Bid for Matt Mills

[Jim Smith 2,317]

Don''t really rate Mills. Holt gave him an absolute working over when we played them at the Majeski and I don''t think he''s any better than the 3 we have already. If we are to bring in a centre half (and I hope we do) then in my view it needs to be someone with a bit of experience of prem football as the rest of the side is going to be rather short on it.

[Smudger 0]

[quote user="Beauseant"]

[quote user="Smudger"][quote user=" Badger"]I''m sure that he is a good player but in the play offs, isn''t he the one that made the mistake for the first and put through his own net for the second. Then got one back from a corner?[/quote]I think that was Khizanishvili wasn''t it?As for Mills, I think he is one of the better centre halves from the Championship, but would agree with GJL and say that he is no better than what we already have here already.As for those who keep putting Barnett as the best centre half currently at the club, you already know my feelings on that.  Ward is the best and then Whitbread for me.  Barnett gives the ball directly back to the opposition too easily and we will get punished for that in the Premiership.  I assume that is why West Brom decided to sell him???[/quote]

 

While I agree with you with regard to Mills, who would be an excellent signing, I have to take you to task on Ward, Smudge.

He''s very assured on the ball and passes well, but the primary function of a centre back is to defend and that''s where the problems start. He switches off at key moments and, more importantly, has a basic technical defect when he goes into a challenge. If you watch the build ups to Reading''s and Bristol City''s equalisers at Carrow Road and Hull''s equaliser at the KC you''ll see exactly the same scenario.Player runs directly at Ward who turns side on and tries to tackle with one foot, instead of using his full body. The other critical example is the build up to the free kick for Swansea''s first at the Liberty. Again, Ward, given the chance to take the man out 15 yards outside the box, waves an ineffectual leg, forcing Whitbread to concede a free kick (and pick up a booking) on the edge of the area. I love a graceful centre back as much as the next man, but there''s a time where you''ve either got to win the ball or put the man on the floor, and Ward doesn''t have that ruthlessness.

Whitbread is a class act, although his lack of pace may be an issue, whereas Barnett is raw, but has the athleticism to recover most of his mistakes. To me they are abest current two, but we need to upgrade, and Mills certainly fits the bill, in that he''s big, mobile, a natural leader and good on the ground as well as in the air

[/quote]Sorry Rob, but yet again you are unwilling to stick your head the parapet and go against the majority feeling of the fans - a rather recurrent theme when it comes to the leadershp of NCISA me thinks???Same as Simeon Jackson was c. rap until he proved you all wrong last season hey?  Even though his strike rate for minutes spent on the pitch was as good as most strikers in the league all season long!If you don''t think that Ward tackles hard you must be watching a different player to me.  I would love to see how you (even at your best several years ago) would have come off in a challenge against him.  Ward is also the strongest tackler along with Tierney in our squad and although I am struggling to come up with examples he often left opposition players on the floor wincing after crushing them and winning the ball fairly last season.  Me thinks that you like many are looking for fault in a player who our defence would be totally lost without.He is our most experienced defender now that Tierney has taken Drurys place and with Ward being the organiser of our defence, we will need a really good signing and far better than either Mills or Barnett to replace him!I think Lambert will start with Ward, unless he brings in somebody of real quality and I think that we will find without him in the side we are not as good a team as with him in it.  Our Form was better with Ward and Whitbread at the back than it was all season long (just as I said it would be if they were to stay injury free when Barnett first got injured - to much derision on here).