Dette er hva Bramble sier om linken til Van Buyten. Ser ikke noe negativt i dette. Det blir mer enn nok kamper på Van Buyten, Boumsong, Bramble og Taylor om vi skulle få en stopper til. Se bare på alle kampene Rio, Silvestre, Wes Brown og O`Shea har fått for Man Utd denne sesongen. For å ikke nevne Carvalho, Terry, Gallas og Huth.
Titus Bramble has responded to Newcastle United's link with Belgian international Daniel Van Buyten by urging Graeme Souness not to scrap his promising partnership with Jean-Alain Boumsong.
Bramble has transformed himself from defensive scapegoat to lynchpin under Souness, salvaging a career which looked destined never to fulfil its potential on Tyneside.
But it seems United's manager is still keen to recruit another centre half, with van Buyten claiming earlier this week that he has been told by the Scot that he will be United's first choice centre-back should he agree to move from German outfit Hamburg.
Bramble, though, while welcoming the prospect of new arrivals, appears determined to see off the challenge to his place in the side.
"I enjoy playing alongside Jean-Alain," said Bramble, who was voted Newcastle's most-improved player last season and whose groin injury had a major impact on their FA Cup and Uefa Cup implosions.
"He is very calm, on and off the pitch. We are getting to know each other well, and that's important. I think we have shown signs that we can establish an excellent partnership in the games we have played together."
He continued: "I suppose you could say I have the power and he has the athleticism, but you need both to be a success in the Premiership. I don't think you can say one has got one quality and one has got the other. It's still early days, but our performances together have been good. We have combined well and the partnership has got better and better.
"When you're a centre back, you get used to playing with a lot of different defensive partners, especially at Newcastle United. But it is better to have a settled partnership and I hope that is what we become next season.
"We will get better the more games we play together. We just have to have a bit of luck with injuries as well."
A number of United's players are fretting about their future this summer, but while Bramble was not expected to be one of them, he has acknowledged the fact major changes need to be made if Newcastle can once again compete for a Champions League place.
He said: "I hope to be here next season. I've not been given any reason to think that I won't be, but you never know in football. Newcastle have had a poor season and changes will be made.
"If I'm here, I'm looking forward to building on the progress we have made in defence, particularly on my partnership with Jean-Alain.
"There are other defenders at the club who want to play, so we've got to keep on working at it. We all want to put things right, because last season wasn't good enough by any stretch of the imagination.
"I'm sure there will be some new arrivals as well, but the competition for places is what we need if we're going to get back to where we belong."
Bramble's improvement over the last six months will have pleased former manager Sir Bobby Robson, who was one of the player's staunchest defenders.
Bramble added: "I owe Sir Bobby Robson a lot and I owe a lot to the current coaching staff, but the improvement has also been down to me.
"I've always said confidence is important, but I'm better at staying focused now than I have been in the past. It's about growing up, as a person and a footballer."
Kilde