Derek Llambias: We will back the manager

Nov 4 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

DEREK Llambias has promised to back manager Chris Hughton in whatever he wants to do in the transfer market, even if it means buying players rather than loaning them this season.

Llambias and United’s owner Mike Ashley are as unpopular as ever on Tyneside, but insist they are only interested in trying to get the Magpies back into the Premier League at the first opportunity.

And, while the £20m put into the club by Ashley last week is to cover operating costs and will not be part of any transfer fund, Llambias declared that there would be money available for Hughton to spend if and when he needed it.

He said: “The money that Mike put in last week was to cover costs like wages and so on because we wanted to keep the core of a squad together which would have the best possible chance of being able to get us promoted this season.

“It has not been put aside for transfers. However, we have had a meeting with Chris last week and we have told him we will do whatever we can whenever he needs it.

“We are looking at it now, at this moment we are looking at players he has given us the names of.

“If he wants a player, we ask for the name and the position and then we will try to sign them. At the moment, in our present circumstances, we would prefer that to be loan signings.

“However, in January, when the transfer window opens, if Chris sees a player he wants to buy for a million quid or so we will go out and get him for the team.