Chris Samba - SIGNED

[Brend'Watkins]

At 32 he still has another 4 or 5 years of this level in him.  I know nothing of his fitness or injury situation but I do know he was a very good defender and if he's training he must be in half decent shape. The prospect of him alongside Chester is more appealing than Chester alongside what we currently have. I welcome his addition to the squad.

[Dave]

Don't see what the issue is if he comes in as cover on a pay as you play until the end of the season. He's not going to be starting ahead of Baker and Chester and he's unlikely to be any worse than Elphick or Richards.

My exact words. Thanks for saving me the trouble of typing them.

One issue is the lack of planning. Making no judgement on the player we've been linked with, we've had no new injuries at centre-back since January. If he thought a new centre-back was needed he had ample opportunity and backing to get one last month.

So either he's realised in the last three weeks and not before that :

A) one or more of our current centre-backs isn't good enough and needs replacing or

B) he wants to completely change the system we play and therefore requires more centre-backs than we have.

Neither one reflects particularly well on him.

[dave.woodhall]

Don't see what the issue is if he comes in as cover on a pay as you play until the end of the season. He's not going to be starting ahead of Baker and Chester and he's unlikely to be any worse than Elphick or Richards.

My exact words. Thanks for saving me the trouble of typing them.

One issue is the lack of planning. Making no judgement on the player we've been linked with, we've had no new injuries at centre-back since January. If he thought a new centre-back was needed he had ample opportunity and backing to get one last month.

So either he's realised in the last three weeks and not before that :

A) one or more of our current centre-backs isn't good enough and needs replacing or

B) he wants to completely change the system we play and therefore requires more centre-backs than we have.

Neither one reflects particularly well on him.

I agree with that as well. We wanted one, we didn't get one so now we're looking round the yellow stickers and rejects for the best we can get.

[Gareth]

Don't see what the issue is if he comes in as cover on a pay as you play until the end of the season. He's not going to be starting ahead of Baker and Chester and he's unlikely to be any worse than Elphick or Richards.

My exact words. Thanks for saving me the trouble of typing them.

One issue is the lack of planning. Making no judgement on the player we've been linked with, we've had no new injuries at centre-back since January. If he thought a new centre-back was needed he had ample opportunity and backing to get one last month.

So either he's realised in the last three weeks and not before that :

A) one or more of our current centre-backs isn't good enough and needs replacing or

B) he wants to completely change the system we play and therefore requires more centre-backs than we have.

Neither one reflects particularly well on him.

Alternatively the ones he wanted weren't available in January?

Perhaps he wanted the likes Lees or Loovens from Wednesday or Moore from Reading or even Curtis Davies if Hull go down but their clubs didn't want to sell?

[Dave]

Don't see what the issue is if he comes in as cover on a pay as you play until the end of the season. He's not going to be starting ahead of Baker and Chester and he's unlikely to be any worse than Elphick or Richards.

My exact words. Thanks for saving me the trouble of typing them.

One issue is the lack of planning. Making no judgement on the player we've been linked with, we've had no new injuries at centre-back since January. If he thought a new centre-back was needed he had ample opportunity and backing to get one last month.

So either he's realised in the last three weeks and not before that :

A) one or more of our current centre-backs isn't good enough and needs replacing or

B) he wants to completely change the system we play and therefore requires more centre-backs than we have.

Neither one reflects particularly well on him.

Alternatively the ones he wanted weren't available in January?

Perhaps he wanted the likes Lees or Loovens from Wednesday or Moore from Reading or even Curtis Davies if Hull go down but their clubs didn't want to sell?

I'd bet that Brentford didn't want to sell Hogan and Barnsley didn't want to sell Bree or Hourihane.

Somehow we managed to get them to change their minds.

[in exile]

Chris Samba...hmmm...can he play in goal?

[nick harper]

Don't see what the issue is if he comes in as cover on a pay as you play until the end of the season. He's not going to be starting ahead of Baker and Chester and he's unlikely to be any worse than Elphick or Richards.

My exact words. Thanks for saving me the trouble of typing them.

One issue is the lack of planning. Making no judgement on the player we've been linked with, we've had no new injuries at centre-back since January. If he thought a new centre-back was needed he had ample opportunity and backing to get one last month.

So either he's realised in the last three weeks and not before that :

A) one or more of our current centre-backs isn't good enough and needs replacing or

B) he wants to completely change the system we play and therefore requires more centre-backs than we have.

Neither one reflects particularly well on him.

Or maybe the penny has finally dropped that Elphick is as bad as we have all already concluded.

[Dave]

That very much falls under choice A.

[cdbearsfan]

Has he actually signed and can he play this season?

[oswald funkletrumpet]

At 32 he still has another 4 or 5 years of this level in him.  I know nothing of his fitness or injury situation but I do know he was a very good defender and if he's training he must be in half decent shape. The prospect of him alongside Chester is more appealing than Chester alongside what we currently have. I welcome his addition to the squad.

Please see flabby and mcfatso

I see the point about cover, however the transfer window ended 22 days ago and we had at that point 3 centre halves so why not address it then?

[CJ]

Has he actually signed and can he play this season?

Not signed yet - having trials - but as a free agent I'm pretty sure he can sign and play this season.

[brian green]

The penny that I hope has dropped is that Steve Bruce has acknowledged that his own opinion is not enough to bring the Norwegian Blue parrot back to life.  A dead parrot is a dead parrot.  A useless centre back is a useless centre back.

[old man villa fan]

The penny that I hope has dropped is that Steve Bruce has acknowledged that his own opinion is not enough to bring the Norwegian Blue parrot back to life.  A dead parrot is a dead parrot.  A useless centre back is a useless centre back.

and the only thing we would get from Bolton would be the piss taken out of us.

[montague]

Chris Samba...hmmm...can he play in goal?

That guy from Sutton is a free agent

[wittonwarrior]

Chris Samba...hmmm...can he play in goal?

He would fill the goal ha ha

People say he's a good player. My concern woul be bedding in yet another new player at this stage