New loan signing Danny Collins says his fitness levels aren’t too bad despite not playing during the first month of the season. The 31-year-old, who has joined Town until the Barnsley game in December, impressed during the Blues’ 2-0 defeat at Bloomfield Road.

Collins said: "My fitness is not bad actually, especially as it was my first 90 minutes for about four or five weeks, and I felt good throughout the game.

"Mind you my legs were a bit stiff on Sunday morning! But in all seriousness, I really enjoyed it and it was good to be back out there playing."

The Welsh international, who has been in the top flight with Stoke and Sunderland for the last four years, says the game’s not the same in the Championship: "It's very different to the Premier League and there are a lot more aerial battles to contest in this division.

"The game was played at a fast pace and I even said to one of their boys when we were coming off at half-time that this was more like a cup tie than a league game.”

Meanwhile, coach Chris Hutchings has revealed that veteran Icelander Ívar Ingimarsson was left out of Saturday’s squad as it was felt he wasn’t quite ready to return after his thigh problem, with further training and a reserve match needed first: "We just felt that he needed a game under his belt.

“With Danny [Collins] coming in, that really made up our minds that it would be best if we gave him that extra bit of time in training.

"We've got four centre-backs in now which provides good competition for places and it means that those who have the shirt have to work hard to make sure they keep it."

The 34-year-old, who could be in contention for Monday's Sky game at home to Coventry, joined the Blues on a free transfer from Reading over the summer but has so far featured in only the 3-0 opening day win at Bristol City.

Photo: ITFC

Photo: Action Images

rosseden added 17:08 - Sep 13 ''We've got four centre-backs in now'' ok, so how do we take this, they have actually 'bought three in' so that means hutchings cant count, or 'we have five at the club , delany, ingi, collins, sonko, smith' so again he cant count...... or dont they consider Tommy Smith a centre back? mmmmmm, taxi for Mr Smith please..........
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blueherts added 17:28 - Sep 13 Or Delaney ???
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rosseden added 17:32 - Sep 13 Delaney still on the bench with TS wasnt on the bus though?
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fourth added 18:43 - Sep 13 PJ has asked Collins to sign PJs words and has associated it with fitness. Meaning? PJ wants Collins permanently, probably as captain and he is attacking other players via him for their unfitness.
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SouperJim added 19:15 - Sep 13 I guess he mans four first choice centre backs, so Delaney or Collins left side and Sonko or Ingimarsson right. I don't think it's unkind on Tommy Smith to say he needs more experience before he can really push for a place, he's still very young for a centre half.
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pmason added 20:28 - Sep 13 who cares if he's fit ? he's cr*p, slow and indecisive for a defender .... the exact reasons he failed at both sunderland and stoke !! we should be looking at a top preier league club to giv us a youth player for a year, look what the likes of johnny evans did for sunderland ? why cant jewell check something like that out, ill tell you why, he's afraid to take a chance and thats why he'll always go for has-beens

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Lennyboy added 20:38 - Sep 13 I think it's true to say that come January Collins will be signing a contract on a perm basis with the Blues, and from what I've seen of him he will do a fantastic job for us. Delaney is really not up to this league and I wish him well back in Ireland, but will be glad to see the back of him. I would also like to see the back of pmason, who obviously knows nothing of football and therefore must qualify as a Norwich fan; which I've suspected for some time now.

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Mark added 21:21 - Sep 13 Ingimarsson's injury came at a bad time for him as he was looking good, but we surely now have to stick with Collins and Sonko for the next few weeks to let them develop a partnership. Ingo and Delaney are very good players to have as backup and for competition, but not the sort of competition we had under Keane where players were rotated almost every match as they fell in and out of favour. We need to find a settled side and quickly. As Collins is here with a view to a permanent move, I would not mind if he were made captain if the is the right material. We need someone with experience who can motivate, organise and control...please take that armband off Leadbitter!

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Harry_Palmer added 21:49 - Sep 13 Yes pmason, I agree, I mean why hasnt PJ been in for John Terry or Rio? He hasn't even tried to get Smalling or Phil Jones or somebody on loan. PJ is a Crap Manager and all our players are crap, we are so crap! crap crap crap crap crap !!!
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itfcboi added 22:12 - Sep 13 I really wish some people on here wouldn't bother to get up in the mornings! Its still early doors. If we are still poor come chirstmas then yes some of the neggative comments would be justified. Lets see us get this awful under our belts and hopefully come christmas we will be grinding out the wins when other teams are tired and struggling! C'mon u Blues!
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oldbri added 00:29 - Sep 14 Thanks for the laugh ,pmason .Ha Ha Ha Ha ha ha.Yeah,That old Jewell,knows nothing about football.Im surprised he does not sign you up as an advisor.NOT.
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DiamondGezzer added 07:12 - Sep 14 I think once Mr. Collins has settled in [ and hopefully signed a permanant deal ] he'll do nicely, if Saturday was anything to go by. But its still early days.
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Pessimistic added 07:39 - Sep 14 Yes, we need stability at the back before we can build the rest of the team. Finally, there are real signs with Sonko and Collins that this could happen...
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SpecialK79 added 09:19 - Sep 14 pmason some of your comments are ridiculous! "we should be looking at a top preier league club to giv us a youth player for a year, look what the likes of johnny evans did for sunderland" players like evan would never come to the championship, seeing as hes played quite a few games so far for the champions kinda tells you something?!?! have faith in PJ i think collins is a top signing if we can get him on a permenant basis

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pmason added 15:56 - Sep 14 for those of you who totally mis-read my last post, let me spell it out again .. Dont get has-beens, theres plenty of young centre halfs at top clubs that dont ever play for there 1st team and never will, jewell either hasnt got the contacts or the b*lls to try for them ... And for specialk79 comment "i think collins is a top signing " . hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ... very hard to stop laughing at that

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