Abbott close to mystery signing
Jun 18 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal
GREG Abbott says he is close to bringing in his first new face of the summer – as Carlisle United implement a boardroom reshuffle to cut costs.
Abbott told The Journal he has “verbally agreed” a deal for a player to join the Cumbrians next week, but played down talk of a swoop for Brighton’s former Carlisle striker Glenn Murray, who has handed in a transfer request.
Although the Carlisle boss is tight-lipped on the player’s identity and position to ward off another club trying to hijack the deal, the transfer is expected to be concluded when the mystery man returns from holiday in the next seven days.
The Cumbrians have been linked with a host of players, including Bury forward Andy Bishop, Scunthorpe winger Ian Morris and free agent Michael Bridges, who has been released by Hull City.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to finalise a player by the end of next week. Everything has been agreed but there’s been a holiday in the way so I can’t get face to face at the moment,” he said.
“But that should get wrapped up next week. In terms of everything else, it’s warming up a bit now. We’ve made our inquiries and there should be a lot more movement before the start of the season.
“I don’t want to say too much about who it is or where they play but suffice to say it is a player in a position where we require someone.” United’s most pressing need is up-front, where they have lost top scorer Danny Graham. But the decision of last season’s player of the year Cleve-land Taylor to ask for a transfer also leaves them needing midfield reinforcements.
“These things happen in football, you just have to get on with it,” said a philosophical Abbott. “Would we rather we didn’t lose them? Of course, because they’re both good players. But it happens in football all the time, and if Cleveland goes and Danny has gone, we’ll cope with it and try and emerge stronger for it.”
Abbott is having to work to a revised budget this summer as Carlisle look to ease the financial pain of last season’s deeply disappointing campaign.
That point was emphasised yesterday by John Nixon’s decision to step down as full-time managing director. Nixon, one of four joint owners at Brunton Park, will continue as a director on an unpaid basis – in common with co-owners David Allen, Steven Pattison and Andrew Jenkins.
Kit man David Horn and goalkeeping coach Dave Timmins also left the club last week, although the club are expected to appoint a replacement for Shrewsbury-bound Timmins.
Abbott remains upbeat, however, and believes that he will be able to avoid the trauma of last season’s last day escape from relegation.
So far the Cumbrians have signed experienced defender Ian Harte and back-up goalkeeper Adam Collin from Workington Reds, as well as persuading David Raven to sign a contract extension.
“I said that we want to make ourselves tougher to beat and hopefully we have started to do that. We want a really tough spine,” said Abbott.
