In his press conference last week, Danny Cowley suggested he’d saved a few pennies ‘for the sales’. What he meant was he has kept a little of his budget back, knowing that as we get closer to the transfer window prices will begin to fall.
He’s still in the market for a lively striker, one with pace and running to offer an alternative to Matt Green. Ollie Palmer is cited as a replacement ‘big man’, even though there is more to his game than being tall. He turned in a stellar performance when he came on at Rotherham, and some say he is the natural alternative to Green.
I tend to trust Danny Cowley when it comes to the transfer policy though, especially given his moves in the market this summer. Whilst nothing is ever won in August, we do seem to have had a robust system of targeting players and chasing them down. Whilst much business was done in May by the more trigger happy managers, Danny waited, bided his time and stalked his targets. Aside from Michael Bostwick of course, that big bugger more or less fell into our laps.
So, when Danny says he wants another quick and mobile striker, who are we to disagree with him right? I’ve identified a couple of names that might fit the bill, especially as the days tick away and they’re without regular football. It might all be pie in the sky, but these wildly speculative articles will soon be a thing of the past once the transfer window shuts. Remember, we can’t even sign a player on loan once it is closed, so Danny will be looking to do some additional business over the coming fortnight.
Dave Tarpey
I’ve succumbed to popular opinion here, because personally I don’t think Dave Tarpey (pictured top) is what we are looking for. However, seven goals in three games at Maidenhead is not to be sniffed at, especially not when you consider he’s scored as many before August 17th as Adam Marriott and Jack Muldoon bagged in the league all season, combined. Quick, slow, big or little, a striker’s currency is goals and at the moment Dave Tarpey is getting them in abundance.
Danny spoke of his desire to bring in players from the non-league scene in May, but as yet we haven’t really done that. Our chase of Jordan Williams ended with him going to Rochdale, and perhaps Danny has one last trick up his sleeve when it comes to recruiting players from the National League? Tarpey is 29 which may be a little older than Danny wants to recruit, but it all comes back to goals. If you’re scoring regularly, what does age matter?
The only thing that has prevented a big move for the striker that grabbed 44 goals last season is age, Reading were rumoured to be looking at him as well as a host of League One and League Two clubs. He might not be the quick player that would act as a natural replacement for Matt Green when required, but he would certainly be an interesting acquisition nonetheless.
Stefan Payne
I’ve spoken about Payne on numerous occasions, it was heavily rumoured we were chasing him in the last transfer window after he found himself frozen out at Barnsley. His big move to Oakwell didn’t quite go as planned, and he spent a portion of last season on loan with Shrewsbury in League One.
He grabbed 36 goals in 90 appearances for Dover after a spell at Hornchurch, and that return earned him a Football League move. Payne was a thorn in the Imps side, scoring twice as they beat us 4-1 in March 2015. He’s just under six-foot, but is quick and agile much like Matt Green. He could certainly fill in for Green when required, and I suspect League Two might be a more suitable level than the Championship.
It does appear that he is back in the frame at Oakwell though, so much would depend on their business over the coming weeks. He has appeared three times as a sub for them, on each occasion getting ten minutes at the end of matches. He hasn’t entirely impressed, and he didn’t warrant a start in their League Cup match against Morecambe. With just this season left to run on his contract it really is do-or-die at Barnsley, and if they do pick up another centre forward before the window closes there is every chance they could offload Payne.
Tyler Walker
This is really hopeful from me, but if my wish list were to be completed then I’d love to see Tyler Walker sign on a season-long loan for City. We saw Tyler in pre-season against Forest under-23’s and he looked the real deal. He’s devastatingly quick, possibly as fast as Josh Ginnelly and Harry Anderson, and his finishing was clinical also. He was being chased by Grimsby Town but I was reliably informed by a good source that any move to Blundell Park ‘wasn’t even an option’. The general consensus is that he will be either going to a League One side, or he will remain at the City Ground to fight for a first team spot.
Maybe, just maybe, the dynamic might change. Now the season is underway Tyler isn’t featuring on the bench for Forest, his solitary appearance came in the last sixteen minutes of their League Cup win against Shrewsbury. Perhaps Forest will see value in loaning him out until January, giving him the opportunity to get regular football under his belt.
I’m told Jack Lester and Danny have a good relationship, Jack being the Forest under-23 coach. Of course any move would need to be rubber-stamped by Mark Warburton, but if Walker isn’t around their first team squad then the possibility of us obtaining him on loan is there. Also, Walker wouldn’t have to up sticks and move from his current base either, so he would be accessible to Forest and they could easily monitor his progress.
Granted it is a hopeful shout, but Walker is one forward I think would add something to our attack, he’d bring a different dynamic that perhaps none of our current forwards have. He has blistering pace and a keen eye for goal, and would offer a viable alternative to Matt Green, but also perhaps he could play alongside him if we were chasing games.
Jordan Slew
Jordan is a player whose career has taken a bit of a nose-dive, and perhaps he is the project that Danny has been chasing this pre-season. We know of our hunt for Ade Azeez, a player who didn’t have the best stats but whom I’m told Danny saw ‘development potential’ in. Could the former £1m Slew be someone that our management can bring out the best in?
Slew was once hot property, three goals from eight starts convinced Blackburn to splash a seven-figure sum on him. From there it really hasn’t gone well, loan spells at Ross County, Stevenage, Oldham, Port Vale, and Rotherham brought just three league goals. Ross County was perhaps the final straw for Blackburn, in 17 starts he bagged just once. A permanent move to Cambridge followed, but after one goal in 28 games he went to Chesterfield as cover for Ebanks-Blake. Once again, no goals followed and he finally moved to Plymouth Argyle last season. Finally he rediscovered some sort of form, six goals from 27 starts offering more of a repayment than at any of his other clubs. Sadly for Slew he was released at the end of the season, and a trial at Mansfield in the summer did not result in a contract, probably because he didn’t cost enough.
With stats such as his, why would I even suggest we look at him? Well firstly he is still only 24 and having had such early promise I refuse to believe his ability has left him. He’s six-foot three, slightly built with a turn of pace as well as his height. He may not have had the best of times in his career, but his next move will be ‘last chance saloon’, and as a project I think he would be on a par with the likes of Azeez.
There are elements of trouble that might need managing though, Slew has been sent off for ‘inexplicably raising his arms’ against a defender and kicking out at another. He was caught doing 156mph on the A1 a couple of years ago as well, the fastest speed recorded on British roads in three years. I sense Slew is a troubled young man who, with the right coaching and guidance, could still make a very good League Two player.
Of course the likelihood is that none of these players are on Danny’s radar, although I suspect of the four Tyler Walker would be the one he would bring to the Bank if he can. After a summer of waiting, stalking and pouncing it almost seems as shame that we have just a couple of weeks of the transfer window left, but Danny admits that he’ll be happy to get his life back once it closes. Four months is a long while in football terms, and being unable to add anyone to your squad makes the next fourteen days crucial not only for Lincoln City, but also for a whole host of players currently without a club or facing limited first team options. It’s crazy-season now, and the wily managers that have held a few quid back could find themselves with a real bargain on their hands as the hours count down.
What price on another deadline day involving a certain Mr Margetts? He does seem to be the ‘go to’ guy when all else fails!
Tarpey’s a complete goal machine and it would be great to see us go for someone like that, but at what level would the goals start to dry up? Cannot see it happening though.
Walker’s most probably going to Notts County, as they seem to have struck up a good relationship with Forest at the moment. Seen him play (and score) for Forest, but looked a little raw then and has done well wherever he has gone on loan, but would he dislodge either Rheady or Green? No chance.
Slew… not for me, while Payne was on the bench for Barnsley last night and I doubt he would drop to our level. That said, though, Barnsley only play one man up top (normally Bradshaw) and his chances of a starting berth could be few and far between.
Seen somewhere Tarpey has a good career and hence wants to remain part time, similar to Damian Reeves. If DC can prise him up to SB it would be a major coup but can’t see it happening.
Slew sounds too much even for DC’s man management skills, thats a lot of clubs and relatively few goals on his CV.
Payne would be useful but will he want the step down if he’s getting closer to first team action in the Championship.
If Forest want more first team action for Walker he may be a credible loan signing, but would that involve appearance guarantees which may upset the squad ethos? Doesn’t seem a problem with the other young loanees of course, so this one could have potential. Margetts? Understandably looked off the pace when back earlier in the year, in truth he divided opinion before signing for Scunny, not sure he’s what we need for L2. Danny’s man is out there, but probably none of the above.