Hunt for operations head won’t impact summer transfer plans
Pompey’s prolonged search for a head of football operations will have little or no impact on Danny Cowley’s summer transfer plans.
That’stheverdictofPompey writer Jordan Cross, who believes any appointment at this stage would play a ‘peripheral’ role in this summer’s recruitment process.
Yet he warned there’ll be an eagerness to get the position filled so that the Blues can get to work on their long-term transfer strategy.
TheFrattonParkoutfithave beenactivelyseekingsomeone tofilltherolefollowingRoberto Gagliardi’s departure earlier in the year.
Forest Green Rovers’ directoroffootball,RichardHughes, lookedtheprimecandidate,only for him to commit his future to the newly-crowned League Two champions.
Meanwhile, shortly after CambridgeUnited’sBenStrang emerged as the new front-runner, sources close to the U’s claimed the Abbey Stadium Sporting Director would also be staying put.
Another rebuild is on the agenda following Pompey’s 10th-placed finish this term and 12 players’ contracts set to expire.
But according to Cross, the head of football operations saga should have no bearing on Pompey’s capabilities when it comes to this summer's transfer window.
Speaking on the latest episodeofPompeyTalk,TheNews man said: ‘It's only natural that this has muddied the waters to a certain degree.
‘But you plan windows in advance and, in reality, if this guy comes in now, is he going to have a short-term impact on this window? Probably not too much.
‘Possibly, he might have a contact.Youwantthepersonto beconnectedandbehelpfulon thatfrontandbeabletogetyou to this player or this agent, so there could be benefits in that.
‘They can be a help but I think it’s going to be kind of peripheral at the moment.
‘I think Danny has recruited reasonably well, putting his hand up to the odd mistake.
‘The detail he goes to when he goes through his recruitment work, I think, is in advance of what we’ve seen at Pompey for a long time, if not forever.
‘So I think Danny would back himself still.
I don’t think it's going to fall down around Pompey’s ears this summer if the guy doesn’t come in.