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Rumours, Rumours And Damned Rumours

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Forest boss Billy Davies said prior to the January transfer window opening, that he hoped to have business concluded early. We’re almost half way through January now and the club have so far only managed to make permanent the signing of Marcus Tudgay, whom we already had on loan.

That said, it’s way too early to be hitting the panic button and despite our form in previous January windows, I actually believe we will manage to secure the signatures of at least two more players. I know we have all been conned, let down and led up the garden path by the men in suits before, but they can’t let us down again, surely? Failure to build in this window will be viewed as a massive mistake by the club and also viewed as another missed opportunity to make a genuine push for promotion. It will also force another and even more justified blast from the manager at the board, who will have failed him for a third time. That’s the main reason I believe the signings will come. Even Nigel Doughty can’t afford to take that risk.

Although the club haven’t announced it yet, we have for now at least lost the services of Ryan Bertrand, who has returned to Chelsea after his loan spell expired. That has once again highlighted the desperate need to secure the permanent signing of a left back and we may well get him yet, if we can cobble together the rumoured £1.25m the Londoner’s want for their man.

Norwegian left back Jonathan Parr is said to be close to finalising a deal to bring him to the City Ground, after impressing during his time here on trial. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility, that by the time the window closes we end up with both Parr and Bertrand at the club. How good would that be?

Equally as pressing as our need for a left back, is the need for a new centre half, now we know Wilson is off to the Celts. Danny Higginbotham at Stoke has been mentioned, but he’s getting his pick with the Potters, so that chance looks pretty slim. The only other name in the frame that is doing the rounds, is that of Sunderland’s on loan defender Matthew Kilgallon, another former target of ours. He’s returning from a spell out with a back injury and would be available for a fee. But as I type, he’s just put pen to paper at Donny, where he’ll spend the remainder of the season on loan. Oh, dear!

News on US international striker Robbie Findley is expected tomorrow, with NFFC announcing that a delegation will appear at at hearing to discuss the chances of him getting the required work permit. That should be a formality you’d think, what with the player having played in 3 out of 4 of the USA’s WC games this year.

No news on the grapevine regarding Darren Pratley, which is good news for Swans fans, but bad news for us. The long term target of NFFC looks a forlorn hope at the moment, with barely a whisper on the rumour mill about his coming to the City Ground. However, the chances of landing Scunthorpe United winger Martyn Woolford look promising, with the Iron stating they would be prepared to let him go for as little as £400,000. That’s the sort of price bracket the men in suits like, so we should be able to offer at least half of that, just to test their resolve and probably piss them right off in the process.

Midfielder/winger Adam Hammill at Barnsley and striker/winger Josh King at Man Utd have both been mentioned in the press as potential targets, but any chance of landing them probably depends on other deals falling through. If as expected we land Findley, then I personally think these two names will bite the dust. Although a deal for King would be a loan, it would make us a bit top heavy in the striker department. Mind you, Billy Davies likes his strikers and you can never have enough of them.

Still 18 days to go, so no rush to hit the panic button just yet, but it might just be worth pointing out to the men in suits, that the clock is ticking.

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