Warnock keeps his striker options open
Yorkshire Evening Post 2/8/12
The list was 20 to 30 strong, or so Neil Warnock says, and whittling it down has become his most pressing task.
Whoever else he manages to sign before the new season starts or the transfer window shuts, the Leeds United boss is adamant that a high-calibre striker must be brought to Elland Road.
After piecing together a new defence – a weakness at Leeds for the last two years – Warnock is not about to be caught short at the other end of the field.
A new striker was on his mind before Robert Snodgrass, the scorer of 13 goals last season, left for Norwich City and Snodgrass’ £3m sale served only to highlight that particular trait as a clear priority.
Leeds have been linked with several forwards in the past week, most of whom have Championship pedigree and a proven track record of scoring goals. Warnock was open-minded about the speculation, saying most were “the type of player we’re looking at” but taking care not to indicate which striker ranked as first choice on his list of options.
It is against this backdrop that the return of Jermaine Beckford has been mooted, despite the clear financial obstacles blocking a transfer from Leicester City.
Beckford is remembered and appreciated in Leeds for the prolific form which defined United’s League One years and led in no small part to their promotion in 2010. He was feted by the crowd on his appearance at Elland Road on the final day of last season and is still to earn the same level of kudos at Leicester, who he joined from Everton a year ago.
He scored 15 times in his first season with City but was part of an expensive squad which under-achieved en masse and finished outside the play-offs. Rumours suggested that Leicester’s manager, Nigel Pearson, was unconvinced by him, though Pearson has never given any public confirmation of a willingness to sell and Beckford’s recent absence from City’s pre-season schedule – an absence which set tongues wagging again – was the result of a bout of food poisoning.
Beckford played and scored for Leicester in a friendly against York City on Tuesday. The fee paid to Leicester by Everton – the club who signed Beckford from Leeds on a free transfer – was worth a total of £4m and Beckford’s salary is believed to in excess of £30,000 a week, far above what he earned at Goodison Park.
Some close to him say he would welcome a move back to Leeds and would accept a pay cut to make it happen, but the financial complications are prohibitive. It is not clear either whether Warnock sees Beckford as the perfect candidate to lead his attack.
West Ham United’s Nicky Maynard is in a similar position, tied down by a wage of more than £25,000 a week but unsure of his position at Upton Park.
The east London club made waves in the transfer market this week by discussing a deal to loan Andy Carroll from Liverpool, a transfer which threatened the involvement of their fringe strikers.
Sam Baldock, once of MK Dons, appears to be on the move after Bristol City had a bid of £1.5m for him accepted and Maynard could follow having started only nine games after leaving Ashton Gate to go to West Ham in January.
Maynard’s CV is that of a reliable scorer. He struck 32 times in 52 league starts for Crewe Alexandra and produced almost 50 league goals in 124 games at Bristol City. Asked about Maynard last week, Warnock said: “He’ll be the type of player that people are asking about on my behalf.
“We’ve mentioned probably 30 people like that and I’ve not made contact with the club myself. But I’m not saying Maynard hasn’t been mentioned because there are 20 or 30 players we’ve asked about, talking to Premier League managers and staff.
“We’ve not even considered making an offer for him. We’ve just been asking people what the availability of that type of player is.”
If United have made the same inquiries about George Boyd then the Peterborough United player is not aware of them, despite links between him and Leeds. Boyd is destined to leave London Road after unsuccessful contract talks and Peterborough are unwilling to allow him to see out his existing deal and depart on a free transfer next summer.
But their decision to transfer-list him has not provoked the flurry of bids it might have done.
The Scotland international was once rated among the more gifted players in the lower leagues but he will turn 27 in October and is no longer an emerging prospect. Often used as a winger, he scored eight times for Peterborough last season having regularly reached double figures in previous years with the club.
A more likely target for Warnock appears to be Craig Mackail-Smith, the striker signed by Brighton from Peterborough for around £3m last year.
United and Albion have already discussed a player exchange involving Mackail-Smith and Ross McCormack, though Warnock seems increasingly reluctant to lose McCormack after Snodgrass’ frustrating defection.
While McCormack, United’s top scorer last term, attracted interest from Huddersfield Town, Crystal Palace and Bristol City after turning down a new deal at Leeds, Palace are likely to be priced out of a bid and Bristol City have looked elsewhere by bidding for Baldock.
Warnock said: “I’d rather keep him and Ross knows that. We don’t want to sell him unless there’s a player exchange or something like that. Where are the goals going to come from? It’s not rocket science?”
phil.hay@ypn.co.uk
The list was 20 to 30 strong, or so Neil Warnock says, and whittling it down has become his most pressing task.
Whoever else he manages to sign before the new season starts or the transfer window shuts, the Leeds United boss is adamant that a high-calibre striker must be brought to Elland Road.
After piecing together a new defence – a weakness at Leeds for the last two years – Warnock is not about to be caught short at the other end of the field.
A new striker was on his mind before Robert Snodgrass, the scorer of 13 goals last season, left for Norwich City and Snodgrass’ £3m sale served only to highlight that particular trait as a clear priority.
Leeds have been linked with several forwards in the past week, most of whom have Championship pedigree and a proven track record of scoring goals. Warnock was open-minded about the speculation, saying most were “the type of player we’re looking at” but taking care not to indicate which striker ranked as first choice on his list of options.
It is against this backdrop that the return of Jermaine Beckford has been mooted, despite the clear financial obstacles blocking a transfer from Leicester City.
Beckford is remembered and appreciated in Leeds for the prolific form which defined United’s League One years and led in no small part to their promotion in 2010. He was feted by the crowd on his appearance at Elland Road on the final day of last season and is still to earn the same level of kudos at Leicester, who he joined from Everton a year ago.
He scored 15 times in his first season with City but was part of an expensive squad which under-achieved en masse and finished outside the play-offs. Rumours suggested that Leicester’s manager, Nigel Pearson, was unconvinced by him, though Pearson has never given any public confirmation of a willingness to sell and Beckford’s recent absence from City’s pre-season schedule – an absence which set tongues wagging again – was the result of a bout of food poisoning.
Beckford played and scored for Leicester in a friendly against York City on Tuesday. The fee paid to Leicester by Everton – the club who signed Beckford from Leeds on a free transfer – was worth a total of £4m and Beckford’s salary is believed to in excess of £30,000 a week, far above what he earned at Goodison Park.
Some close to him say he would welcome a move back to Leeds and would accept a pay cut to make it happen, but the financial complications are prohibitive. It is not clear either whether Warnock sees Beckford as the perfect candidate to lead his attack.
West Ham United’s Nicky Maynard is in a similar position, tied down by a wage of more than £25,000 a week but unsure of his position at Upton Park.
The east London club made waves in the transfer market this week by discussing a deal to loan Andy Carroll from Liverpool, a transfer which threatened the involvement of their fringe strikers.
Sam Baldock, once of MK Dons, appears to be on the move after Bristol City had a bid of £1.5m for him accepted and Maynard could follow having started only nine games after leaving Ashton Gate to go to West Ham in January.
Maynard’s CV is that of a reliable scorer. He struck 32 times in 52 league starts for Crewe Alexandra and produced almost 50 league goals in 124 games at Bristol City. Asked about Maynard last week, Warnock said: “He’ll be the type of player that people are asking about on my behalf.
“We’ve mentioned probably 30 people like that and I’ve not made contact with the club myself. But I’m not saying Maynard hasn’t been mentioned because there are 20 or 30 players we’ve asked about, talking to Premier League managers and staff.
“We’ve not even considered making an offer for him. We’ve just been asking people what the availability of that type of player is.”
If United have made the same inquiries about George Boyd then the Peterborough United player is not aware of them, despite links between him and Leeds. Boyd is destined to leave London Road after unsuccessful contract talks and Peterborough are unwilling to allow him to see out his existing deal and depart on a free transfer next summer.
But their decision to transfer-list him has not provoked the flurry of bids it might have done.
The Scotland international was once rated among the more gifted players in the lower leagues but he will turn 27 in October and is no longer an emerging prospect. Often used as a winger, he scored eight times for Peterborough last season having regularly reached double figures in previous years with the club.
A more likely target for Warnock appears to be Craig Mackail-Smith, the striker signed by Brighton from Peterborough for around £3m last year.
United and Albion have already discussed a player exchange involving Mackail-Smith and Ross McCormack, though Warnock seems increasingly reluctant to lose McCormack after Snodgrass’ frustrating defection.
While McCormack, United’s top scorer last term, attracted interest from Huddersfield Town, Crystal Palace and Bristol City after turning down a new deal at Leeds, Palace are likely to be priced out of a bid and Bristol City have looked elsewhere by bidding for Baldock.
Warnock said: “I’d rather keep him and Ross knows that. We don’t want to sell him unless there’s a player exchange or something like that. Where are the goals going to come from? It’s not rocket science?”
phil.hay@ypn.co.uk