Swindon fan Nick Judd notices some startling comparisons...
What has Danny Wilson got in common with Sir Alex Ferguson? More than you might think.
If, as is currently being reported, the Swindon boss sells Simon Cox â our top goalscorer with 32 goals last season â to West Brom, he will have to fill a similar key-man void to that which Manchester United have since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
And although Wilson would snap your hands off for a tenth of the ã80million Ronaldo fee, he has, like Sir Alex, an unusually large amount of money to spend.
But money doesn't always buy happiness. All of UnitedâÂÂs targets â Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery â appear to be following Ronaldo to Real Madrid. And to our detriment, a similar situation is unfolding in League One.
Huddersfield Town are building their own team of high-profile players, including WilsonâÂÂs preferred replacement for Cox, Theo Robinson.
The story goes that we had agreed a deal â with both the striker and his club, Watford â before the 20-year-old went on holiday.
Robinson: "Do you think he can see me?"
But as Town fans are aware, verbal agreements can be worthless. In 2006 defender and skipper Sean OâÂÂHanlon had given then boss Dennis Wise his word heâÂÂd stay⦠before joining MK Dons.
Reading between the lines on this occasion, it would appear that agents may have muddied the waters, culminating in Robinson opting for Lee ClarkâÂÂs side over ours.
Huddersfield had already signed Antony Kay, whom our new assistant manager Peter Shirtliff was looking to bring in from his old side Tranmere.
Rumour has it that now these West Yorkshire Galacticos are also chasing Bristol Rovers striker Rickie Lambert. Finishing level with Cox in the goalscoring charts last season, he would be a suitable replacement.
Given the relative geographical upheaval â Swindon is 40 miles from Bristol, Huddersfield 200 â presumably the Terriers are offering better wages.
Good luck to them, but if it doesnâÂÂt work out, I wonder where it would leave them financially?
"Do you know the way to Yorkshire?"
To date, weâÂÂve signed just four players. And although new skipper Gordon Greer and former Leeds goalkeeper David Lucas will be first-team regulars, the other two, Plymouth duo Dan Evans and Seb Broomfield, are rising stars.
I'm delighted that weâÂÂre building for the future and investing money in players with potential... even if it goes against our policy in all the time IâÂÂve been a Town fan!
Yet after releasing 13 full-time pros â 14 if Cox passes his medical on Monday â we need to start rebuilding the senior side, too.
ItâÂÂs a funny old transfer window this year. Lower-league clubs are being forced to wait until those above them have conducted their business and, with clubs trimming their squads, there are a lot of players out of work to sift through.
The rumour mill continues to link us with a host of names. I find it all extremely exciting, but in addition to a new striker, my preferred duo would be former Leeds midfielder Jonathan Douglas and Hibernian winger Alan OâÂÂBrien.
Sky Sports and the BBC are reporting that OâÂÂBrien is in talks with the club already. The former Newcastle winger would be a strong addition, while DouglasâÂÂs box-to-box exploits are exactly what weâÂÂre after.
But I suspect he may think he has bigger fish to fry (even if one blogger claims to have seen him at the County Ground today).
The same could be said for Carlisle hitman Danny Graham, who appears to have signed for Watford, although heâÂÂs still a free agent according to the PFAâÂÂs list of available players.
These are the type of additions we need to be making if, as weâÂÂre being told by the board, weâÂÂre going to mount a tangible promotion charge. Patience could be a virtue, especially in the loan market, but I trust Wilson to assemble a squad fit for a promising season.
And in the transfer window, even more than during the season, faith in the gaffer is all the fans can have â whether they support Swindon Town or Manchester United.
---------------------------------------------
FourFourTwo.com: More to read...
Inside Swindon Town home
Blogs home
Latest England news
News home
Interviews home
Forums home
League 1 Forum
FourFourTwo.com home
