Town manager Paul Jewell wants his centre-halves to score six or seven goals each this season. Damien Delaney and Tommy Smith both had a number of chances from corners during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Hull but failed to take them, the Irish international coming closest when he hit the bar just before the break.

Jewell said: “We had 10 corners and we hit the bar with one of them. I think centre-halves go up for every freekick and corner and I think we should be getting six or seven goals from both centre-halves every season.

“It’s an area where I think they get away with murder, at every club. We’re entitled to quality balls in, you work all week on them, and they can win or lose you games.

“And against Hull, if we’d have taken a couple of those opportunities from corners where we hit the bar or headed over, it might have been a different story.”

The Blues boss says Town can’t just depend on Michael Chopra scoring, the rest of the side have to pitch in: “Chopra made some clever runs and he didn’t get a lot of help against Hull.

“He will score goals in this league, however, we can’t just rely on Chopra to score the goals, there have got to be more people in the team taking the responsibility to score.”

Jewell says Delaney was fine despite the ankle injury he suffered at Bristol City: “He wasn’t a risk. He trained with the physio on Thursday and trained again on Friday. He obviously got a kick on his ankle and it’s not ideal playing two left-sided centre-halves together.

“It’s obviously an area where we’re light and it’s an area where we’re desperately trying to strengthen.”

Skipper Grant Leadbitter also felt the Blues suffered from not taking their opportunities: “If you don’t take your chances you end up getting punished.”

The 25-year-old says he has already spoken with manager Paul Jewell about a possible new contract with further talks this week: “I am happy here. I still think we are a team going places.”

Photo: Action Images

textbackup added 08:15 - Aug 15 i'd rather they just learnt how to defend better first
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bluelady added 08:24 - Aug 15 Least if they score a few it will make up for some of the blunders!!!
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martleshamitfc added 08:29 - Aug 15 Sign Shotton from Stoke, he has being playing up front as well... or is that because he also can't defend?
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urbanblue added 09:00 - Aug 15 I would just like our central defenders to prevent goals !
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fourth added 09:02 - Aug 15 Yes, an interesting corollary with building the England cricket team...insisting on getting bowlers to bat. They now bat down to number 11 and are becoming a formidable team.
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legoman added 09:27 - Aug 15 Chopra made some clever runs but didn't have clever help ie Priskin!
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parkinshair added 09:32 - Aug 15 I'd just like more central defenders.
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cornishnick added 09:36 - Aug 15 Hope Leadbitter stays. Whatever his limitations, were a better squad with him than without him
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brogansnose added 09:36 - Aug 15 Can we them to do the basics first before the advanced stuff. In fairness the likes of Leadbitter should be weighing in with more goals not to mention the supposed strikers.
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casanovacrow added 09:50 - Aug 15 most goals by defenders happen from corners and with Leadbitter's delivery that ain't gonna happen. He rarely beets the 1st man.
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Luggworm added 09:57 - Aug 15 Cassa were you at the game? Leadbitter's delivery was spot on.
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Luggworm added 09:59 - Aug 15 Cassa were you at the game? Leadbitter's delivery was spot on.
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jert16 added 10:58 - Aug 15 in the first half leadbitter delivery was very good and damo was unlucky not to score.. also i dont understand 'two left footed defenders isnt ideal' you see two right sided defenders playing together all the time.. if the two defenders are good enough it will be fine, the fact is tommy smith isnt quite good enough at the moment im afraid
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HolbrookBlue added 11:07 - Aug 15 The biggest problem Saturday was the passing i.e. too many long balls. There was not too much shouting from the bench when the long ball was used, so I assume the long ball policy must come from the manager. Get the ball down to feet and Town will look a much better team.
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yorksblue added 11:11 - Aug 15 If we had some central defenders, it would be a start!
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casanovacrow added 11:15 - Aug 15 yes 1 was at the game, we had shed loads of corners, most didn't get past the front post as usual. The couple that did were spot on but we need good delivery near enough every time. would much rather play Drury and have him take the corners.
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Lightningboy added 11:19 - Aug 15 We need to get at least one more centre-back in as it looks like Ingimarsson's going to spend most of the season in the treatment room and Smith's low on confidence..plus a decent right-back!!
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Marcus added 11:28 - Aug 15 Does this include own goals?
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Garv added 11:28 - Aug 15 Trouble is jert left footed players are incredibly one footed, incredibly. If you were to watch even Jack Wilshere solidly for 90 minutes I think you'd do well to find 5 touches with his right foot, Clichy is another prime example. In relation to us it was very similar in the case of Jack Colback, these players refuse to pass with their right foot even when in a good position to do so and its so frustrating to watch, they just keep spinning on their left and lose the opportunity. Most footballers are fairly one footed (bizarre to me why they don't spend whole training sessions on their weak foot) but left footers more than right imo. Not always the case mind, RVP at Arsenal has a quality right foot. But yer, my point is two left footed central defenders won't work I think. Ideal situation would obviously be a righty and a lefty ala McAuley-Delaney.

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ITFC1985 added 13:46 - Aug 15 id just like us to be consistent......
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TractorRoyNo1 added 13:54 - Aug 15 i'd settle for tackles from central defenders after saturday's 'soft' goal
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50yearsablue added 15:03 - Aug 15 casanovacrow, I'm usually the first to criticise Leadbitter's propensity for hitting first man at corners but you are being unkind to him regarding Saturday. Virtually all were in the danger area, and away from the keeper, so we ought to have made more of them.
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HBK added 15:42 - Aug 15 How about more clean sheets from our strikers too?! Not the way to play football is it Paul
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pazelle added 17:15 - Aug 15 Had a quid at 40/1 each on both Smith and Delaney Saturday! You should have scored you wallys! If we seriously want to score goals we should play Priskin and Chopra up front - looks like we're not serious about it, we'll just lose these kind of games and talk about signings and make hindsight strengthened observations when the answer's right under our nose! Never mind, there's still hope that Priskin and Chopra will start - by accident!

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dannyhegan added 17:44 - Aug 15 Better get some more central defenders then for a start!
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