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Lambert: Deals for Proven Loan Targets Too Rich For Us
Friday, 31st Jan 2020 11:28

Town boss Paul Lambert is not expecting to add to his squad before this evening’s 11pm deadline having targeted “proven” loan signings but with the deals to land them too costly.

The Blues have made only one addition this window, Preston’s Josh Earl having come in on loan as a direct replacement for Toto Nsiala who joined Bolton on a similar basis, and Lambert all but ruled out further new recruits being added to his squad before the January transfer window closes this evening.

Asked whether he is expecting a quiet day, Lambert said: “As I said to you the other day, we can’t go out and buy anybody. I’ve enquired about a few loans just to see if people can come in and help, but the money is incredible for some of them, so that won’t be feasible I don’t think, unless something pops up later on in the day.

“I’m never quite convinced with the January window because you get players that aren’t fit and it takes about a month to get them fit, or you get other people’s problems.

“The group of lads we’ve got at the minute have done brilliantly to get us into this position, so they deserve to stay with it.

“Sometimes you bring a few into your dressing room and it can actually disturb it. Then all of a sudden those guys go back and you don’t see them for the dust, so it’s not a window I’m a great fan of.”

On Monday keeper Bartosz Bialkowski joined Millwall on a permanent basis for a fee which is understood to be heavily based on appearance and achievement milestones rather than a significant initial fee.

Asked why the deal was done if it wasn’t going to give him cash to spend now, Lambert said: “It was the right thing for the club and the right thing for Bart.

“Finances dictate a helluva lot and how you interpret finances, whether it’s transfer fees or salaries or whatever it may be, it was right.

“Bart himself wanted to go as well, he’d been here for a few years and I knew the situation that when the money comes in we aren’t going to see it, so it’s fine.”


Lambert insists he has no problem with that: “Yes, it would be different if we’d sold Bart for £30 million then dear oh dear there’s no way, but it is what it is. There’s no point in asking why I can't get it when it’s not there.”

Last year Town had a busy January adding seven players, but with a number of them not getting up to speed until more than a month down the line. Was that in the back of his mind when it came to looking at January business this time around?

“Not really. I think last year we were trying everything to stay in the league,” he recalled.

“This year the guys have put themselves in a position where we’re in a real good place within touching distance of getting out of the league.

“They’re earnt the right because I trust them to do it. Last year was different, but you think we need a bit of help here to try and change something.

“I said before that when you bring a lot of people in it can disturb a lot of things, it can knock you off the rails but the guys that I brought in last year were all good guys, we were fortunate that way.

“But January is difficult because guys have not been playing as much football as they should have plus the finances can be huge.”

Given that Town are third in the table in with a very decent shout of pushing on for promotion, did he have conversations with owner Marcus Evans about adding from a position of strength?

“Marcus has been great, but the players I enquired about were too rich,” he said. “Or I could have gone for kids who are not any better than the kids [here] or they’re not ready to come into this environment. It’s not going to benefit us on that side.

“The ones I did go for were proven ones that I knew could maybe do it but the level of money was extreme, was massively extreme.

“There’s only two ways you can do it, you either get ones in that are not playing at their clubs and who could take three or four weeks to get fit or kids where it could be their first loan and you’re never quite sure what you’re getting from that side. It’s a really dangerous one.

“They’ve got to be ones who are going to help you, not necessarily better than what you’ve got, but ones that are going to help. I think the ones we did go for were slightly out of our range.”

Lambert says, having been unable to get the players he wanted, he was keen to avoid the temptation to make signings just for the sake of adding numbers to the squad.

“That’s it, there’s nothing out there,” he said. “The money’s high, there are Premier League ones that we’ve looked at and all of a sudden you find out that if you don’t play them there’s a massive bill attached to it and we’re not in a position to pay that.

“And we’re not in a position where we can say we can guarantee guys games. So if you don’t play them you get hit with a massive ‘fine’. That’s not healthy for anybody. It [makes them] too dear, too rich for us. The ones I wanted to look at were high.”

Town similarly employ that approach when they send their players out on loan with plenty of the Blues’ youngsters currently on spells in League Two or non-league.

Aside from Bialkowski, there have been no permanent exits with interest in Luke Woolfenden and Flynn Downes having come to nothing, for this window at least, barring a late unexpected offer which Lambert saus would have to be enormous.

“There’s certainly no way [they’re going] unless someone came in with an incredible amount of money, there’s no way those two guys are going,” he said regarding the two highly-rated youngsters.

Ultimately, Lambert is confident the squad he has can get the job of getting back into the Championship done.

“Absolutely, it’s got us in the position it’s got us in,” he said. “As I said before, I don’t think many people would have expected us to be where we are because of the disappointment of last year.

“It’s dead difficult where a team gets relegated to be in that position, it doesn’t matter what club you’re at.

“My old club Stoke, that’s got a wealthy ownership there, a really good ownership and they’ve found it unbelievably tough. They’ve found themselves nowhere near a play-off place.

“Things like that can happen. But what the guys have done has been absolutely brilliant to turn it around. We’ve never really been outside the top six all season, we’ve always been up there and we’re still in it.”


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braveblue added 11:34 - Jan 31
What a load of rubbish. Amazing how well paid managers support the idiot Evans. We had a chance a few years ago and he failed to invest. He had now led us to Div 3 with his football acumen. Having taken in £500k he spends nothing. Get out of our club!!!!
-8

Blue_badge added 11:37 - Jan 31
It was bad enough realising that we're now a "sell before we can buy" club - but to be told we're a "sell but can't buy" club is very sad, an indicator of how low we are.
We struggle to score against every club that plays the Rotherham way as we have no Murphy type player to win headers, hold the ball up and be a physical presence in the box. If we get promoted it'll be on the back of a solid defence - oops, here come Peterborough.
5

shouldistayorcounago added 11:45 - Jan 31
I'm a realist, I don't expect or want us to splash the cash willy nilly but I think most of us would agree this squad could be improved with a couple of loans. Really hard to believe that everyone Lambo wanted was 'too rich'. I hope I'm proven wrong and we fly through the rest of the season, but make no mistake, it will be Evan's fault if we are still playing League 1 football next season and if we are, just know it will be considerably harder to get promoted from there on out. Personally think this window has been wasted, even though keeping Wolfy and Downes has been a bonus.
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BlueNomad added 11:47 - Jan 31
Two meltdowns in two posts. Good start.
3

Bluearmy_81 added 11:50 - Jan 31
Joke club. Ipswich fans in the face of continued shafting... 😐
-13

BlueandTruesince82 added 11:54 - Jan 31
Its where we are simple. I see a lot more clubs talking about FFP. Firmer Reading chairmans described the Champ as bubble waiting to burst in Dutch Tulip crisis style.

Like it or not Club must be sustainable or we risk no club at all. We sailed close to that wind once before.

Thats said a loan wouldn't go a miss
8

beornioblue added 11:59 - Jan 31
Pathetic..so we cant even afford loans now not saying they're the answer but come on Marcus help the man out!!! Because if we dont go up at the first attempt we're well and truly screwed with all the good ones going (for probable peanuts) and being left with an elderly negative team.
Must win game tomorrow COYB
-2

ArnieM added 12:02 - Jan 31
Very, very sad state of affairs .
0

TimmyH added 12:03 - Jan 31
A 'quiet' transfer window...there's a surprise, even I thought we might get one fairly 'proven' loanee in, even that seems to much now days but wasn't expecting any permanent deals though.
1

prebbs007 added 12:06 - Jan 31
What a complete and utter load of BOLLOX!!!!!!!!!!! When are you all going to see what this tax dodging scumbag of an owner is doing to our club! we are the lowest level for 65 years because of him. We have our biggest ever debt because of him. And now we are supposed to believe we are so poor that we cant even compete in the market in League 1. In this window all of our rivals are adding to their squad. Blackpool have added 7 including from Leicester, Norwich,Wolves Boro- Bolton have added 5- Bristol Rovers added 4 including from Chelsea and derby - Burton 3 (wolves & leeds) Fleetwood 3, lincoln 5 (w.ham Arsenal wba,fulham) - MK dons 3( 2 from norwich) Oxford 5 (derby, w.ham) Peterboro 3, Pompey 3, Sunderland 3, Wycombe 2

Yet we apparently can't afford any incomings even after Bart's departure, prices are too high ??? only for us ? for itfc it's "silly money2 for everyone else it's cheaper ?? do us a favour Evans stop telling us lies, stop taking the P out of our club. Every window we get told the same cr&p and get mugged off. If you won't invest when there is a chance of promotion when will you.... oh yeah NEVER. Maybe all of the owners at League 1 clubs have more money than Evans ? oh wait are they all in the top 75 of the UK rich list ? NO !!

While Evans owns this club we will continue the decline. A joke of an owner who continues to use ITFC for his own gain as his personal wealth grows and grows while we fall further into debt and down the league pyramid !
-6

bobbyramsey added 12:11 - Jan 31
“That's it, there's nothing out there,” he said. “The money's high, there are Premier League ones that we've looked at and all of a sudden you find out that if you don't play them there's a massive bill attached to it and we're not in a position to pay that.

You mean like we got stuffed by Wolves over Norris?
1

RegencyBlue added 12:13 - Jan 31
This has 2016 written all over it again. Failed to invest then Mr Evans and it pretty much cost us a stab at automatic promotion.

Lets hope this failure doesn't have the same effect. This squad is nowhere near as good as some people think and we could have done with reinforcement.
9

jong75 added 12:14 - Jan 31
How far we have fallen. The years under Evans stewardship have been a disaster. There is no point saying get out of our club, who else would want to buy us? We have to accept evans only owns the club as a tax efficient way to manage his empire. There is no ambition from the top to be sucessful, hence why i personally, pick and choose the games i go to. There is no way i'm investing my money with an owner who's ambitions no way match mine for this once proud club. The only way for evans to change his philosophy is for the fans to stay away. Itfc fans wont do this, as they are desperate for the club to do well, so a vicious circle.
5

Dozzells_Bobblehat added 12:16 - Jan 31
Prebbs could you please explain how Evans uses the club for personal gain ? Genuine question
3

StringerBell added 12:18 - Jan 31
Evans really doesn't learn does he? A few years back one or two quality additons at the right time could have pushed to the Prem but he sat on his hands. Now, when others around realise that it is time to strengthen he does the same.
Notice PR Paul doesn't moan or b!tch about it now he's got a FIVE year contract.
5

peteswindon added 12:19 - Jan 31
Good to see us showing our level of ambition YET AGAIN
1

karls_dad added 12:27 - Jan 31
We will do really well to make the play offs, as for automatic? Well that pure Disney world, I shall support as I always have but inside have that sickening feeling of just how low as have fallen!!
2

davidsc1971 added 12:28 - Jan 31
I've some sympathy on both sides of the argument here - we need to be sustainable but we have such a good chance of getting back up to the Championship first time around, and a leap of faith for a proven creative midfielder and a reliable defender would help us across the line. I guess it comes down to available funds, if there aren't any then there aren't any.
1

1psw1ch added 12:29 - Jan 31
Same aul crap... No ambition.. Yeah we are in a good place in the league but let's get stronger to get promotion.. End of story... Sick and tired with this no funds bullsh1te
1

TimmyH added 12:34 - Jan 31
You can guarantee we will pick up a few injuries between now and the end of the season with our 'settled' starting 11...it only needs a couple of crucial players to get longish term injuries (see Huws and Bishop are both injured for tomorrow) and we're scuppered as the squad doesn't appear to be strong enough, a back up decent loanee particularly in midfield/out wide would have been good...but sounds like Evans hasn't learnt by history, he obviously thinks we have what it takes with this existing squad, I'm not so sure.
1

Carberry added 12:50 - Jan 31
He has to tow the party line because he's sold his soul for a 5 year deal. Let's not be fooled by the bravado, if someone comes in for either of the two youngsters and offers anything substantial Evans will bite their hands off.
-1

prebbs007 added 12:52 - Jan 31
Dozzells_Bobblehat have explained it many times but for you here it is once again.

Evans paid £10m for our £32m debt in 2010. Since his ownership our debt has grown to £95m while his personal wealth has grown from £395m to £800m and counting. He is being investigated for ticket fraud at Olympics and other corporate events and even though he says our debt doesn't have to be repaid, if he ever wants to sell the club you can guarantee the price is not £10m

He is in the top 100 of the UK rich list yet clubs like Shrewsbury and Bolton (yes the one who have a 12 point deduction and narrowly avoided going out of existence) are able to bring in players but we can't.

Evans shows losses every year in ITFC even though he pockets every transfer fee we receive to lower his overall profits across his business empire to pay less tax (corporation & personal) while we fall further and further down the league.

It's an utter joke and i really really hope he get's collared by the authorities and they throw away the key.
0

Chicago_Blue added 12:52 - Jan 31
Boring. What sort of club are we these days!? Although, technically, this means it IS feasible ;-) … "so that won't be feasible I don't think"
0

prebbs007 added 12:53 - Jan 31
Dozzells_Bobblehat AND if it was a genuine question why the downmark before you heard the answer ??????????????
-3

SouperJim added 13:05 - Jan 31
Bantz bantz bantz
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