Case for defence is made
TONY Mowbray says he is more than happy with his current crop of centre-backs.
Abdoulaye Meite, Jonas Olsson, Ryan Donk, Leon Barnett and Neil Clement are all vying for two positions although Meite and Clement are currently sidelined through injury.
Mowbray believes he has all bases covered with regards to their varying abilities to head, pass or play the football.
“In Meite you have got experience of the Premier League, he finished seventh with Bolton and played 36 games or so in a hard league.
“He has got that physicality, he has got experience, he’s an international and having worked with him I know he is a very good guy to have around our dressing room.
“He was putting his arm around Jonas Olsson at half-time in his debut against West Ham telling him this and that and they were chatting about football and the best way to deal with a centre-forward.
“So he is a good man to have in our dressing room.
“He has got two young players around him in Ryan Donk and Leon Barnett who will get better and progress, he’s also got Olsson alongside him who has got as nice a left foot for a defender as I have seen.”
Mowbray has earmarked Olsson as a future skipper.
“He’s got the size – he is a leader.
“I know his flaws and his deficiencies but he is a leader and as he develops in our dressing room will be able to shake his fist at people and become a leader of the defence.
“So the balance of the back four is good, it is just getting everyone fit and getting the team you want out on the pitch.”
