DENIS Smith made a dramatic change of tack to sign the Nottingham Forest central defender Christian Edwards on a month's loan today.

The Oxford United manager had set his sights on taking Southampton's Richard Dryden but when he went to watch the Saints centre back in an FA Premier Reserve League match against Nottingham Forest Res at The Dell on Tuesday night, he had second thoughts.

He preferred Wales international Edwards, who was in the Forest side.

"Dryden has had a knee injury and although the reports I'd got last week were that he was excellent, I thought I'd go to watch him first," Smith said.

"When I saw him in person, I wasn't sure that he would stand up to the rigours of second division football - and Southampton have acknowledged that too.

"I went to watch the match because I knew that Christian would also be playing, and I thought he did well."

After talks with Forest boss David Platt yesterday, Smith got the 24-year-old to agree to come to the Manor for a month - and the former Swansea City defender will be thrown straight into a new back line for United's vital Division 2 relegation battle against Wrexham on Saturday. Smith had been focussing his mind on having a left-sided centre back but switching from Dryden to Edwards now increases his options - and opens up the possibility of using Jon Shepheard as the other centre back.

"Christian plays left-side but he's a right footer so that gives me an option," Smith agreed. "He has also been out for a time with knee problems but not such serious ones. I'll have a look at him in training on Thursday and see what he's like, but it's now one where I can use Shepheard if I want."

Edwards made 12 appearances in the Premiership last season, his debut coming in a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham, but he has not played a first-team match this season.

Ironically, just when United's new boss thought things were looking up, he learned that Wrexham had made a good signing of their own - taking the Australian 21-year-old striker Danny Allsopp on a month's loan.

Allsopp will similarly make his debut at the Manor on Saturday when he will come up against his Manchester City teammate Craig Russell, in the middle of a month's loan from Maine Road to Oxford.

At 6ft 1in, well-built and strong-running, Allsopp - who was reportedly above Russell in Joe Royle's pecking order of strikers - will prove a handful for Edwards and whoever his centre back partner turns out to be.

Story date: Thursday 24 February

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