Day 196

Most of the left backs that Curtis Woodhouse recommended in his loan report are well below the standard I’m looking for. A few might be decent prospects, though, and I asked my scouts to check them out. The idea is to get someone who can step in for Matthew Park, whose loan deal ends shortly. If they’re better than first-choice left back John Nutter, great—but that’s not important so long as they’re good enough to perform consistently at this level.

Based on the scout reports, I picked out Preston youngster Alex Billington, who has excellent pace, a solid technique, and a weakness in the air. I offered to loan him for five months, which is effectively through to the end of the season (and a little beyond). His contract expires at the end of the season, too, so if things go well we might be a chance to sign him permanently.

French winger Benjamin Laurant signed for us today. And so begins the extreme confusion between Laurent and Laurant—both French, both specialising in the right wing, and both with names that start with Laur and end with nt. He’s a decent chance to start against Newport in a couple of days, despite being “severely” short of match fitness. With Shuker and Russell injured, we’re short of right wing options, and Laurent was disappointing last time out.