Parkinson: Cats must fill gap left by Tony but recruitment goes on
identify the players who fit into how we want to play.
“Mark Boddy, our analyst, is very important at this time of year.
“Any player we're looking at, he'll go through the clips on our systems and give us his opinions.
“He can filter, because we get so many players pushed to us, especially from abroad, and he quickly filters the ones we should be looking at.”
Parkinson is eager to make a further five additions to ensure his squad can cope with what is set to be a punishing schedule next season.
He is eager to add a new left-sided defender, cover and competition at leftback, as well as a striker and a goalkeeper. A proposed move for former Burton Albion midfielder Scott Fraser also indicates a desire for more creativity in midfield, though that deal is one of a number to be affected by the new salary cap rules, which Parkinson admits has forced a ‘reassessment’ at the club.
"We tried to get a couple in before Friday but those deals didn't quite get over the line,” he said.
“It was the decisions of the agents and the players on that one and when you're going for players who have Championship interest, it can be difficult.
“We've had to change tack a bit in the last couple of days and reassess what we're going to do.
“I'm still confident we'll have a strong squad, but one or two we thought we could get are not in the marketplace right now.”
Former Manchester United and Everton defenders Demetri Mitchell and Morgan Feeney have both trained with the senior group as Parkinson assesses a possible move.
Feeney did not turn 21 until February of this year and, as such, would be exempt from the salary cap rules.