If we are still in the hunt come January...

[donpisci]

I think we should start to give Darby some gametime- even if it's the last 10/ 20mins of the match. He's a good player and didn't look out of his depth in the friendlies.
The experience alone would improve him no end.

[RedReet]

I think that at first he just thought he was crap. Finnan proved himself but Rafa thought he was going to age and needed backup. No one complains when we bring in Agger and Skrtel to compete for the CB slots. I also think that Finnan while a solid player sometimes lacked what was needed at the highest level and for several seasons was targetted by teams with high diagonal balls to great effect by many opposition sides.

I have to disagree. I think Finnan was an excellent player more than capable of performing at the highest level. He was a solid defender and a better crosser than most players in our team now. I think he would have flourished in our current team with the freedom to attack when he was in his prime.

Although certain teams did target his lack of hight, I can only remember one getting any success from it. I think it might have been Portsmouth, but generally it wasn’t a problem and certainly not a tactic any quality teams used.

[RedReet]

I kind of half see what your saying, but I don't see a 31 year old right back having any problems adjusting to any team as long as he's played in position. Beye has looked a good right back since the first match I seen him play for the barcode battlers. The question was who if anybody would we buy, that's who I'd buy if anybody in a realistic sense.

Finnan struggled initially even though he was the best RB in the league the year previously, Kronkamp and Josemi struggled permanently and Arbeloa looked better LB originally. I don't see how Beye could be guaranteed to slot right in, especially if he was only getting a handful of games.

[billy_mac]

Finnan struggled initially even though he was the best RB in the league the year previously, Kronkamp and Josemi struggled permanently and Arbeloa looked better LB originally. I don't see how Beye could be guaranteed to slot right in, especially if he was only getting a handful of games.

Can't remember Finnan stuggling when he signed, that's not to say he didn't, but it doesn't stick out in my memory. Nobody is guaranteed to slot in. Beye was the fans player of the year at newcastle last season. A consistant performer who has played against all the opposition in the league previously, i think the term banded around in the summer is premiership proven. Added to that his age and experience would make him, for me, more likely to slot in.

What's the deal with Degen anyway? Is he fit? We should have got his brother in to double for him when he was out.

[Joe King]

Off topic slightly but does anyone know how Finnan's getting on in Spain? Getting a regular game?

Got injured, was due for the very controversial Barcelona match however the physio got it totally wrong and should be back in a fortnights time