Without Terry, Drogba (best defensive header in prem) and Ricky for a while we will be very very week at the back in the air. We may even have no Cech for a while ?

Expect us to leak goals like today, from good crossed balls into the box were very vunerable.

We must buy a good strong aerial header center back, someone who sticks his head where others dont.

Woodgate would for me fill this roll.

Haim > Woodgate deal would be perfect.

I think we have a more pressing need for a quicker, Gallas type CB as opposed to another big centre half. Obviously someone who can do both (like Richards) would be ideal, but I can't see anyone better than Ben Haim coming in and being happy as a 4th choice CB. I think even Ben Haim is going to get sick of it if/when our injuries calm down and his left riding the pine on the bench.

I think we have a more pressing need for a quicker, Gallas type CB as opposed to another big centre half. Obviously someone who can do both (like Richards) would be ideal, but I can't see anyone better than Ben Haim coming in and being happy as a 4th choice CB. I think even Ben Haim is going to get sick of it if/when our injuries calm down and his left riding the pine on the bench.

I make you right Qaz

we are blessed with Two superb CHs and a very good Alex as back up, who any better than TBH (although there are not many worse:wink: )

would want to come and sit it out 90% of the time,

surely our injuries and suspensions cant keep going as they are and if they dont we will be fine in that department.

He would fit right in, with all his injuries

I fell sorry for tal- he's a decent player and a good fourth choice- obviously not ideal to have our world class defenders constantly injured, but tal playing every second week won't help him get a rythm going...

I'm happy with him- a decent central defender to provide a bit of cover, plus with experience of playing as a fullback.

Agree G4, I really don't understand the TBH bashing that seems to happen on here every day.

HE IS OUR 4TH CHOICE!!! Seriously, who the hell is out there who would be a better, realistic option to fulfill that role in the squad.

Yes, he has his limitations as a defender - I don't think anyone would claim he is honestly ever going to be 1st choice, but then he wasn't 'bought' for that was he? We've just been unfortunate enough that he has had to be our starting centre-back more times than expected, but that's hardly his fault, is it!

Sometimes I think people are a tad far fetched when it comes to talking about the quality they want from the back ups back up! Under a normal run of luck your 4th choice centre half might get a handful of games all season and they will be in the league cup, the odd league game and maybe a FA Cup draw against a lower league side.

What player of quality is going to be happy being the 4th choice squad player given the lack of opportunity of first team football - we are actually fairly fortunate that our fourth choice is an established international with ample Premiership experience. Not saying I rate him as a first choice centre half but we aren't going to get better as a fourth choice.

Sometimes I think people are a tad far fetched when it comes to talking about the quality they want from the back ups back up! Under a normal run of luck your 4th choice centre half might get a handful of games all season and they will be in the league cup, the odd league game and maybe a FA Cup draw against a lower league side.

What player of quality is going to be happy being the 4th choice squad player given the lack of opportunity of first team football - we are actually fairly fortunate that our fourth choice is an established international with ample Premiership experience. Not saying I rate him as a first choice centre half but we aren't going to get better as a fourth choice.

I'm not talking about 4th choice, im talking FIRST choice, at least through till Feb/March.

Were going to struggle with aerial balls, thats apparent after today, the Villa 3rd goal was a prime example.

We have the next 3 games to sort this aerial weekness out.

But without Drogba, Terry & Ricky at the back, who have we got who can be dominant in the air ?

So we need to find a player good enough for our first team who is going to shake hands on a deal that gives him one or two months of football before he is dumped out of the team - I can imagine the size of the queue!

In these circumstances you either go down one of two routes - you either place faith in a youngster or you try and pick up a short term deal for a player near the end of his career who you hope can go do a job for you for a couple of months - you won;t be picking up a quality player with their career still very much in progress.

Personally I think we should have made a move for Ayala when he wanted out of Valencia but even that would have given us problems as he would have been expecting first team football as well.

So we need to find a player good enough for our first team who is going to shake hands on a deal that gives him one or two months of football before he is dumped out of the team - I can imagine the size of the queue!

In these circumstances you either go down one of two routes - you either place faith in a youngster or you try and pick up a short term deal for a player near the end of his career who you hope can go do a job for you for a couple of months - you won;t be picking up a quality player with their career still very much in progress.

Personally I think we should have made a move for Ayala when he wanted out of Valencia but even that would have given us problems as he would have been expecting first team football as well.

The first route would be the best option, but i think a journeyman like Woodgate would relish the chance of 2 months first team football under the richest club owner in the world. He would have a big enough chance to play himself into the fold even when we have a full squad.

The amount of times Woodgates gets head to ball is very impressive.

I rate Woodgate and called for us to sign him before Boro tied him up hwoever I don't think the idea of 2 months firts team football would appeal to him - he has missed about half his career through injury, what I woule imagine he craves more than anything is regular first team football for an extended period (could be wrong though)

I heard a lot of praise from my Russian mates about this Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic from Locomotiv Moscow. He is 23, very highly rated, and can play center back and right back.

He was linked to us earlier and Grant went to see him play in Russia. Wouldn't be surprised if our current defensive crisis facilitated an urgent move for the Serbian come next month(oh forget it, next week, asap!)

I heard that Abramovic when he went to watch Russia play in the Euro 2008 qualifying matches, he had interest in Vasili Berezutskiy, 25 year old russian defender. I think he's on CSKA Moskow, but im not sure on that.

Why not give a young centre half a chance? Someone like Mancienne (although I know he's on loan at the moment). What's the point in having in producing these players if we're never going to give them a chance?