I want four more players - Pearce | Manchester Evening News

I want four more players - Pearce

Chris Bailey

November 09, 2006

ON THE LOOK-OUT: Stuart Pearce

STUART PEARCE says he wants to strengthen up to four positions when the transfer window opens in the New Year.

A fifth striker remains his most pressing target but finding consistency all along the left side and a creative midfielder is also a main concern.

"I have got priorities on four positions in our team that I think we can strengthen," Pearce said.

And, while it will be another seven weeks before Pearce can take the plunge, he is already identifying targets and was at Stoke on Monday running the rule over more potential recruits.

éWe are looking at players who will improve us,é he added.

éI need to sit down with the chairman and see what finance is available to me but I have positions I am prioritising.

éNot a great deal of business gets done during the January window, so whether I can get those players is another matter. But we have certainly been very busy looking.é

Funds

The limited funds available means he will be looking at players from lower down the leagues.

The Blues boss has been keeping tabs on Izale McLeod at MK Dons, Scunthorpe's Billy Sharp, Nicky Maynard at Crewe and Caleb Folan at Chesterfield.

Sharp appears to be rapidly improving and the 20-year-old currently leads the League One goal charts.

His league career has produced 44 goals in 66 contests whilst 22-year-old McLeod has bagged 45 in 109 starts for Derby and the Dons.

Winsford born Maynard is the youngest of those seeking a rocket ride to the Premiership and at 19 has played just 13 times for Crewe scoring 10 times.

He would represent the biggest gamble for a top-flight club. Ex-Leeds trainee Folan showed his liking for Premiership defences, including City's, during Chesterfield's Carling Cup run.

More established strikers in the Championship such as United's midweek tormentor Freddy Eastwood at Southend and the two Davids - Nugent (Preston) and Healey (Leeds) - have also entered the scouting radar.

Which of these players would you like to see at City? Have your say.

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Bertie Blue Nose, Eastlands (09/11/2006 at 09:57)

So Stuart Pearce wants to bring in four more players. This is a clear admission that his close-season transfer-market activity has failed. By my reckoning, he brought in seven players during the close-season - Ousmane Dabo, Dietmar Hamman, Hatem Trabelsi, DaMarcus Beasley, Andreas Isaksson, Bernardo Corradi, and Paul Dickov. Isaksson has yet to play, but who of the rest has been a hit? So Pearce, like depressingly so many of his predecessors, has goofed in the transfer-market. So why should he be allowed to bring in four more players?

Dave, Heywood (09/11/2006 at 09:58)

Hey Stu!
How about John Terry, Cesc Fabregas, Thiery Henry and Didier Drogba.

blue avenger, darn sarf with the manyoo posse (09/11/2006 at 10:09)

I'm expecting 2 more keepers and Les Ferdinand and Dion Dublin to solve our goal drought.

Tommy, Poynton (09/11/2006 at 10:12)

Bertie, if he takes the plunge on some young blood I'd be a lot happier than more old men on a last payday and foreign players who take a season to adjust.

Blau, 78234 Engen (09/11/2006 at 10:13)

I predict at least 100 cynical comments by the end of the day and who would blame them. Less than 2 months to go until the window opens and Stu doesn't even know if his budget is 0 or 20 million. If he doesn't know who we can afford, how can he be sure he's targetting the right people? Director of Football needed more urgently than ever i think.

BlueBlue, Blue Yonder (09/11/2006 at 10:13)

Transfer money and Stuart Pearce are a very dangerous mix as he has already proven over the summer.

Prestwich Blue, Manchester (09/11/2006 at 10:14)

Given his record so far it will be two goalkeepers a thirtysomething midfielder with a dodgy knee and a non-scoring striker.

allen, frodsham (09/11/2006 at 10:20)

he says he needs more players he gets flak, if he didnt he would get flak. at least he admits we need to strengthen.personally i would save what little money we have until end of season and have a good clear out; reyna, hamman, sinclair, corradi, mills to start and blood the kids, what superb talent we have waitng to be let loose, stu let them off the leash please

bluenose, fallowfield (09/11/2006 at 10:22)

AS we can see players from the championship on our list. How can they improve a side on the slide, looks to me like the board and pearce are building a side that will compete in the championship. We should be looking abroad like redknapp and alladyce do

Stephen Petrou, notts (09/11/2006 at 10:23)

I sincerely hope they include .1. A striker as good as the likes of Lua Lua , Robbie Keane,Darren Bent or even Jimmy Floyd. 2. A centre midfielder who can actually playmake a little pass a lot accurately and at least split the odd defense with a pass every now and again. 3. A right sided player to finally replace SWP and get Trevor Sinclair out of the side( It was like selling your 6 series and replaceing it with a Kia).4. Please Please someone can actually take a free kick i.e. Put a quality dangerous ball in the box or have a decent shot ON TARGET every now and again .

TC, Timperley (09/11/2006 at 10:23)

It's all just spin as usual, just to stop us moaning. Some people will get all excited but in reality we'll probably pick up a few old crocks on a freebie and some not quite good enoughs. What is the point of telling us this now anyway, have they started selling season tickets for next season already ?

john wardle, hiding in a cupboard (09/11/2006 at 10:25)

David Beckham is available, but big sam will probably get him to bolton as they have more ambition. Steve sidwell wants to play for us, louis boa morte as i keep mentioning is a player were crying out for, and as for a striker Camara,eastwood,yakubu,
also antonio cassano is available from real madrid on loan.
but to be honest your average guy on the street could score more goals than any of our strike force.

green, deepest cumbria (09/11/2006 at 10:29)

We really, really, really don't need any more players unproven at Premiership level.
We're in a hole, hopefully not stuck there, but we need skilled shovel operatives, not inexperienced juniors.
We need to start pairing Dunney with Ned and Micah 'cos Distin is certainly off (poss Barton also), we need to see more of Ishy and Ireland and we need Samaras and Vassell to play week in, week out as they're our only hope of goals, lord help us.

timmy, withington (09/11/2006 at 10:31)

I'm not sure, given his lamentable recorts in the transfer market (Hamman, Corradi, Dickov - nuff said), that Pearce should be given any money. But we certainly do need to strengthen and if the RIGHT four players were brought in, fears of relegation would evaporate. There's not much point looking at divisions below the Championship IMO. The step up is too severe and players like MacLeod and Folan would only be useful for the future. The fact is, we need a creative midfielder and a regular goalscorer asap. A new, respected manager would have a better idea about who to buy AND be able to attract better players that Beenie Man.

horlock the warlock, joe royle's all star xi (09/11/2006 at 10:33)

don't be so negative bertie. pearce had limited funds pre-season and his hand was forced when DJ left to buy a keeper, which swallowed most of the budget. it's unfortunate that isakson injured himself, but it has allowed nicky weaver to step back into the first team, one of the highlights of the season so far for many blues. we should be pointing the finger at harry redknapp for poaching our players, cole was obviously part of pearce's plans, his eleventh hour decision to leave was a complete surprise. have a little faith, let's see if pearce can pluck some gems from the lower leagues. as i said yesterday management teams in the lower divisions are producing a lot of talented players, maybe the lads that city is allegedly targeting have the potential of players like dean ashton and darren bent.

paul ainsworth, napton, warwckshire (09/11/2006 at 10:42)

Absolutely Bertie, can we trust any more SP signings?, maybe after Saturday we won't have to worry about that

gb, hg (09/11/2006 at 10:43)

City should make a bold attemt to bring Beckham back to the prem,i know alot of will disagree but he would do a good job in that creative midfield spot,as for strikers as soon ac Cole left we should have gone for Kevin Phillips(like for like)as for other poss signings,Jones from crewe,stearman from leicester,SWP from chelsea!

JA, Salford Blue (09/11/2006 at 10:44)

It's simple, players we need are, David Dunn, Danny Murphy, Freddie Eastwood!!!!!!!!

Shaun, My desk (09/11/2006 at 10:44)

Based on the performances of the seven players(Dabo,Hamman,Trabelsi,Beasley,Corradi,Dickov,Isaksson-injured) bought in by Pearce during the close season,am I the only one thinking that it might not be wise to let him loose with the kitty again? Not one of these players has made ANY impression on the team at all. All have been out injured
(some arrived injured),none have scored, and only Trabelsi
actually looks to be better than what we already have.Pearce bought in seven players so why do we still have problems on the left, a total lack of creation in midfield, and no recognised goalscorer?

Colonel Mad, Beswick (09/11/2006 at 10:45)

Unless and until Pearce can confirm that all potential signings are injured and will spend most of the season on the treatment bench with all his other new recruits I'm frankly not interested.

Adam, Finland (09/11/2006 at 10:45)

@Bertie Blue Nose, Eastlands: how can you or anyone say that Pearce's purchases have been failures?! According to www.mcfc.co.uk, Trabelsi has played in 2 (3 as sub), Dabo 3, Isaksson 0, Beasley 2(2), Corradi 7(3). The only one you can have even a minimal basis for judging is Corradi. It's absolutely proposterous to claim that Pearce or any of these players have failed!

DJ (not Jamo), Chorlton (09/11/2006 at 10:48)

Sounds like he has learnt too much from Keegan. Buy a few players in the summer, and if that doesn't work out, just go and buy some more. Sounds like crunch time for Wardle. Does he sanction more Pearce buys or does he keep any money for another manager to use? Of all those names I think McCleod is the most likely to succeed. Healy, Nugent and Eastwood look like the kind of players who are great at Champ level but not quite athletic enough for the premiership (ie. Macken all over again). A prem club is going to splash money on them, I just hope it won't be us.

Mike, Alty (09/11/2006 at 10:51)

SWP on loan until the end of the season.

David Healey from Leeds.

and Danny Murphy either on loan or a minimal fee and hopefully Sidwell if we can get him. Don't forget we may lose Distin as well.

Lee, Manchester (09/11/2006 at 10:56)

Lets be honest here - we will be lucky if 1 player comes in, probably a foreign striker on loan (30 plus in age) and after one last payday. The

Stephen Lyons, Belfast (09/11/2006 at 10:56)

Bring in David Healy.Im amazed a Prem club hav,nt snapped him up.Give him the ball to his feet and 9/10 he finds the target.How many Current prem players can boast scoring a hat-trick against Spain as Healy did!!
Also i totally agree about Becham.If there is any chance to entice him to City by goodness we have to take it!!!

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