Source: Team_Talk
Pompey chief stresses prudence
Portsmouth chief executive David Lampitt has warned there will be no transfer scramble after the club's registration embargo was lifted.[LNB] Having exited administration, Pompey are able to make permanent signings again for the first time in over a year.[LNB]Lampitt confirmed the Football League will continue to monitor player recruitment although he insists he and manager Steve Cotterill are committed to operating a tight squad.[LNB]"The embargo has been lifted, but the nature of the various obligations, undertakings and conditions we have had to satisfy with the Football League means they retain a monitoring oversight of the club's affairs for a period of time," he told The News.[LNB]"That applies both to the club's finances as well as to the club purchases. Any deal has to be approved by the league.[LNB]"They will be testing to make sure we are within the constraints of our own business plan and making sure we are not risking the future of the football club in those dealings.[LNB]"It is an additional layer of oversight, making sure we stay within our financial means effectively.[LNB]"From a personal point of view, I won't be committing the club to those sort of risks in any event. That is absolutely how I intend to manage things and that has to be right for the long-term future of the club.[LNB]"Steve and I took the view when we pretty well first joined that we would be better with a smaller number of players and better quality.[LNB]"We are focusing our financial resources on having 20 or 21 players at any one time. We are not about to start signing four or five players now the embargo has been lifted."[LNB]Pompey currently have a first-team squad of just 21 players - and that includes loan signings Greg Halford, Liam Lawrence, Dave Kitson and Ibrahima Sonko.[LNB]Cotterill was able to name six substitutes for the first time this season for Saturday's 2-1 win at Hull yet was still one short from filling his full quota for his matchday squad.[LNB]The Blues boss has made no secret of his desire to bring in a midfielder on an emergency loan and Lampitt admits squad strengthening is necessary.[LNB]"We will take it one step at a time," he added. "We have got to make sure we manage the playing squad as best we can.[LNB]"They are doing an excellent job, but we all recognise there are areas where there is a bit of strength in depth needed. If we get injuries we have got the potential to be light in some areas.[LNB]"That is something we need to look at with the new board and consider how we take that forward in the best interests of the club. We just have to do that within a sensible business process."
