so many reasons - the main ones being cost and keeping the squad happy. Really can't see it expanding much.

[herbergeehh]

GK - FRIEDEL (Brown, Nielsen)

RB - EMERTON (Ooijer, Zura)

LB - WARNOCK (Berner)

CB - NELSEN (Ooijer, Zura, Henchoz)

CB - SAMBA (Ooijer, Zura, Henchoz)

RM - BENTLEY (Emerton, Derbyshire, Gallagher)

LM - PEDERSEN (Dunn, Peter)

CM - REID (Tugay, Dunn, Mokoena)

CM - SAVAGE (Tugay, Dunn, Mokoena)

ST - McCARTHY (Derbyshire or Rigters)

ST - ROBERTS (Derbyshire, Rigters)

With a new striker coming in and players like Treacy (LM) and Andy Taylor, Eddie Nolan, Tony Kane (D) I think we will have decent cover. You can never guard yourself 100% against injuries, and especially not in a club like Blackburn - but with a lot of adaptability in our team we'll do just fine.

[American]

I would like to see Sparky use more of the depth he has this season in all competitions.

[herbergeehh]

Are you thinking of the younger players with that statement?

Treacy, Garner and the three abovementioned defenders should all be knocking this season, at least in a cup match or two.

[Rover down South]

Are you thinking of the younger players with that statement?

Treacy, Garner and the three abovementioned defenders should all be knocking this season, at least in a cup match or two.

Didn't account for them, just the players who were first team last season, but he should start bringing them through then. Derbyshire is a future star, lets see more of them break through like him.

[brfc fan]

Reid can play on the wing as well if it's urgent.

[Eddie]

The big gap is at central midfield. It's quite realistic to see two central midfielders being out at the same time, especially given the fact that Savage and Reid are coming back from serious injuries, Dunn has a poor fitness record and Tugay is another year older. Hopefully we either bring someone in or there is a youth product ready to step-up (although it appears that isn't the case just now). Right midfield is also lacking in depth, but I'm less concerned there because of the fact that neither Bentley or Emerton seem to get injured much and it is also a less important position. In a perfect world we would bring in another right back, right midfielder, central midfielder and striker, but I'd settle for a striker and a central midfielder.

[Rover down South]

The big gap is at central midfield. It's quite realistic to see two central midfielders being out at the same time, especially given the fact that Savage and Reid are coming back from serious injuries, Dunn has a poor fitness record and Tugay is another year older. Hopefully we either bring someone in or there is a youth product ready to step-up (although it appears that isn't the case just now). Right midfield is also lacking in depth, but I'm less concerned there because of the fact that neither Bentley or Emerton seem to get injured much and it is also a less important position. In a perfect world we would bring in another right back, right midfielder, central midfielder and striker, but I'd settle for a striker and a central midfielder.

You have summed it up perfectly there & I totally agree. A friend of mine is an Arsenal fan & he reckons Justin Hoyte would be available for £2.5m as he is now 3rd choice, that would solve the right back position.

[USRoverME]

I really don't see us getting a right back. Are we really a better team if we demote Bert mk2 to a bit part role player? Since any decent right back coming in will want guaranteed consistant 1st team action, and Emo isn't taking Bentley's playing time anytime soon, after all despite 11 Yellows and a Red, Bentley led the team in starts last season (behind Brad).

If we are worried about cover, I'd slot the Admiral over there or Ooijer when he';s in a bit better playing fitness over spending money on a player who will take time to fit into a defense which spent most of last season trying to adjust to different pairings (Nelsen, Zurab, and Ooijer injuries, Samba and Warnock coming in at the window, etc). One thing we currently have a lot of are experienced defender who can slot in over there..we'd lose the punch of an attacking back, but we'd still be decently strong in defence, unless that needed cover coincides with a match against a super quick/gifted winger like Dive-iano Ronaldo

[John]

Last season was the acid test for us in terms of injuries, in that we had some major players out for long periods of time.

There will be injuries again this season but lets hope they are not as serious.

You would have thought Hughes knows now (considering how stretched we were last season) exactly where we need extra back-up.

[RevidgeBlue]

I disagree with most about central midfield being an area of concern, when all fully fit we have:

Savage Reid Tugay Dunn Mokoena

How many more central midfielders do we need?

The area that concerns me slightly is central defence. Love Nelsen and Samba as a combo, always feel extremely nervous watching any of Zurab/Ooijer/Henchoz in that position.

Who do we lose to the African Cup in January? McCarthy/ Mokeona/Samba ?

[Rob of the Rovers]

I disagree with most about central midfield being an area of concern, when all fully fit we have:

Savage Reid Tugay Dunn Mokoena

How many more central midfielders do we need?

The area that concerns me slightly is central defence. Love Nelsen and Samba as a combo, always feel extremely nervous watching any of Zurab/Ooijer/Henchoz in that position.

Who do we lose to the African Cup in January? McCarthy/ Mokeona/Samba ?

Without checking, I'd be suprised if Samba's country has qualified for the African Nations Cup.

I agree that there is no need for extra depth in central midfield. Indeed, this is probably the strongest squad in terms of depth that we have had in recent times!

[Rover down South]

Without checking, I'd be suprised if Samba's country has qualified for the African Nations Cup.

I agree that there is no need for extra depth in central midfield. Indeed, this is probably the strongest squad in terms of depth that we have had in recent times!

Samba's country were top of their group (doesn't include the last two results against Ethiopia) the other two countries in the group are Namibia & Libya.

As for Mokeona he will probably go as South Africa are a strong nation expected to qualify, but didn't McCarthy have a fall out with the national manager 7 not been playing??

[frosty]

The big gap is at central midfield. It's quite realistic to see two central midfielders being out at the same time, especially given the fact that Savage and Reid are coming back from serious injuries, Dunn has a poor fitness record and Tugay is another year older. Hopefully we either bring someone in or there is a youth product ready to step-up (although it appears that isn't the case just now). Right midfield is also lacking in depth, but I'm less concerned there because of the fact that neither Bentley or Emerton seem to get injured much and it is also a less important position. In a perfect world we would bring in another right back, right midfielder, central midfielder and striker, but I'd settle for a striker and a central midfielder.

Agreed. Another centre midfielder, preferably a young one, would be brilliant.

[philipl]

Rovers probably have the strongest and deepest squad in the club's history.

Each of the core twins in the side has five Premiership quality seasoned players with international experience competing for the starting line-up/bench:

CD- Nelsen, Samba. Zura, Ooijer and Henchoz

CM- Tugay, Savage, Reid, Dunn and Mokoena

CF- Benni, Roberts, Roque, Derbs and Rigter

In goal we have super Brad and Jason Brown and Enks as cover.

RB looks thin with just Emo but Zura and Ooijer can cover. LB is a position where predominantly right footers cannot cover so easily and from the snippets I have seen, Berner is not far behind the quality of Warnock and MGP could do a job there at a big push.

Left wing has cover in Peter whilst Dunn has played LW and Dunn, Emo and Reid provide cover for Bents at RW.

All this before considering there are Gally, Jeffers and Garner/Barker (keep forgetting which old hero we kept!) available up front and the likes of Nolan and Treacy pushing through from the youngsters.

We would need to have about six players out before we begin to look challenged for cover.

[John]

Philip - I constantly admire the positive spin you always put onto things.

Remind me again, how can you associate the Axe and David Dunn as being Premiership quality seasoned players????? Also, when was the last time Steven Reid played a first team match? Is Tugay really going to play more than a cameo role?

You are simply living in a dream world - many teams are going to take apart our central midfield.

[brfc fan]

In a perfect world we would bring in another right back, right midfielder, central midfielder and striker, but I'd settle for a striker and a central midfielder.

Well we have a striker now.

[RoyRover]

Agreed. Another centre midfielder, preferably a young one, would be brilliant.

A young, creative one would be even better! I do think that we have strength in depth all over the team. We have five centre backs, two of which can play at right back should Emerton be injuried. We have two good left backs, with a Andy Taylor in the reserves who apparently is the business. We have to recognised left wingers, with Emerton, Bentley and Dunn being able to do a job there is needs be. We have five men who can play in the middle of the park, although I would like to see more quality added to this position. There are four players who can play on the right, while we have more strikers than we can shake a stick at and that's not including Santa Cruz.

In theory we have enough players to fill in for injuries and only in the event of disaster should we struggle to find adequete cover. The only positions that I feel that we could add to in terms of quality would be in the midfield, where a more creative influence to replace Tugay would be most useful, while less urgently and in no way detracting from Brett Emerton's performances last year, a top class right back.

[savage8]

Philip - I constantly admire the positive spin you always put onto things.

Remind me again, how can you associate the Axe and David Dunn as being Premiership quality seasoned players????? Also, when was the last time Steven Reid played a first team match? Is Tugay really going to play more than a cameo role?

You are simply living in a dream world - many teams are going to take apart our central midfield.

of course they are premiership quality, how are they not?

[Al]

Am I the only one who sees a glaring weakness if MGP is injured for any length of time. Peter in my opinion is just not Premiership standard!

[G Somerset Rover]

Am I the only one who sees a glaring weakness if MGP is injured for any length of time. Peter in my opinion is just not Premiership standard!

I would have the same reservations Al. Despite us missing Morten's attacking capabilities I would be more worried about Peter's defensive game as MGP is one of the hardest working widemen in the league.

[Roar of the Rover]

We need cover on the wings, the replacements we've got don't have enough experience or aren't good enough.