Harry Redknapp has told The News how he might look to the lower leagues in England to solve his ‘headache’ that will be caused by the African nations in the new year: ‘when the African Nations Cup comes around, I will lose four players and be left with 14 outfield players who can play in the Premier League.
‘If I get an injury, I’m in trouble.
‘You cannot go with just 14 players.
‘I’ll look anywhere, including the lower divisions, to see if I think someone could come in and do a job.
‘If there are lads at lower league clubs, I’d love to give them an opportunity to come into the squad.
‘When I was at West Ham, I took people like Matty Holmes from Bournemouth and I’m looking round to see if there’s someone down there’.
To be honest I do not think that we should have much trouble attracting players in the January sales, this is providing that we have the money?
We will miss these players going away for the African nations but we were well aware that this was going to happen and do have players to cover this, and we always were looking to bring in new players anyway – so this has not changed.
I would be happy to see some young talent from the lower leagues make the step up, and do feel the talent it out there and this will not be a gamble – providing they are the right people, which you would expect they would be.
It looks like players will probably leave in the new year so we might have to cope with that too but we still have enough players here to cope – particularly taking into account others will sign – people like Arnold Mvuemba have not even got a look in this season so I would expect to see more of him and possibly Martin Cranie again if he has recovered by then, which the chances are he will have.
Either way, be it with the players we have and/or those that will arrive we will be fine and can get through this period – if some younger talent from the lower leagues could also join us to benefit us now and in the future that will be an added bonus.
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