08 Aug 2026 07:33:23
I read some media outlets urging us to go for former man United and roma centre half chris smalling 🤔I might well get grief on here when i say this, but i honestly think chris smalling would be a good signing for us at this moment in time even at 36 years old 🤔 You'll ask why and i'll tell you why imo guys 🤔 Smalling brings much experience and has had a good career with top clubs and is a really good centre half who would bring ability, organisation skills with very good communication, which would absolutely benefit others around him like Fernandez and makhanya 🤔As well as playing in the english Premier League with the biggest football club in England, he's also played for roma for 4 years and you don't play for roma in italian football for 4 years if you're not a good centre half 🤔I believe he'd be infectious if we could possibly sign him on a one year deal and age is only a number if your still fit and looked after yourself 🤔For me chris smalling still has the attributes and desire to be a good signing for us, if we could get him and i believe he won't be short of offers 🤔🇬🇧 Thoughts fellow bears 🤔
08 Aug 2026 08:17:57
Wow, amazing what a radio interview can do. No idea as to his fitness etc, but I think if he is then it's a good idea. Manny needs an older, experienced head around him. Just look at how Weir not only improved us but improved those around him.
08 Aug 2026 08:26:06
Fernandez is 25.
We shouldn't need to sign experience to support him.
I honestly hope we can move him on before the window closes.
08 Aug 2026 08:39:37
Coops! Really? Seriously, mate, you need to ignore rubbish like this.
There is a definite trend on here by some where they fall hook, line, and sinker for these Internet/media rumours/suggestions which pop up on these absolute dug meat sites, or pitched by people like Brazil.
Sorry, that should be tim fans like Brazil. I mean, these ex pros or football sites could pitch just about anyone and I'm convinced some on here would still champion it, regardless of who it was.
08 Aug 2026 08:39:57
My opinion, Fernandez's head has been turned elsewhere, and he looks like he's not wanting to be here and is going through the motions. 🇬🇧 So, if we can get a good return for him, let him go and get someone in who wants to play at our club. 🇬🇧
08 Aug 2026 09:16:53
Allybear, I honestly think Fernandez thinks he's Paola Maldini at this moment in time. I'm with EHL and many others on here. I'd get shot of him in a heartbeat. We should still make a profit on him, but there's no way we're getting anywhere near the £30million price for him. We'd be doing well to double our money on him. That's my personal opinion
08 Aug 2026 09:25:19
What did Smalling play for Liverpool? 🤔
08 Aug 2026 09:26:02
Whiteandblue, Yip, I'm all for moving on any player who's not doing it for our club, and as long as we make money and not lose any, get rid. 🇬🇧
08 Aug 2026 09:40:22
I have to agree with EHL.
This isn't a young project player. He is lazy Af and he is 24/25. All these things that he is doing now should have been ironed out years ago. He is a liability.
08 Aug 2026 09:45:18
Not a fan, EHL?
I don't know if his head has been turned or not, but he's always come across as aloof.
And the petulant hand throwing and quick to blame others is a hard watch.
08 Aug 2026 09:56:20
Fernandez described himself as a goal-scoring CB. One of his best attributes is his ability to get into the opponent's penalty box and head in a goal. This season, without Tavernier's deliveries, maybe he won't get the service to be so impactful. Quality of deliveries in the first two games has been poor.
08 Aug 2026 09:57:39
Sunshine, my friend, I never said I believed the report. 🤔 I read the report and then commented on the player in a hypothetical way, that's all, mate. 👍 🇬🇧
08 Aug 2026 10:05:47
Not sure why a new thread was started on this as it was discussed at length on the rumours page. People comparing him to Davie Weir and Steve Davis just because he is the same age. imo, if that is how far we've fallen that fans are excited at the prospect of signing a player about to hit 37 then we have dropped off the edge of a cliff.
Apparently he was really fast when he was at Man Utd. That was 6 years ago at age 30/31. Be as well saying Tav was really fast 6 years ago. Speed diminishes with age, guys. Try raise your ambitions a bit. If he's the best CB we could attract, we really are doomed.
08 Aug 2026 10:52:56
I'm with you on this one, EHL.
08 Aug 2026 12:25:00
We need a settled defence, where Fernandez and his central partner know how each other operates.
08 Aug 2026 12:48:58
Any decent offer should be accepted for Fernandez. There was a reason he was playing at Peterborough up to age 22ish. He seems to think he is a superstar, when actually he is a very mediocre defender & does not seem to have learned, as he keeps making same mistakes. Think if McInnes had better options he would be dropped.
08 Aug 2026 12:52:03
I think some players have faults that can be ironed out. I get the impression that no matter how many times you tell Fernandez to move quicker or take fewer chances or be less casual it won't make a blind bit of difference.
08 Aug 2026 13:50:54
Don't know about Smalling's fitness, but it is somebody like that that we need, somebody who is experienced, who will organise and who will control the back line. We had it with Davie Weir and Leon Balogun, and it would help both Fernandez and Makhanya.
I know they are not youngsters, but they are both inexperienced at this level. I do agree, though, if we get this rumoured big bid in for Fernandez we should take it.
08 Aug 2026 14:50:04
Spot on, Jackboy. Fernandez gives me the impression that he believes he is a top class player (which, in itself, is not a bad thing).
However, he doesn't back it up with top class performance levels. He gives me palpitations with his casual approach and determination to dribble, even when he is last man.
He has plenty of attributes, but if an acceptable offer comes in, we should take it and move onto one of the already identified defensive targets.