Athletic target new defenders

CHRIS TAYLOR: Will miss the last two matches of Athletic’s season.

ATHLETIC have started a search for new defenders for next season, even though they are confronted by a striker crisis for Saturday’s final home game of this campaign against Southend.

Chris Taylor became the latest casualty after damaging ankle ligaments in a practice match, an injury which will keep him out of the last two matches.

The 22-year-old was hurt in a challenge by Fabio Ferreira, who was in his final training session before returning to Chelsea following a loan spell.

Athletic’s striking options have been reduced following the departures of Lee Hughes and Steven Kabba and Taylor - normally a wide player - has been pushed into a central striking spot on several occasions recently.

Manager Joe Royle is left with three youngsters - Lewis Alessandra, Deane Smalley and Matty Wolfenden - to provide the firepower in the remaining games.

It is a worry for Royle, but he admits that the long-term priority is to strengthen Athletic’s defence, which has kept only two clean sheets in 21 games in 2009.

Athletic have conceded 63 goals, which is the most leaked by a team in the top half of the division.

Royle, who has told chief scout Graham Brown to draw up a list of possible targets, said: “There are only eight teams with a worse defensive record than usand yet we are not far off the play-offs.

“If we had kept another three clean sheets we would still have been challenging for the top six.

“We don’t have too many options defensively ,which is something which needs to be addressed.

“I have told our chief scout and his staff to look at which defenders are available.”

Royle added that with each game played the picture becomes clearer as to what will be required for next season.

He is also keen to increase the side’s firepower as 18-goal top scorer Hughes, who is on loan at Blackpool, is to leave in the summer when his contract expires.

Royle was initially brought in to take charge of the team for the final nine games of the season and denies he has been officially offered the manager’s post permanently.

But he has had further talks with chairman Simon Blitz, managing director Simon Corney and chief executive Alan Hardy.

And there is another meeting scheduled for tomorrow, with Athletic keen to get the situation resolved as quickly as possible so they can start detailed planning for next season.