City News

Well… Graeme Lee has left, Michael Boulding has announced he wants to take a pay cut and stay at the club, and there’s no news on McLaren or Brandon. We’re into pre-season training now and only one of the “big four” has left the club. It is starting to look as if we might have a rather small squad this season given that signings seem to be dependent on departures of members of this small group of big earners. We have, though, signed a couple of players.

Transfer News

Following yesterday’s tip-off about Graeme Lee, there is more transfer news. As I wrote in yesterday’s post, “football contracts tend to run until 30th June so it may be that we will get some news this week when City are able to make their moves on out-of-contract players” and here we go:

The T&A reports that City have signed Graeme Lee, goalkeeping target Rob Burch has joined Lincoln (though God only knows why), Lee wants to be a leader in the Wetherall mould and City have signed Paul McLaren, “League One’s most creative player last season”. McLaren managed 13 assists last season in League One, so let’s hope he can at least match that tally this coming season.

So far this pre-season, City have signed Lee, Arnison, Brandon and McLaren from teams in higher divisions. After reading the worries articulated by fans, I’m pleased we have some positive news and I think that the new signings should improve the squad. All we need now is a ‘keeper, another midfielder and maybe one more striker and we should just about have a squad of players capable of challenging for a play-off position. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks we will sign more players of the calibre of Lee, Arnison, Brandon and McLaren.

Wiki pages:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Arnison

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Brandon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_McLaren

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme_Lee_%28footballer%29

More on City’s pre-season

Arnison is pleased to have signed for a club with a large fanbase and his move is partly due to Greg Abbott. Via the T&A.

Bullock is looking forward to Pre-season.

City haven’t signed anyone yet, apart from the three players already mentioned in previous blog posts (Arnison, Bullock and McLaughlin). However, football contracts tend to run until 30th June so it may be that we will get some news this week when City are able to make their moves on out-of-contract players. Darren Moore, unfortunately, looks likely to go to Leicester City but Rob Burch is still a possibility for the vacant goalkeeping slot and McCall apparently has back-up options if the likes Moore and Boulding don’t sign. Moore might not be needed if Graeme Lee is signing: Team Talk.