Beckford blow

Our January recruitment plans were dealt a heavy blow today with the news that Jermaine Beckford has decided (or been persuaded) to withdraw his transfer request and will now stay at Leeds until the summer, when he will be out of contract and can leave for nothing. Perhaps someone should have drawn his club's attention to this piece suggesting they'd be better off without him?

So, with any potential January deal scuppered, it's back to the drawing board as regards forward reinforcements. I suppose it increases the prospect of a new loan move for Homer, one at which the player himself would jump, but he was a little erratic in his finishing and inconsistent in his levels of effort and performance and I wonder if we couldn't do better. Jack Wilshere would be a useful offensive addition to the squad but we would still need an out-and-out striker and there must be a few players who, like Homer, are on the fringes of Premier League squads and keen for some first-team football, either just for a temporary period or with an eye to a permanent move.