Source: Northern_Echo
Strachan ready to play waiting game
GORDON STRACHAN is confident of landing the majority of his transfer targets this summer but accepts Middlesbrough's recruitment drive could continue until the end of August.[LNB] Nicky Bailey is close to finalising his move from Charlton and Stephen McManus is expected to complete a permanent move from Celtic in the next few weeks.[LNB] Strachan remains interested in Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper, also wanted by Leeds United, and Rochdale defender Craig Dawson.[LNB] He has also maintained an interest in Hearts' Andrew Driver, Dundee United's Craig Conway and Kris Boyd of Rangers.[LNB] Strachan, however, will have to raise funds to bring in all the players he wants, with Mido, Marvin Emnes and Didier Digard players expected to move on.[LNB] He could also be forced to listen to offers for captain Gary O'Neil, with Fulham and Blackburn interested in the midfielder.[LNB] If you look at the transfer market, everyone's trying to get a good deal, he said . The clubs selling are trying to hang on longer. Most deals will happen at the end of July and the beginning of August.[LNB] We hope it will be sooner because we want to shape the squad. I know we can't do all of the deals at the one time because there's only a certain amount of money in the bank.[LNB] We might have to wheel and deal but the players we have got and are targeting, we should get a great deal of those. If some of them don't then it's because the club can't financially do it, so we get on with it.[LNB] Middlesbrough's first-team squad, along with Mido and Emnes, returned to pre-season training on Monday, while Digard is due to join up with the squad today after his loan deal with Nice expired.[LNB] But Strachan would prefer to have made most of his changes to his squad before Middlesbrough's first pre-season friendly, which will be in Ireland on July 19, although the opposition has not been confirmed.[LNB] There's the guessing games that are going on at the moment, the silly games that are being played between the chairman and chief executives,[LNB] said Strachan. I don't really enjoy that, it's the nonsense season. Once you get the squad settled you can enjoy pre-season even more.[LNB] It's hard because all the clubs feel there's time to hang on, trying to get the best deal.[LNB] We will still be searching for players at the end of August, I'm sure.[LNB] Strachan has already learned he's likely to be a man down for the start of the new season, with Rhys Williams certain to be still sidelined.[LNB] Williams had to miss the World Cup with a long-standing pelvic problem and he has been allowed to stay in Australia to continue his rehabilitation.[LNB] Boro's early home date with Sheffield United next season will now be played on Sunday, August 22 at 1.15pm after being selected by Sky.[LNB] Hartlepool United's League One match at MK Dons will also be screened on Sky, the game will now take place at 12.15pm on Saturday, September 4. Pools return to pre-season training today.[LNB]
