Warnock ponders loan activity
Yorkshire Evening Post 10/9/12
By Phil Hay
Even before David Norris succumbed to a torn thigh muscle, Neil Warnock’s intentions in the emergency loan window were perfectly clear.
The market opened to Football League clubs on Friday night and the opportunity it gave to Leeds United as one they needed. Warnock went into the international break looking for a new forward, but he is coming out of it with unexpected worries about the state of his midfield. Norris’ injury just a month into the season underlined his concerns about the depth of the squad at Elland Road.
United rode the knee problem suffered by Paul Green last month, possessing enough players to compensate for his loss and signing a more recognised winger in El-Hadji Diouf, but Norris’ impending four-week absence combined with a hamstring strain suffered by Michael Brown leaves Warnock wondering how he will construct a midfield for Saturday’s game at Cardiff City.
The opening of the Football League’s emergency window presents an obvious solution, allowing temporary signings up to a maximum of 93 days.
Premier League clubs have submitted en masse fixed 25-man squads to their governing body, clarifying which players will be involved in the first half of the season and which might be allowed to depart on loan.
Warnock may find attractive options within the pool of Premier League outcasts, but the United manager is unlikely to limit his interest to those players alone.
He has been linked in the past seven days with Shaun Derry and Cameron Jerome – two players included in their respective clubs’ 25-man squads – and while the presence of defensive midfielder Rodolph Austin at Elland Road would cast doubt on any interest in signing Derry, sources in Stoke believe Jerome is a striker who Warnock would like to tempt away.
For all the problems developing in his midfield, Warnock knows that Norris and Green should return to full fitness before long. Norris is expected to be available early next month and Green will return around the same time having been ruled out for eight weeks after suffering a knee injury in last month’s Championship win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Warnock will look to cover himself in the meantime with both players likely to miss up to five league matches and Brown’s fitness also in doubt, but the 63-year-old’s desire for another striker to arrive at Elland Road has been weighing on him all summer.
Speaking ahead of the summer transfer deadline, Warnock said: “We want to look if we can financially to bring another forward in (on loan) because we’re so thin.” The Leeds boss watched his transfer fund dry up during the closing weeks of August and the prospect of a timely injection of cash via the proposed takeover of United receded as talks between current owner Ken Bates and a Middle Eastern consortium dragged on beyond the end of last month.
Sources in the Middle East anticipated a conclusion to negotiations one way or the other last week, claiming the buyers were rapidly losing patience, but both parties have been silent in the past 72 hours. The process appears to be continuing.
Warnock’s clout in the loan market is likely to be limited with so much doubt surrounding the takeover and no sign of financial investment from elsewhere, aside from money guaranteed from this month’s Capital One Cup tie against Everton.
His preferred strategy throughout his managerial career has been to name three or four attacking players on his bench. In his final league match as Queens Park Rangers boss, a week before he was sacked, his substitutes included Shaun Wright-Phillips, Rob Hulse, DJ Campbell and Federico Macheda – that in addition to a starting line-up which contained Jamie Mackie, Heidar Helguson and Adel Taarabt.
He was helped at Loftus Road by a wage bill befitting a Premier League side, but the attacking alternatives on offer to him when Leeds found themselves 2-0 down against Blackburn Rovers last weekend were not extensive. Several of the strikers who changed clubs for serious money on transfer deadline day – Nicky Maynard especially – were players who Warnock might have bid for himself had the funds been available.
Hulse and Campbell are surplus to requirements at QPR after both were left out of Mark Hughes’ 25-man squad. Hulse is said to be reluctant to uproot from Loftus Road and might not be the type of forward Warnock requires but Campbell – a player he took to QPR for more than £1million last summer – is a ready-made option. Championship leaders Blackpool are believed to be interested in signing the 30-year-old, having used him to good effect during their run to promotion in 2011.
A number of midfielders have also been left to look for moves to the Football League. Michael Johnson – a target pursued repeatedly by ex-Leeds boss Simon Grayson – appears to have no future at Manchester City and Stoke found no room in their plans for Michael Tonge, an attacking midfielder who thrived under Warnock during several years together at Sheffield United.
Norris has filled that role for Leeds during the past month, the foil to Austin’s aggressive style, but Warnock will struggle to replace the 31-year-old from within. Leeds have Danny Pugh and Zac Thompson to fall back on, but neither is a like-for-like replacement for Norris. Warnock originally planned to send Thompson out on loan at the start of this season.
Asked about Norris’ injury, Warnock said: “It’s another blow and I’m really disappointed for him because he’s had a great start to the season.
“He’ll be looking at three to four weeks so it’s not long-term, but we’ve already lost Paul Green and we’ve got Michael Brown struggling with a hamstring strain as well. We’re looking thin in that area.”
With Norris consigned to the treatment room, Warnock is crossing his fingers for the safe return of Austin from international duty.
Austin was called up by Jamaica for back-to-back World Cup qualifiers against the USA and is due to arrive back in England around 48 hours before United’s journey south for their game against Cardiff. Three other Leeds players have international commitments this week, including defender Tom Lees. The centre-back is looking to make his England Under-21 debut against Norway tonight.
The rest of United’s squad trained at the start of last week before receiving an extended break in the aftermath of six games in 21 days.
Leeds took seven points from their league matches and will travel to Cardiff holding seventh place in the Championship.
On the pros and cons of the current break, assistant manager Mick Jones said: “If you have some momentum going then you don’t really want a break. But it is what it is and we have to use it to our own advantage.
Offering his take, striker Andy Gray added: “The break’s come very quickly and when you’re winning or in decent form, you never really look for a rest. It’s been a really busy month, but we’re getting into our stride.
“At the same time, I’ve found in the past that if you go into a break in a decent bit of form then you’re left with a good feeling for a couple of weeks.”
“It gives you time to shake off injuries or niggles and recharge your batteries. It’s best to take advantage of that.”
By Phil Hay
Even before David Norris succumbed to a torn thigh muscle, Neil Warnock’s intentions in the emergency loan window were perfectly clear.
The market opened to Football League clubs on Friday night and the opportunity it gave to Leeds United as one they needed. Warnock went into the international break looking for a new forward, but he is coming out of it with unexpected worries about the state of his midfield. Norris’ injury just a month into the season underlined his concerns about the depth of the squad at Elland Road.
United rode the knee problem suffered by Paul Green last month, possessing enough players to compensate for his loss and signing a more recognised winger in El-Hadji Diouf, but Norris’ impending four-week absence combined with a hamstring strain suffered by Michael Brown leaves Warnock wondering how he will construct a midfield for Saturday’s game at Cardiff City.
The opening of the Football League’s emergency window presents an obvious solution, allowing temporary signings up to a maximum of 93 days.
Premier League clubs have submitted en masse fixed 25-man squads to their governing body, clarifying which players will be involved in the first half of the season and which might be allowed to depart on loan.
Warnock may find attractive options within the pool of Premier League outcasts, but the United manager is unlikely to limit his interest to those players alone.
He has been linked in the past seven days with Shaun Derry and Cameron Jerome – two players included in their respective clubs’ 25-man squads – and while the presence of defensive midfielder Rodolph Austin at Elland Road would cast doubt on any interest in signing Derry, sources in Stoke believe Jerome is a striker who Warnock would like to tempt away.
For all the problems developing in his midfield, Warnock knows that Norris and Green should return to full fitness before long. Norris is expected to be available early next month and Green will return around the same time having been ruled out for eight weeks after suffering a knee injury in last month’s Championship win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Warnock will look to cover himself in the meantime with both players likely to miss up to five league matches and Brown’s fitness also in doubt, but the 63-year-old’s desire for another striker to arrive at Elland Road has been weighing on him all summer.
Speaking ahead of the summer transfer deadline, Warnock said: “We want to look if we can financially to bring another forward in (on loan) because we’re so thin.” The Leeds boss watched his transfer fund dry up during the closing weeks of August and the prospect of a timely injection of cash via the proposed takeover of United receded as talks between current owner Ken Bates and a Middle Eastern consortium dragged on beyond the end of last month.
Sources in the Middle East anticipated a conclusion to negotiations one way or the other last week, claiming the buyers were rapidly losing patience, but both parties have been silent in the past 72 hours. The process appears to be continuing.
Warnock’s clout in the loan market is likely to be limited with so much doubt surrounding the takeover and no sign of financial investment from elsewhere, aside from money guaranteed from this month’s Capital One Cup tie against Everton.
His preferred strategy throughout his managerial career has been to name three or four attacking players on his bench. In his final league match as Queens Park Rangers boss, a week before he was sacked, his substitutes included Shaun Wright-Phillips, Rob Hulse, DJ Campbell and Federico Macheda – that in addition to a starting line-up which contained Jamie Mackie, Heidar Helguson and Adel Taarabt.
He was helped at Loftus Road by a wage bill befitting a Premier League side, but the attacking alternatives on offer to him when Leeds found themselves 2-0 down against Blackburn Rovers last weekend were not extensive. Several of the strikers who changed clubs for serious money on transfer deadline day – Nicky Maynard especially – were players who Warnock might have bid for himself had the funds been available.
Hulse and Campbell are surplus to requirements at QPR after both were left out of Mark Hughes’ 25-man squad. Hulse is said to be reluctant to uproot from Loftus Road and might not be the type of forward Warnock requires but Campbell – a player he took to QPR for more than £1million last summer – is a ready-made option. Championship leaders Blackpool are believed to be interested in signing the 30-year-old, having used him to good effect during their run to promotion in 2011.
A number of midfielders have also been left to look for moves to the Football League. Michael Johnson – a target pursued repeatedly by ex-Leeds boss Simon Grayson – appears to have no future at Manchester City and Stoke found no room in their plans for Michael Tonge, an attacking midfielder who thrived under Warnock during several years together at Sheffield United.
Norris has filled that role for Leeds during the past month, the foil to Austin’s aggressive style, but Warnock will struggle to replace the 31-year-old from within. Leeds have Danny Pugh and Zac Thompson to fall back on, but neither is a like-for-like replacement for Norris. Warnock originally planned to send Thompson out on loan at the start of this season.
Asked about Norris’ injury, Warnock said: “It’s another blow and I’m really disappointed for him because he’s had a great start to the season.
“He’ll be looking at three to four weeks so it’s not long-term, but we’ve already lost Paul Green and we’ve got Michael Brown struggling with a hamstring strain as well. We’re looking thin in that area.”
With Norris consigned to the treatment room, Warnock is crossing his fingers for the safe return of Austin from international duty.
Austin was called up by Jamaica for back-to-back World Cup qualifiers against the USA and is due to arrive back in England around 48 hours before United’s journey south for their game against Cardiff. Three other Leeds players have international commitments this week, including defender Tom Lees. The centre-back is looking to make his England Under-21 debut against Norway tonight.
The rest of United’s squad trained at the start of last week before receiving an extended break in the aftermath of six games in 21 days.
Leeds took seven points from their league matches and will travel to Cardiff holding seventh place in the Championship.
On the pros and cons of the current break, assistant manager Mick Jones said: “If you have some momentum going then you don’t really want a break. But it is what it is and we have to use it to our own advantage.
Offering his take, striker Andy Gray added: “The break’s come very quickly and when you’re winning or in decent form, you never really look for a rest. It’s been a really busy month, but we’re getting into our stride.
“At the same time, I’ve found in the past that if you go into a break in a decent bit of form then you’re left with a good feeling for a couple of weeks.”
“It gives you time to shake off injuries or niggles and recharge your batteries. It’s best to take advantage of that.”