SAM Allardyce has targeted two new defenders as he prepares for the break-up of one of the best centre-back partnerships outside the Premiership.
The Wanderers' boss is drawing up contingency plans after accepting that Mark Fish's Reebok days are numbered following the rejection of his contract and that club captain, Gudni Bergsson, will finally retire at the end of the season.
One man in the frame could be Sunderland centre back Paul Butler. The former Bury stopper has been on the sidelines since Emerson Thome arrived at the Stadium of Light and could be tempted to the Reebok either on loan or otherwise.
Bergsson's farewell has been on the cards since the summer when he was persuaded not to hang up his boots and to give Wanderers one last season - a decision that is paying rich dividends.
Allardyce had also hoped to reach an agreement with Fish until it emerged last week that the 26-year-old defender had not accepted the offer of a three-year extension to his current contract, which expires next June. That offer has now been withdrawn and, I understand, the manager has already identified the man he wants, should the South African move on.
"If Gudni is retiring and if Mark leaves or lets his contract run out, we'll be in the market for two central defenders," he confirmed while, not surprisingly, offering any clues to the identidy of the replacements.
With Paul Warhurst and Mike Whitlow suffering setbacks and now being placed on the long-term casualty list, Anthony Barness, who has been out of 1st XI favour lately, and Ian Marshall are the only short-term centre-back cover.
The versatile 34-year-old prefers the defensive role but showed his attacking prowess to good effect on Saturday, when he scored twice - his first goals for the club - in the rousing but ultimately unsuccessful fightback at Stockport. Marshall, grateful to Allardyce for employing him in the summer, continues to offer his services in any capacity. But his frustration that his efforts eventually counted for nothing at Edgeley Park, where Aaron Wilbraham scored in the 89th minute to earn County a 4-3 win, was matched only by his impatience at being unable to secure anything better than the week to week contract he is on at the Reebok.
"We're still talking," the former Leicester man confirmed, "but I want something sorting out pretty quickly now. I'm enjoying myself here but I just hope something can be worked out soon because it's been dragging on and on."
Wanderers will again be without Dean Holdsworth at Watford tomorrow night when Ricardo Gardner, who gave a lively performance as substitute at Stockport, could get his first start of the season.
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