Quote Originally Posted by AucklandRover View Post
I'm still sceptical. For the purpose you're suggesting, we might as well have kept Ward. If we're bringing in an experienced player cheaply, mainly as cover, he isn't going to be top-notch, and if it's a youngster with little first-team experience, it's a gamble. At least the club knows what Wharton can do. As for Bauer, I should have thought he would cost about a million. At that price, he'd be expecting a regular place.
Mowbray mentioned having five centre-backs on the park after the Port Vale game. It just doesn't look like a priority to me. Obviously, if Mulgrew and Lenihan both get injured in the first week, I'm wrong, but how far do you go down that risk-assessment route? Logically, that would mean having three players for every position, and a huge squad!

No, I just think centre half is a key position. We need 2 competitive players for each position. Some area's we have players that can fill in. But Centre half in a league like the champ is absolutely key, same with central mid.
If we got this wrong, we would struggle all season. We are light in that area, as the youngsters you mention aren't close to the first team. We do know what Wharton can do, that's why we had him on loan in Div 2. Next stage for him would be Div 1 on loan. Not Rovers first team, he hasn't commanded a place.
We have 3 centre halves who can play, if one got injured we would be in massive trouble. We need another. Either a loan player, or someone cheap with Champ experience, or even return for the lad at Charlton again in Jan. He would have to fight for a place like Bell, regardless of his fee.
Ward wasn't up to it, and not someone TM could trust. Or we would be looking at other area's. There will be a reason that TM sees this as a position that needs some attention. We don't know, either Lenihan or Mulgrew may get used in midfield?