SAVVY_MONKEY has just about calmed down about City’s promotion, and has turned his attention instead on what to do with all that money.
Finally I’ve managed to calm down, and the reality of supporting a Premier League club has actually sunk in.
It’s natural (as well as great fun) to start trying to identify who we are going to see join us in phase three of the Lambert Plan, but where do we need to strengthen and who should we sign?
Both Lambert and McNally are very shrewd. Since their arrival, we’ve only paid fees for players whose value is likely to increase e.g. Crofts, Fox, Martin and Whitbread. The only player we’ve paid a large sum for has been Andrew Surman, thought to cost over £1m, but even this looks likely to yield a return based on his end of season form.
I’ve beaten this drum before, but our net spending on transfer fees was actually relatively high in the Championship – only QPR spent more than us. However, we’ve not spent so much as invested the money. So, yes we will have large funds.
Wages are different. Wages are purely a cost to the business, and there will still be pressure here to keep to the structure and not over-pay. Grant Holt was rumoured to be only on £2.5k per week last season. It’s a fair shout to say we won’t see any big names on big wages come in. We won’t see a JJ Okocha or Fabrizio Ravanelli-type given the Colney tour. And there’ll be no Graham Stuart looking for his last pay-cheque either. We’re more likely to see an Ashton or an Earnshaw-type of transfer – big profits were made on both these players despite high initial outlays.
Lambert will be given a lot of cash to invest, of that there is no doubt. Such is the trust that the club hierarchy must now have in him; the budget is likely to surpass that of most recently promoted teams.
Goalkeeper
I fail to be totally convinced by John Ruddy. Sometimes brilliant (e.g. Leeds away) but mostly nervy, we need another to challenge him, and perhaps take the number 1 jersey.
Targets – Adam Federici (Reading), Fraser Forster (Newcastle), Joe Lewis (Peterborough).
Defence
Most fans will feel we have some quality here, but not the strength in depth. Left back is covered with Drury, but we only have one right back with real first team experience, and only really three centre backs. Ashley Williams is quality, and McNaughton/Chambers would add versatility. Roger Johnson has done well at Birmingham despite their relegation too.
Targets – Ashley Williams (Swansea), Kevin McNaughton (Cardiff), Luke Chambers (N Forest), Roger Johnson (Birmingham).
Midfield
Leeds have some great midfield players, and it would be good to see at least one of Bradley Johnson or Jonny Howson – and Max Gradel looks real quality. Elliott Bennett would look likely to join too, if Lambert feels he could make the step up.
Targets – Johnson, Howson, Gradel (Leeds), Bennett (Brighton), McGugan (N Forest), Pratley (Swansea), Lansbury (Arsenal).
Strikers
As well as Aaron Wilbraham has done, you get the feeling we need another Grant Holt as back-up. Shane Long is a good player, but more likely to join would be CMS or Millwall’s Steve Morison, both of whom are cut from the same cloth as Holty. Extra creativity would hopefully come from a re-signed Dani Pacheco and the Hucks-esque Scott Sinclair.
Targets – Scott Sinclair (Swansea), Craig Mackail-Smith (Peterborough), Steve Morrison (Milwall), Dani Pacheco.
The biggest signing would of course be Lambert himself, but I’m confident with that one.
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