Burns: Will Forest make it the perfect ten?
IT has been another busy week at the City Ground, with more signings coming through the door.
Polish international Radoslaw Majewski, QPR striker Dexter Blackstock and Brighton full back Joel Lynch have all arrived.
Add them to Dele Adebola, David McGoldrick, Paul Anderson, Lee Camp, Paul McKenna and Chris Gunter, the Reds now have nine new men on their books.
Great stuff. It was needed. But they are still missing one very big piece to make it the perfect ten. A central defender.
I have said before it seems like only two clubs have been spending this summer – Real Madrid and Nottingham Forest.
And hats off to the chairman Nigel Doughty for his financial backing to make those happen.
But a centre-half has to be a massive priority.
At the start of the season, Billy Davies had two main targets. A leader in the centre of the park and a nasty centre-half. He has got one in Paul McKenna, now he needs that tough-tackling defender.
It is crucial and Davies is desperate to get one in. And if he does, it will be complete.
Look at that squad to the one 12 months ago and it is a whole different ball game.
Now it has experience, more quality and balance and it should be competing at the right end of the Championship table.
He has players now who can boss matters out on the pitch, players who can win their individual battles.
If anything, out of the ten battles going on out there in a game, the Reds were losing six or seven. Now they should be winning six or seven.
With players like Gunter, McKenna, Adebola and Blackstock, they will not be bullied.
It makes it interesting but I would like to see Davies get his wish and the board get him his defensive linchpin.
They missed out on Shaun Barker to Derby. Nobody wants to see another fall by the wayside.
So hopefully, we will see that cheque book coming out one last time to complete the hectic summer transfer action at the City Ground.
10 Comments
by Saddened, Nottingham
Monday, July 27 2009, 7:47PM
“Now why can`t you be that positive about Notts County ?????
Anybody would think you had a bias view in favour of nottingham forest.”
by mikeyboy, nottingham
Monday, July 27 2009, 3:41PM
“ND is not keen on paying big wages i cant blame him but for balde and sol surly somthing could be worked out ? something along the lines of a coaching role as well as playing on the pitch ! we have a lot of youth in our defence who would come along very quickly while playing with these 2 and who better than sol camble to instruct them in the ways of the premiership ! but i dont think it would happen even if bobo is on a free , what a team it would be though ? oh well you never know at forest , 2 mill for camble as a player coach or 2 -3 mil for matt mills? i know who'd id have !”
by Charlie Hazlett, Newcastle
Monday, July 27 2009, 2:31PM
“I agree we deffo need a centre back, i think bennett should be given a chance a lb because he was great in leage one and didnt really get a chance in the championship, as for bobo balde i am sure he is on a free, if we do loose wes i think we need something like elliott ward or matt mills to partner someone for experienced balde campbell etc.”
by Dean, Clunderwen
Monday, July 27 2009, 10:45AM
“Balde??? Really Mike? Really rate him, but haven't seen him lately. Watching him and Silla for Celtic a few years ago was great stuff. He's a rock and Silla was the outlet. Wes has fallen away a bit, but with Sol at his side (like you suggested with Lynch etc.) he's still very young for a CB and could come along nicely. But Campbell AND Balde. Yeah! Wow!”
by John Brindley, Sheffield
Monday, July 27 2009, 10:06AM
“Me in hotel in Egypt still and this man offers me an Egyptian centre half for just $100,000 or less if you throw in a couple of camels - Kelvin Wilson and....?
Seriously, had a rest between drinks now, and Kenny you are obviously right. Without you and Lloydy and Shilts in goal, we wouldn't have won the County Cup two years in a row, never mind the EUROPEAN CUP (bless the mighty Reds!!!!!!)”
by nevermind, eh!
Monday, July 27 2009, 9:58AM
“what have you got to be angry about? I thought everything was hunky dorey at county? Are you angry because you havent got a training ground or any scouts? Or is it that you're angry that all these stay away magpies are now crawling out of the woodwork? Yes, I can see what you mean.”
by mikeyboy, nottingham
Monday, July 27 2009, 9:51AM
“i heard it to dean its a tricky one to predict ? he's got a 2 mil price tag on him which is in our price range but i think his wages will not be ! it would be good to have him here on a player defence coaching role to bring the likes of lynch and the other young lands on , as for wes i dont rate him at this level he cant hold his possition and leaves us exposed alot but the state our back line is in at the minute we cant let any first team defenders go , sol would be great also bobo balde is looking like he still dosnt know where he is gunna be playing this season we'd get him for a cool 1.7 or 2 mill but then the wages would be a factor again who knows ? but imagine a forest defense with those 2 in it! a CB or 2 and a LB is a must at the minute 2 weeks to go ,”
by Angry pie, Notts County
Monday, July 27 2009, 9:16AM
“SPOT ON BURNS ANOTHER JOKE OF A POST.... WAKE UP SMELL THE COFFEE.. BET U COULDNT WAIT TO GET ON HERE POST SOMETHING WHEN WE BEAT YOU SATURDAY AWWW.. SAD MAN!!!”
by Dean, Clunderwen
Monday, July 27 2009, 8:55AM
“I notice big Wesis being eyed up by Paul Hart as a replacement Sol Campbell. There was word that Sol was spotted in Nottingham. I don't know if was a joke but that would be nice, though moreso alongside big Wes. Anyone know about that?”
by Gary, Westborough
Monday, July 27 2009, 6:31AM
“Spot on again Mr Burns. But I would prefer to see two more centre backs arriving. If the county match/loss was anything to go by then our main weakness is the defence. Forest got caught out twice. Also it would be nice to see a centre half that can actually pass the ball because Morgan & Wilson are hopeless at this, they constantly concede possession by aimless humped balls up the pitch.
A very pleasing close season.”