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Get Carter
Darren Carter came on for a 28 minute cameo in last night’s friendly against Shrewsbury Town as he continues to press his claim for a contract with Blues. He’s not made a first team appearance in a year and endured a long and unsuccessful trial spell last year at Blues. Do Blues get Carter in, or is it time to say so long and thanks for the memories?
Rewind ten years to that balmy May afternoon in Cardiff. A tough 120 minutes of normal time in the sweltering Millennium Stadium, and it’s all come down to the lottery of penalties. Blues lead 3-2 and Darren Carter is sent up to try to score the winning spot kick to send us through to the promised land of the Premiership after a sixteen year absence. Unlike me, watching through my fingers, Carter has nerves of steel despite his tender years and he sticks it home, running off to the fans behind the goal to celebrate.
It’s hard not to remember Carter without thinking of that iconic image of him running to the stand, arms outstretched. It was the stuff of fairy tales – the lad who was brought up a fan, who had come through the academy and had made his debut only four months prior had stuck home the pen that saw his club make it to the top flight after a long absence. However, that was then, and this is now. As much as sentiment speaks and says we should offer him a deal based on that alone, I don’t think Blues can – it has to come down to a footballing decision.
What it comes down to is the simple questions – is he good enough, and will he play? It’s difficult to make a judgement call on how good he is now as I’ve only seen him play 28 minutes in 12 months. In his cameo he certainly wasn’t awful – but he didn’t stand out particularly either. I’d go as far to say that I took more heart from Josh Hawker’s 15 minute showing – but that may be because I’m biased and I like to see how the kids progress into the team. I think there is a good argument that on a “squad basis” that we do need bodies – and it would be difficult to find someone who is of the same sort of age and experience of Carter available for a nothing and on low wages. Is that a good enough reason for signing him?
I think back to the end of February when Blues brought in Caleb Folan and Cian Hughton. Neither player played a game – although in Folan’s case he was 5th choice behind four fit strikers and thus is was a lot harder for him to be involved. Hughton however was a different story – he was signed as defensive cover and lo and behold, we had a defensive crisis. Yet Cian didn’t get a game – despite Blues being desperate for a fullback, where Hughton primarily plays. It’s okay saying he wasn’t good enough – but if that was the case, bearing in mind his age (22) and the fact we signed him for three months… well, we should never have signed him in the first place.
This is what it comes down to regarding Carter. Is he going to properly provide us cover – as in will he be trusted to play if we need him? If Lee Clark thinks yes, we need him as cover and that he would play him – then yes, there may be a reasoning for signing Carts. My fear is that isn’t the case – there will be arguments for shuffling other players around and Carter will be left to fester on the bench and around the fringes of the squad – which wouldn’t be good for Blues or for Darren – and I would rather see someone who was a good servant for the club when he was with us make the most of the remainder of his career than wait for a call that might not come from St Andrews.
Tags: Darren Carter
39 Responses to “Get Carter”
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A fit and strong Darren Carter would be an asset to any squad in the Championship. How strong and fit he is at the present,only time and a few games more will tell. Darren Carter had strong and productive spells in the Championship with Blues, Albion, Sunderland, Preston and Millwall. Granted in the last 12 months or so, due to niggling and a big injuries, he has not done much but for where
DC is at in his career and with his eagerness and desire to pull on a Blue shirt again and prove his worth to the club/fans,its a win,win situation for BCFC. I also say the above without any play off penalty googles in place or with a shred of sentiment in my heart… I just think a fit and strong Darren Carter, at Championship level, is an asset.
no from me,if we want to push for promotion there’s better available out there….
Absolute rubbish
its a easy yes from me watchin him come on for the last 30mins he played with heart looked very good shap gave the midfield a good line which for the last season(s) has been poor when looked at it propley.DC also gives the midfield the height and strength needed there losin n’daw and fahey out for a while there is no height so trouble gettin balls won in midfield gomis burke redmond all short/fast players.
he gives full 100% comintment and he shuld be offered a 1yr contract to show more what he can do he’s wages would be cheap and no fee’s.
Also he knows the game very well he knows what the club means to the fan which is a good thing
he knows how to read the game where to be all he need is a little fine tuning around the ears and he’ll be a great player and a real asset for the championship
so its a 100% sign him and watch great things happened
We’ve strengthened midfiled already plus there are a couple of youngsters knocking on the door also so I don’t really see the point of signing him. We do however need a true leftie to replace Beau/Townsend and although DC is left footed he doesn’t really fit that bill. He’s not a winger.
Get him in there,what harm can it do,boost the numbers,loads of us properly wouldn’t have signed Stephen Carr before we did with his injury problems but look how he’s turned out…carter will do blues a job at this level even if he ain’t first on the sheet.
Agreed!
I say sign him up. A 28 year old, experienced, out of contract bluenose. A no brainer for me.
We can’t expect him to have set the world alight in his first 30 mins for a year but given a few more pre-season games and a few early Carling Cup matches he will be up to speed in no time. A squad player at first perhaps but in time he could be a very good asset to Blues.
He is definitely of a very good standard as a player (especially in this division) that never changes. Fitness however does, but anyone can get themselves fit again.
Darren Carter provided a moment for me and the club that I never thought we’d see. It was momentous for the club and the promotion year was my best in following Blues (debut 67). On that basis I say give him every chance to prove his worth but if he’s not judged by the present management team as good enough then we have to respect their judgement based not only on their football credentials but on the time they will spend with him.
Whatever happens the moment he provided that day in Cardiff will stay with me forever as one of the best ever for the club.
Hey Thongsy – I think you’ve fished enough today…
For what he’d cost to sign we should get him in. It would be unfair to judge him now as he hasn’t had much game time so maybe sign him on a one year contract with a two year option. We possibly then loan him out to a Div 1 club to get match sharp again (it’s game-time that matters). I remember the baggies buying him for over a million so he must have ability that just needs to be rekindled. Don’t forget that he was also an U20 England international. I think that DC just needs to find his mojo again and could be a valuble addition to the middle of the park.
If he would be willing to take a very low basic wage plus an appearance fee – i’d take him. I dont know DC, but he seems a decent bloke and a local lad who’d be good to have around the place.
I wouldnt agree with buying a player based on sentiment, but if its not costing you much at all, why not? Was once a good Championship player and is only 28. A very low risk gamble i’d take.
Stephen Carr still having steroid injections ..
Bad bad news …
Pointless signing, better freebies available, better kids on the books, don’t care if he supports Blues, Celtic or New York Red Bulls, it’s about he’s contribution on the pitch, and Carter doesn’t have the ability. Harsh but True.
DC is no better than what we already have , so would not improve the squad..
The signing of Ambrose certainly was an improvement to the squad , & its that quality of player we should be pursuing to get us out of the Championship.
He has never been good enough to play for Blues first team at any stage of his career let alone now. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for that penalty but it doesn’t mean he has ever been good enough. I say look elsewhere.
Yes carter would be a great impact sub to get the fans going and because he loves the blues and he word work as hard as he could, THERES ONLY ONE DARREN CARTER
Chances are that he could “do a job”. I thought centre mid was our weakest area last season, and I’m not convinced the 2 we’ve bought in will be much (non intended) better than the 2 we’ve let go.
That said, were all answering the wrong question here. It’s not about whether carts is good enough, its about whether we’ve got the budget to get somebody better. I suspect we have and carts is leek larks “plan b” if we can’t get a higher quality signing over the line.
The only other person to be unimpressed with Mullins. Ambrose looks like he has a decent cross on him at least.
My descendants are from Aston and my uncle took me to Villa Park for two years before I ever saw a Blues match. Since then I have been a Blues supporter for 47 years and a season ticket holder for over 20 years. You’ve made me think now – I am going to ask the club for a refund!
I went to school with this guy and I’m pretty damn sure he was/ is no villa fan !
We are paying £50,000 pound a week for a second string striker. We need second string players who can always play there way into first string reckoning. If we were signing him simply as an act of charity to the lad, then that would not make sense. However, if we thought we were signing a decent second string player for £2k a week and helping out a loyal Bluenose at the same time – Then Why Not??
BNS – you will realise what NZ brings to the team when he’s gone
At £50k a week he has had time a plenty to prove himself and at that price for a club in our financial predicament, he is a “luxury” we can ill afford.
BNS NZ is in an awkward position. if he plays well this season then there will be offers coming in for him. if he is prolific then the club might not want to sell him because his goals will get the blues promoted. Last year he didn’t start playing till november when we were just finishing our europa league campaign and he wasn’t really match fit. he shouldn’t have taken that penalty against braga, but he still managed 12 goals in the short period that he played!
Nick, latest available stats from Delloitte and Touche show that the average Championship wage in 2009/2010 was £200k PER YEAR!!
Last season 8 Championship players scored more than 15 goals.
Just look at the list and you can see that you dont have to pay £2.5 million a year to get a Championship goalscorer
Rickie Lambert, Riacrdo Vaz Te, Billy Sharp, Ross McCormack, Charlie Austin, Kevin Phillips, Matt Fryatt and Marlon King!!
I say no. Apart from the penalty and him being a bluenose I don’t ever remembering him doing anything of note. I agree with this article he’ll never get a game. He’d be fighting for a CM role versus Fahey, Gomis, Ambrose, Spector, Mullins and Elliot . I’d rather see the likes of Packwood or Gnahore get in the side than DC. I wish him the best but I’ve never rated him.
Got to say I haven’t seen DC play for a while however he could do a good job in centre mid and did put in runs forward at least in his younger days, something we lacked last year after bowyer and Gardner moved on and lack of mobility in CM was IMO what cost us promotion last time. I do remember him scoring against mourinho’s Chelsea at the bridge and also destroying Leeds in the facup at stans. 3 nil that day I think and he got at least one. He may be past his best however it’s not right to think that one penalty was all he did for blues.
Any news when Zigic will be gone he’s rubbish a waste of 50k a week and 6 millions I’m disgusted that he is still with us, hope we sell him on before we waste another season with him at the club
jimmy aka jimmyvilla1 on the Birmingham Mail!
in regards to DC, lets put the history & emotions aside people.. he hardly set the football world alive when he was with blues before and we only remember him for that penalty… treat him like any other proposition – if he’s good enough sign him up, if not there are plenty of other younger players that should be looked at. I like Jimmy’s comment re Zigic, he’s had one good game in how many seasons, get rid of him, he’s costing us a fortune and lets blood a couple of good young strikers in his place..
Can’t see what Zigic has to do with this string? Yes, he’s on a fortune, but who has come in for him? His stats are 60 games and 16 goals and will chip in with more goals this season.
Darren Carter, will always be remembered for that penalty, but other than that has offered very little.
KRO
Carter was never good enough/will never be good enough for Blues.Fact.
As an aside,its great tobe reading and debating football matters again instead of financial matters isnt it!
I don’t think you can judge DC on one 30 min cameo apperance in 12 months. he needs to have a few more games before you can make a proper judgment when he is fit!
What sort of wage could DC expect? Never been a huge fan he’s had is day and it was never a great day at best! Much better youth out there to sign in.
The fact that I don’t recall any other contributions from Darren Carter that could be classed as meaningful OTHER than ‘that penalty’ suggests to me we’re better off ploughing our energy into sourcing a fit, proven, more capable player or players instead. The squad may back him as a nice guy but nice won’t win us anything.
When it comes down to it our 2 most meaningful moments as a club on recent history have been created by 2 players whose careers at Blues were nothing to write home about, before or after. Carter goes into that category with Martins for me…drop him out and look elsewhere, unless he is free, cheap to retain and prepared to bench warm and play in Reserve games. For history’s sake alone though it wouldn’t be fair on the lad. KRO.
good commentator,great lad, beiow average footballer. kro bossss
I don’t agree. If you were to judge him on his footballing ability alone, then perhaps his best has gone and we shouldn’t sign him. However, he can offer Blues a lot more than just his footballing ability. He is not your archetypal footballer, but has a good head on his shoulders. This was evident during his co-commentary last season. He has strong links with the club and one of his best friends is Curtis Davis. He would have a tremendous influence on the squad in general and especially with the younger kids bearing in mind his experience as an academy kid with Blues and obviuosly he’s a Blues fan. I feel that he could make the difference between promotion succes and failure, but not just by what he can do on the field, but more importantly what he can influence off of it.
good addition to the squad i would say, will he play if everyone else is fit?? no, but unless LC has a at least 4-5 new signings lined up we cannot afford to as picky as some of you are, our squad is WAY2 thin.