This week I thought I would run the rule over Town's newest recruits. I must admit to being fairly pleased with Jim's signings in January. I would have liked to see a Central defender and striker landed, but we made big efforts to sign McCauley from Leicester and it looks as though we will end up getting these positions covered in February by way of the loan market.
David Norris: From the reaction of the Plymouth board and fans, it looks as though Norris is going to be an excellent addition to our squad. Magilton clearly rates him very highly and whilst £2m may appear like the top end of his worth, Jim doesn't strike me as the sort of manager who will pay over the odds just to get a body through the door. I think he will add some much needed steel to our midfield, and surely it can't be a coincidence that our first away victory in 25 years was coupled with Norris being picked in this week's Championship team of the week? David certainly has big expectations resting on his shoulders (as well as a big price tag) but I feel confident he won't let us down.
Alan Quinn: When we signed him I must admit that I felt a little underwhelmed, my immediate reaction was- if he isn't good enough for the blunts why should he be good enough for us? However he is another player Jim was raving about and his first two games coupled with his wonder goal at Hillsborough have certainly endeared him to the supporters. Alan was a regular under Neil Warnock and I must admit that I hold his opinion in higher esteem than that of Bryan Robson. So for me, £400,000 could turn out to be a very shrewd piece of business for us.
Sumo: I, like all Town fans, have no idea how this one will turn out. I have seen his highlights on YouTube and I must say he looked very impressive. The thing is though, lots of players look good on YouTube, the important thing is- will he adapt to the pace of English football? Jim seemed very impressed with what he saw when Sumo was on trial with us, so much so that he immediately splashed out £600,000 on a completely unknown quantity. Like I said before, I trust Jim's judgement totally and don't think he would spend that type of money if he wasn't sure on what he was getting.
Stephen Bywater: Certainly the most unexpected signing of January. I was very disappointed that we lost Neil Alexander, although I can totally understand that the lure of Rangers was far too great for Neil. Stephen is one of those players who you will hate if he is against you, however he seems to be a player you would want on your side. I have always rated him at Championship level and think he must be considered a decent replacement for Alexander; I can't think of too many better and affordable alternatives to be honest!
So with a crunch match on Saturday against Watford, it looks as though all four of these players could well start for what will probably be the largest home crowd of the season to date. We will be facing one of the best teams in the league and we should all get to see if our money really has been spent well.
One thing I am thankful of is that we haven't had to go down the Norwich route and loan other sides kids- this is a very short term move and certainly won't benefit anybody in the long run!
Thank heavens' we have Marcus Evans and we no longer have to scrape around the bottom of the barrel like our feathered friends now appear to be doing.
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