A Friday afternoon conversation between manager Paul Simpson and the directors confirmed that the transfer window may yet yield more new arrivals, with the board set to bolster the playing squad with an influx of cash that could lead to a deal being done as early as this week.
“I had a conversation on Friday afternoon with the directors and with Nigel, and there is something available,” the gaffer confirmed. “They’re prepared to work to keep backing us, so there is room to bring another player in.
“That’s what we’ve got to try to do now. It’s not just a case of another player, they’re making funds available out of their own pocket, and that will help us to strengthen the squad. They can see there are a lot of positive things happening and they want to try and keep that going.
“Thankfully the directors have dug deep into their pockets and they are going to provide some more funds when we get the right players. We have a few options in mind to bring in just to give us a little bit of cover.
“The challenge we have is that when they’re all fit, hopefully within the next two, three, six weeks, whatever it might be, we’re going to have a right big group of players. But they understand that and realise the need to keep ourselves right.
“I think the directors can realise that there’s a really positive swell in the atmosphere with the supporters, in and around the club and the city. They want to do everything to keep that.
“Hopefully we can find the right players, hopefully they’ll agree to come in. If we can do something before Tuesday night we might try and see where we go with it.
“We do have someone in mind, and it would be a loan. We’ve got one who we’ve highlighted who we’ve had watched. We’ve had early discussions with the club about what it will cost us, and whether we can actually afford it.
“At the moment we’re hoping we can. I’ll be honest, we’ve done the background work on it and I leave Greg to then find out from the club what it’s going to cost us, then it comes back to me and we make a decision from there.
“Once we get to Friday morning Greg knows my only focus is on this game. Unless we could have got a player in by 12pm on Friday, which wasn’t going to happen, I don’t want to know about that. My only focus is on the 18 players we had available.
“I will pick up with Greg and we’ll find out where we’re at with it. He’s also been at the Grimsby game so I’ll find out exactly what Grimsby are all about, and then we’ll see if we can do something for Tuesday.”
Elaborating on the position to strengthen, he commented: “Defence, particularly left-sided defence, that’s something we are looking at. We’re a little bit short in left-siders.
“The two wing backs at the moment are putting in an incredible shift. Jack Armer looks a different player from last season, he’s been outstanding, and what a find Fin Back is, he’s been superb. I’d love to give them a chance to take a bit of pressure off them.
“Sadly at the moment we haven’t got any opportunity to do that – they’re going to have to keep putting a shift in. We’ll be wrapping them up in cotton wool and then we send them out for the next one.”
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