Jewell Staying Patient as He Searches for Right Central Defender
Friday, 14th Sep 2012 06:02

Town manager Paul Jewell has urged patience as he looks to sign not just any centre-half but the right centre-half to compete with Luke Chambers and Tommy Smith for a place in his side. The Blues boss had hoped to bring in additional central defender before Saturday’s game at Middlesbrough but continues to draw a blank.

Jewell said: “I keep on asking people to be patient. We’ve got to bring the right players in, a lot of things have to fall into place - they’ve got to be better or as good as what we’ve got, they’ve got to want to come, they’ve got to be affordable. All the boxes have to be ticked and that’s not easy.”

Dismissing suggestions he’s under pressure to get a centre-half signed, sealed and in his squad, the Liverpudlian says has been offered plenty of players but that they weren’t of the required standard: “I want to bring a centre-back back in and we need a centre-back brought in, but I’m not under a lot of pressure.

“The pressure I’m under is what I put myself under. I could have brought in 20 centre-halves between the back end of last season and the start of this.

“But I’m trying to make sure the one I get is the right one. The pressure is to get the right one, not to bring a centre-half in.

“It’s about being strong and about saying to people who think they know better ‘Look, I’ve got to try and get the [right] centre-half in’.

“I’ve had three calls this morning about centre-halves, but I don’t think they’re better than what we’ve got.”

He admits though that one injury would see his squad very stretched: “We want to bring a centre-half in. We want to improve the team all over but we know we’re a centre-half light because we’ve only got two and if anything happened to them we’d be in trouble.

“We want someone to come in and put pressure on them as well, competition for places. People can jump up and down all they like, I’m not going to bring in a centre-half because it appeases people, I have to bring him in because I think he’s the right one.”

He says that when he has found players of the right calibre, the moves have broken down: “That’s happened quite a lot over the summer for different reasons. Now that the Premier League managers have named their 25, that’s less of an issue, but then there’s less quality about.

“There have been a couple of enquiries that we’ve made, even to lads that are in the 25, but it hasn’t happened.”

As reported last week, Stoke pair Matthew Upson, who is in the 25, and Danny Higginbotham, who isn't, were on Jewell's list of potential signings, along with QPR's Clint Hill, who has been named in Mark Hughes's squad for the first half of the season.

Although he says he has to work within a particular market — “I could go and ask Brendan Rodgers if I could have Jamie Carragher or Martin Skrtel but we couldn’t afford them” — he says the financial side of bringing in the players he has targeted hasn’t been the problem but it's other issues which have scuppered proposed moves.

In one case an injury to another player at a Premier League club saw a permanent deal collapse: “We had one lined up where we were going to buy him but the injury came and I understand the manager’s point of view.

“We agreed a fee, the personal terms wouldn’t have been a problem, the injury happened and that was aborted.”

Jewell, who has ended his interest in Southend's Bilel Mohsni but could move for current trialist, former FC Köln man Kevin Pezzoni, put the search on temporary hold yesterday as he looked towards the weekend game at Middlesbrough and feels it’s just as important to work on developing the players already at the club as it is to bring new signings in: “It’s Thursday and all our efforts are towards Saturday.

“We haven’t been sat on a beach since the Huddersfield game having a laugh, we’ve been trying to improve the squad and improve what we’ve got.

“It’s important not just improve the squad but improve what we’ve got as well. We’ve got a good squad here, we’ve got a good bunch of lads who are giving everything they’ve got.”

Photo: Action Images

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upthewallpaul added 10:30 - Sep 14 1 year and 9 months obviously isn't enough time to find a half decent centre back. We need to be more patient.
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cornishnick added 10:33 - Sep 14 Christ, he could write a book for Christmas. '1001 excuse for failing in the transfer market' by Paul Jewell. It's all very well not being held to ransom, waiting for the right player etc etc, but this is ridiculous.
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crazycomfort added 11:04 - Sep 14 how much longer have we got to be patient for, until Christmas or when we are in a relegation dog fight? because as has been mentioned its been almost 2yrs...
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Wickets added 11:07 - Sep 14 In other words 6 months on from his "i want too get them in quick " he has no idea who his is going to get!
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walberswick added 11:07 - Sep 14 he'd have point if we had to good Champiionship CB, but any on the names mentioned so far would have improved the team and given him depth and alternatives. It's all in hiss head. it's too late do something Jewellio,
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PauloJulio added 12:14 - Sep 14 Paul Jewell couldn't sign his own name let alone a centre half!
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StowTractorBoy added 12:21 - Sep 14

I like many others are totally frustrated that we have not found a couple more centre backs let alone one. There must be something fundamentally wrong if we cannot attract a decent centre back to this Club. We are not all idiots on here and most know their football so why oh why has one of the most important positions in team not been rectified since the end of last season. I can only conclude that the Taylor signing apart there is a severe lack of funds avaialbe to PJ and when his tenure ends I suspect we will hear the real truth as to why players will not come here. I do believe we have a half decent squad in place now but if we concede goals as we do we will achieve nothing again this season. Of course I enjoy watching my beloved team but with the current set up you know we are liable to concede silly goals. Fingers crossed NDaw will make a difference tomorrow.

MaySixth added 13:49 - Sep 14 So what happens when Smith or Chambers gets injured or sent off early v Boro?
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BudapestByBlimp added 13:57 - Sep 14 "So what happens when Smith or Chambers gets injured or sent off early v Boro?" N'Daw drops into defence.
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Wickets added 14:09 - Sep 14

If we where talking about an additional midfielder or foward it would be ok to leave it for the loan,whats left time, but we are talking about a quality Centre half,a team leader, in the Mogga,De vos mould. When we make a mistake at the back the defenders have a debate about it, all blaming each other! not good enough no one is in charge. We have needed a leader for years someone to take charge, transfer windows come and go and all we get told from PJ is poor me I'm trying i know what we need! but excuses just dont cut it anymore.

TimmyH added 17:36 - Sep 14

Totally agree on getting 'the right player' but shouldn't that be the case what ever position your looking at? - I know it's vitally important for us to get a strong experienced CB in but shouldn't we have been looking at the 'right player' for RB as well for over the last year? maybe a slight excuse being 'patient' as he can't find anybody or they don't want to come here.