Through the seasons before us..

As if January wasn’t bad enough, Smoulds is teasing us with talk of loan signings, that aren’t due to be made for more than two weeks time!  He’s been characteristically quiet on who he is targeting, the Nottingham Evening Post - bastion of knowledge that it is - suggests a right sided midfielder might be one of the targets, and namechecks popular rumour-victim, Birmingham City’s Neil Danns.  But let’s remember that this publication once suggested we were signing Roberto Baggio when in fact we signed Robert Rosario!

The reason 28th February is the date we’ll be bringing players in from (hopefully), is because you’re only allowed to loan players for a maximum of 93 days outside the transfer window, which means any potential loanees will be available to play in the play off final.  What? I hear you cry!  We’re going for automatic promotion!  Surely such a delay is needless and unwarranted, surely we should bring in players NOW and secure the points we need for the automatic spot!

Well, on one hand it is disappointing to hear Smoulders acknowledge the possibility of entering the playoff lottery.  But let’s face it - we’ve all said it after a bad result or performance.  Our target still remains automatic promotion, but then again, I dare say that’s the case for Scunthorpe United, Oldham Athletic and Bristol City too - somebody of that quartet will have to be disappointed, and frankly, if we’re one of them, then I’ll be glad we prepared ourselves.

As for who the targets are - well, who can say?  It’s almost certain a midfielder will be on the cards - given the players Smoulderwood released, would a defender be likely?  I’m not so sure - whilst Cullip featured fairly regularly, Thompson was a bit-part player at best, and we’ve added Chambers who can play both centreback and right back.  Although given our luck with trying to loan Mark Yeates who went to the dirty place down Fosse Way, perhaps we shouldn’t be counting our chickens yet, anyway?  Particularly if they’ve been hanging around near Bernard Matthews’ turkey farms!!