David Wheater given more time to recover

WHITES defender David Wheater has been taken out of the firing line by boss Dougie Freedman in a bid to build up his strength.

The 26-year-old has not figured for the first team since the 3-1 defeat at Brighton last month, being an unused substitute at Blackpool and Birmingham.

Wanderers have gone five matches unbeaten since the loss at the Amex Stadium, with Freedman favouring a centre-back pairing of Matt Mills and Tim Ream.

But the manager insists Wheater’s recent absence is not solely down to his form or that of other defenders in the squad.

He believes it is right to give the Redcar-born centre-back the time he needs to get back in tip-top shape. Freedman said: “We feel he’s (Wheater) not really back to where he belongs.

“He’s had to come back out of the team, to get rehabilitated in the right way.

“It is being done to get him stronger and to continue to play games, week in week out.”

Wheater, who signed a two-year extension to his contract in the summer to run until 2016, began the season in the starting line-up after recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury that sidelined him for virtually the whole of last season.

But he has struggled to rediscover the form that prompted Wanderers to fork out more than £2million for his services from Middlesbrough in January 2011.

He has played seven times this season and been on the losing side in four of those.

Freedman will hope more work away from the pitch, particularly while he has other options in defence, can reignite Wheater’s form and provide even more competition for places in the first-team.

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Too slow, too shite. I can't believe the club gave him a new 2 year contract. Madness.

Very odd?

Sounds to me more like he's thrown a strop.

How can you be fit enough to sit on the bench for a couple of weeks then next moment be withdrawn to get better 'rehabilitated'?

Sounds like utter bollocks to me.

Exactly what happened with Mills. Seems to be working with him, hope it does for Wheats.

How a couple of years makes a diference.  My Boro supporter pal said he was their best player when he came to us.  And after a few games with us and scoring a couple of goals he was being talked about an England call up......  now can't get into the team and most think he is a donkey.

I remember when Middlesbrough had him and valued him at around £20Million at one stage.

terenceanne wrote:How a couple of years makes a diference.  My Boro supporter pal said he was their best player when he came to us.  And after a few games with us and scoring a couple of goals he was being talked about an England call up......  now can't get into the team and most think he is a donkey.

He played for England at every level and was twice on the bench for full internationals under Capello but didn't get on the pitch.

Not much use. The thinking man's Andy O'brien.

He's the white Danny Shittu, Slower than my nan and docile. Half decent in the air I guess, needs to go

Or Maybe Wheater is just a bit shit.

Boggersbelief wrote:He's the white Danny Shittu, Slower than my nan and docile. Half decent in the air I guess, needs to go

Danny Shittu is pretty good now, I'd have him back in a heartbeat.

kennster wrote:

Boggersbelief wrote:He's the white Danny Shittu, Slower than my nan and docile. Half decent in the air I guess, needs to go

Danny Shittu is pretty good now, I'd have him back in a heartbeat.

I bet you thought he was pretty good when we signed him..

Boggersbelief wrote:

kennster wrote:

Boggersbelief wrote:He's the white Danny Shittu, Slower than my nan and docile. Half decent in the air I guess, needs to go

Danny Shittu is pretty good now, I'd have him back in a heartbeat.

I bet you thought he was pretty good when we signed him..

Ok he was shite for us but he's been an excellent player at Millwall.

Football fans are fickle. He's a waste of money and space now. A couple steady performances and that will all change. Look at Matt Mills and Tim Ream.

At his best, he's the best defender on the books.

doffcocker wrote:Football fans are fickle. He's a waste of money and space now. A couple steady performances and that will all change. Look at Matt Mills and Tim Ream.

At his best, he's the best defender on the books.

Stop WUMing you bellend.

He's way too slow to ever be of use to us.

For once I agree with nat, the way Danny ings left wheater behind on the first day was cringeworthy.

doffcocker wrote:Football fans are fickle. He's a waste of money and space now. A couple steady performances and that will all change. Look at Matt Mills and Tim Ream.

Agreed, it's laughable how fickle fans are. He's by no means a lost cause.

I'm sure doffcocker always used to slate Kevin Davies?

bwfc1874 wrote:

doffcocker wrote:Football fans are fickle. He's a waste of money and space now. A couple steady performances and that will all change. Look at Matt Mills and Tim Ream.

Agreed, it's laughable how fickle fans are. He's by no means a lost cause.

WUM

doffcocker wrote:Football fans are fickle. He's a waste of money and space now. A couple steady performances and that will all change. Look at Matt Mills and Tim Ream.

At his best, he's the best defender on the books.

Provided "the books" in question are "Learn How To Defend Like A Fucking Spastic" and "Defending For Clueless Twats."