Powell restrained in transfer market

The pre-season rolls on and it’s Nick Pope’s Bury Town tonight. Ian Cartwright’s guide is as good as always, and the line-up is expected to be mostly developmental players but should include Danny Hollands as he catches up on his pre-season. Sadly Nick Pope misses the game in the pretty cathedral town of Bury St Edmonds due to injury.

A development side captained by Danny Hollands beat Bromley Town 2-0 on Saturday, with Ruben Bover’s stunning free-kick the highlight. On Thursday last week a 1st XI comfortably beat Barnet at Underhill 4-1. Kermorgant (both free-kicks), BWP and Jackson got the goals and Jon Fortune captained the Bees.

The first team go to Crawley Town tomorrow night and this is followed by Gillingham, whose hard-to-love chairman has vowed to clear his club’s name of racial discrimination. Pre-season is completed with a game at Tonbridge Angels and finally behind closed doors the Saturday before the new season, Fulham.

Despite an encouraging summer on the field and seemingly in Spain and at Sparrows Lane, most fans are devouring their time wondering if we are to add to the squad with some new signings. For those who either don’t care about what happens behind the scenes or those that have their head buried in the sand, then they won’t be putting two and two together.

Nonetheless it is plainly evident to me that the player budget is maxed out and I will now be very suprised if anyone else comes in and whilst the initial shortfall of income has been resolved there isn’t the money for marquee signings. The flip side is that no one has left and a couple of players have been rewarded with extended contracts, Yann Kermorgant being the latest one.

However after talk that Chris Solly may be used in any transfer of Sam Baldock, there is still the likely chance that one of the younger players may get sacrificed to improve the squad elsewhere. Solly probably being the most sellable asset.

I expect Chris Powell to begin the season with only the additions of Jordan Cook and Lawrie Wilson, whose transfer makes me even more cynical that Solly may leave. Why else would Powell spend possibly the only money he will be given on a reserve right-back?

Publicly CP has stated that Solly won’t leave and there will be 3-4 new players brought in, privately he is said to be frustrated but as one would expect has kept very close counsel these past few weeks and has not talked about impending transfers at all.

Sam Baldock is said to be on his way to Bristol City, I am biased of course but surely Baldock would choose the Addicks over City. I think the only deal we would have done is a loan for Baldock, I certainly couldn’t see us spending anywhere near £1.5m on one player, even before the whispers of financial insecurity.

Salim Kerkar, who played again at Barnet, is a probability especially with CP keen to move to a 4-3-3 formation in the Championship and I really do think in the more footballing environment of the second tier, the gaffer will involve both Cedric Evina and Ruben Bover more in his first team squads as well as young strikers Michael Smith and Jordan Cook.

If you are looking for some inspiration, then Southampton only added four players after winning promotion a year ago plus they sold Alex Oxlade Chamberlain.