It's not as if Bassong hasn't had plenty of stick. For a long time it was either him or Whittaker to blame for everything.
But the thing is that they have hardly featured this season and our defence has been worse (much worse infact) than when they were regulars.
Chopping and changing the goalkeeper can't have helped when it comes to trying to have a settled defense.
Assuming that Whittaker and Bassong will be released in the summer and Djiks returns to Ajax, that's 3 defenders we need already.
That's before we consider Klose probably submitting a transfer request.
So we haven't really got the luxury to be transfer listing Russell Martin or releasing Ryan Bennett, we just have to hope that whoever we bring in is good enough to render those two squad players / backup.
I guess that Toffolo coming back could mean a Whittaker replacement not being needed, with Russell Martin being our backup right back under Pinto?
Ryan Bennett and Russell Martin are good enough backup players, as long as that's what they end up being. We need quality left back to replace Djiks and a quality centre back to replace Bassong, and Toffolo to become a senior player. That's if we keep Klose of course.
Left Back:
New, Toffolo.
Centre Backs:
New, New, Klose, Bennett
Right Back: Pinto, Martin
Plus Godfrey can pitch in at right back.
Realistically this isn't the summer to get rid of Bennett or Martin, I'd take up the one year renewal clause in Bennett's contract because he's fine as backup. If we then get promoted next season we can release him and use that space in the team for another new signing.
If the defence was the only thing we needed to sort out then perhaps in an ideal world we'd have a better right back competing with Pinto, but its not the only part of the team which needs surgery is it... we are clearly a striker short for a start, and its not easy to find a bargain in that position.
