Tony Welcomes Signings

Tony Gale reckons that Alan Pardew made some very astute signings at the end of last week.

The triumvirate of Calum Davenport, Carl Fletcher, and Chris Powell just ahead of the Sheffield United game added to the acquisition of Carl Fletcher the week earlier, and, of Calum Davenport on loan, he says:

"I haven't actually seen him play but I was with Billy Bonds at the Ipswich v Millwall game, he said he had seen him on one or two occasions and that he reminded him of a young Alvin Martin who attacks the ball well, is tall and gangly at the moment, and will get better.

"Billy was really impressed, and if he says that I will go with that one - and the fact that we have signed an experienced centre back in Malky Mackay as well will give us a bit of both.

"You have the young, enthusiastic, and very promising player, and the older, experienced player who has done it at this level time and time again.

"He has not really had a chance to play in the Premiership and obviously Nigel Worthington thinks he is surplus to requirements.

"Having been one of their best players last season to get them promoted I thought that maybe he would have given him a chance to see if he was up to it in the Premiership.

"But managers are paid to make tough decisions and hopefully it will work to our advantage because he is a player who doesn't mind sticking his head in there.

"He had a good game against West Ham at Upton Park last season and as we have had problems at centre back hopefully he can do a job for us.

"First and foremost Malky is a competitor; Alan knows he has got players in the side who can do something a little bit different, with the likes of Teddy, Harewood, and Etheringon - but he has to have a leader and I think Malky is that."

Chris Powell was the third of the players signed last week, and Tony adds:

"Chris is a good player; I have seen a lot of him in the last seven years and I have seen his career blossom into that of an England international.

"He will go to a club and give it his all; he was quite a darling of the Charlton fans and I think the West Ham fans will take to him as well when he has played a few games.

"He was blocked by Herman Hreidarsson and Paul Konchesky at Charlton and it is a good little deal for Chris to get going again - and you don't want to find yourself around Christmas time struggling to get people in."

As for Carl Fletcher, who signed the week before, Tony adds:

"Peter Grant knows Carl really well, and by all accounts he is a simple player who likes to win the ball and give it to players who can do something with it.

"I think he can learn and it is going to be great for him to play with the likes of Teddy, especially, and with due respect to the players at Bournemouth they wouldn't have had players like him who receive it deep and have such an awareness about them.

"Playing in this side will make him a much better player and already we know he is a competitive player - so that is two competitors, which we have lacked.

"Alan Pardew has gone on record as saying we have been bullied out of a couple of times and the attitude hasn't been quite right but these players are hungry.

"The quality is a bit thin on the ground in this division, I think, and if you can compete first and foremost - and you have that little bit of quality - it will see you through.

"Already we are seeing the signs of that with a great result at Sheffield United - but you have to back that up with beating the likes of Rotherham at home."

Speaking ahead of the Rotherham game, he says:

"You can imagine the team talk in Ronnie Moore's dressing room after last season - he has done wonders at Rotherham and if they finish just outside those relegation places he will have done a magnificent job again.

"That is a fantastic manager who deserves as a bigger job, I think."

Tony reckons there will be a big gate against Ipswich and concludes:

"There are no more loyal fans than our lot and if we get a few results on the table they will be back."