Beevers eager to earn return

[I.T.I]

COMPETITION for places does not frighten Mark Beevers.

But the young defender acknowledges he has a job on his hands to earn a regular slot in the Sheffield Wednesday starting 11 when he returns to full fitness.

Beevers, who is ruled out for the rest of this season with the worst injury of his career, a depressed fracture of the cheekbone, says he is ready for the challenge and is confident he can force his way into ’s long-term plans.

“It is good to have competition and I think it is nice for the gaffer to have choices,” he told The Star. “It will make the players work harder and it is the situation the gaffer wants.

“It is nice for him to have centre-backs pushing for shirts in the team. I think it is good for me that we have a lot of players in that department. It will spur me on and make me go out there and look to play to the best of my ability.”

Megson currently has several options at centre back: Rob Jones and Danny Batth, who have impressed since joining the club on loan from Sflaphorpe and Wolves respectively, plus Reda Johnson, Lewis Buxton, Michael Morrison and Richard Hinds.

The equation could well change for next season, depending on whether Jones and Batth stay and whether Buxton and Hinds are given new contracts.

But Beevers will hope to make his own mark no matter how the squad shapes up. Since suffering his injury setback in the game against Peterborough last month, a frustrated Beevers has watched Megson transform the team’s fortunes.

He believes the team are heading in the right direction under Megson.

“It is frustrating for me not to be involved in a team who have turned the corner,” said Beevers, who broke his cheekbone in three places and needed surgery. “We have got a little bit of confidence back into the team and the fans are starting to return.

“We need to keep that winning mentality going and take that into next season. We can’t take our foot off the gas, we need to keep trying to pick results up.”

The 21-year-old says the injury is the worst of his career. “I had a back injury when I was 15 that kept me out for three months. That was painful whilst this is frustrating.” He hopes to be ready for the start of pre-season training.

Starting from next season, players coming back from injury will not be honing their match fitness in Reserve games, with the Owls scrapping the second string, and instead organising private friendlies tailored to their needs.

Megson believes that Reserve leagues may fizzle out within the next three years.

[Tamworthowl]

“It is frustrating for me not to be involved in a team who have turned the corner,” said Beevers, who broke his cheekbone in three places and needed surgery. “We have got a little bit of confidence back into the team and the fans are starting to return.

Some of us real fans never left in the first place

Beevers was starting to find some form before his injury so I think he will be important to Megson's plans next year, but mainly as back-up to Johnson, Jones & Batth (if we get them).

[Hawkeye]

Some of us real fans never left in the first place

Beevers was starting to find some form before his injury so I think he will be important to Megson's plans next year, but mainly as back-up to Johnson, Jones & Batth (if we get them).

we wont get Batth

Id hope we wouldnt need to sign Jones

Beevers/Reda/Morrison/Reynolds with buxton as an option should be good enough, theyve just not performed this season. Im confident under Megson they will come good next season though.

sign a couple of fullbacks to cover buxton and semi please gary, two wingers, a cm and mellor.

[Shezza]

we wont get Batth

Id hope we wouldnt need to sign Jones

Beevers/Reda/Morrison/Reynolds with buxton as an option should be good enough, theyve just not performed this season. Im confident under Megson they will come good next season though.

sign a couple of fullbacks to cover buxton and semi please gary, two wingers, a cm and mellor.

I really hope Megson can get Beevers going again. The potential is there.

[SiJ]

we wont get Batth

Id hope we wouldnt need to sign Jones

Beevers/Reda/Morrison/Reynolds with buxton as an option should be good enough, theyve just not performed this season. Im confident under Megson they will come good next season though.

sign a couple of fullbacks to cover buxton and semi please gary, two wingers, a cm and mellor.

Really?

No offence mate, but I'm glad that you ain't in charge of player recruitment next season.

[Saxondale]

[Tamworthowl]

I don't think megson rates Morrison or Reynolds even though both have potential. A good pre-season is what both need, but Megson can't wait to see how they do. Its he doesn't buy a solid centre defender early we could see a panic buy at deadline day.

Ignoring the out-of-favour Morrison and Reynolds and Spurr, we only have Beevers and Reda plus Buxton (if he re-signs) but he's needed mainly as full-back. Hence I expect Jones to be a priority signing. Perhaps if Morrison and Reynolds are given a chance in the next two games it might be different.

[Guest christheowl]

no thanks mark, stay on the side line for me ! all i have seen him do for two years is launch the ball as high as possible ! at one bit, im sure him and purse were having a competition of who could hoof it furthest !

[Hawkeye]

Really?

No offence mate, but I'm glad that you ain't in charge of player recruitment next season.

Jones is too slow. done a good stop gap job, but hes not a long term answer.

Morrison and Reynolds on the other hand, are younger and like reda and beevers, should be developed. Megson gets their confidence back up, we have four very capable centre halves there.

its boring repeating it, but Morrison was a key part of the leicester side that got out of this division, and Reynolds was a highly rated SPL centre back. neither have had a fair chance, and neither have been played in their favoured position much at all. i refuse to accept they are poo poo just because they had a few poor games, especially when you take into account ALL the circumstances.

[Guest danny wath owl]

Jones should be brought in but id pass on batth.

We have 2 good young cb in beevers and reda. Both who need a steady head / talker next to them .

[trev]

Is he still only 21? Wow.

He has a poo poo load of experience for somebody that old, especially at centre back.

We all know Mark has the potential and the ability, he just needs the confidence back again. I hope Megson can get the best out of him.

[Lee A]

Jones should be brought in but id pass on batth.

We have 2 good young cb in beevers and reda. Both who need a steady head / talker next to them .

If there was an option to sign Batth, i'd break the bank to do it.

He will be a Premier League CB one day im sure, and if we ever want to get there, we need as many players like him as we can get.

Unfortunately, can't see it being an option.

As for Beevers, he was playing really well, got injured, sure he will be back and play well next season, and if reda keeps improving, competition should be good.

[oldishowl]

The problem is that before Jones arrived we had nobody talking at the back so it always seemed a wee wee tail up was just around the corner.

Players are either talkers on the pitch or they are not. It is not something you can teach.

I fear that without Jones , or somebody of similar ilk, we will go back to the land of wee wee tail ups .

[Shezza]

Hopefully Beevers could be back to his best next season. He's got the attributes to be just the kind of centre back Megson likes.

First part of the season we were solid at the back with him and Purse - wonder what happened.

If we could get a decent centre back next to him, I'm sure he'd get going again.

As for Morrisson and Reynolds, they both came to the club under very difficult circumstances, so I've got to agree a little bit with Hawkeye here. They were expected to perform straight away in a back four where noone had actually played together before. That was never going to happen, was it? You just can't sign three young and inexperienced defenders midseason and expect them to perform together. You need at least a pre-season to get going. It was pure panic by Irvine, and I bet he regrets it now.

Get rid of the two? Not sure. Maybe the start they've had at this club is so bad they'll just never get going and need a change. Morrison is proven at this level, so I'd probably keep him and see what he can do.