Danny Collins says defensive problems are not a worry

Jan 22 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

DANNY Collins has reassured Sunderland supporters the club’s latest defensive setback is nothing they can not cope with.

The Black Cats have been short of defenders throughout Ricky Sbragia’s management, regularly only having four to choose from. So the news that centre-back Nyron Nosworthy has torn his hamstring and will miss four to five weeks was a big blow but, according to Collins, not as big as some are making out.

It is not that Collins does not have a high regard for Nosworthy, who he has regularly partnered at the heart of the Wearsiders’ defence in recent years. But Collins believes the news is offset by the return of Paul McShane from a successful loan at Hull City, and with George McCartney close to a comeback and 11 days until the transfer window closes, he is optimistic that the Wearsiders’ rearguard will soon be in a stronger position.

“Nyron tearing his hamstring was obviously a blow,” Collins reflected. “He’s going to be out for four or five weeks and that’s going to hit us quite hard. But it’s not all doom and gloom because players are coming back. George is close to a first-team return – he shouldn’t be too far away now – and Paul’s return will give us another option in terms of the back four.

“There have been reports about potential signings and the word is

we might be getting one or two defenders in, so that would help even more. There’ll be competition for places even if Nyron’s missing. We’ve had defensive injuries all season, but I don’t think the situation should be blown out of proportion because it’s nothing we can’t deal with. We’ll definitely be able to get through this period.”

McCartney is back in training after a foot injury, although having not played since November 1, Sunderland will be anxious to ease him back gently if possible. But Phil Bardsley is a booking away from suspension, as is Dean Whitehead – a midfielder who can also play at right-back. Teemu Tainio serves his suspension for five cautions in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round clash with Blackburn, for which McShane is cup-tied.

Collins thinks the constant disruption to the team – as well as McCartney, Pascal Chimbonda, Anton Ferdinand and Bardsley have all missed games recently – has hindered the defensive record, but still thinks it should be better.

“We’ve been defending fairly well recently,” he added. “Particularly if you take the second half of Saturday’s game (when they lost 2-1 to Aston Villa) out of the equation – and I thought that our performance in the league against Blackburn was particularly good.

“But I think we’d accept we haven’t kept enough clean sheets this season. Four in the league isn’t good enough, and it’s definitely something we’ll be looking to address between now and the end of the season.”

Sbragia has conceded Nosworthy’s injury has added urgency to his transfer plans, with Bolton Wanderers’ Danny Shittu and the West Ham United pair of James Collins and Calum Davenport on his shopping list. He hopes to have a new man in before Sunderland’s next league game, at home to Fulham on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Kenwyne Jones, Carlos Edwards and Dwight Yorke have been called into the Trinidad and Tobago squad for the World Cup qualifier in El Salvador on February 11.

It will only be a problem for the Black Cats if they beat Blackburn.

Then, the trio will have little time to recover from jet lag before the FA Cup fifth round, on the weekend of February 14-15.