How far will Lambert go with transfers?

[Grant Holt is a Monster 0]

PL has been really active in the transfer windows since he became manager. Effectively he has built two teams in his time here; the one he inherited from Gunn with a few shrewd additions like Russell Martin, Zak Whitbread and Fraser Forster, and then an almost entirely new team for the Championship (if you look at the team that finished the season, only R Martin, Whitbread, Hoolahan and Holt had played in L1).

Whilst we know that until now Lambert''s policy has been adding gradually but regularly to the squad I''m wondering whether he will continue with this policy, or whether he will add less but get higher quality additions. The risk of sticking with the evolution method is that it''s asking a lot of Lambert and Ewan Chester to keep pulling rabbits out of the hat that are able to come in and be an improvement to what we have and still be within our price range, effectively asking them to build a third team in three years. To a certain extent it feels like pushing your luck. It''s also a risk in terms of upsetting a team that''s flying high on confidence to make changes, however gradually implemented, because you need the new players to come in and buy into the ethos immediately if they''re to make things better than they already are. The plus side is that it''s tried and tested and we have huge faith in our staff and the way they''ve implemented the policy to date.

The other option is to add just a few players in key positions but make them virtual marquee signings that nobody doubts will make us a better team all round. The risk there is obviously that you would have a few players earning significantly more than the players they are joining which can divide the dressing room. The plus side is that if we were to go down, then these few players could be sold and the rest of the squad would remain intact on manageable wages. If we were to stay up then a few more like them could be added the next season. And the majority of the promotion team would still have the shirts they''ve earned so team morale would remain high which when you have a team winning games in the last minute by sheer force of will alone at times is a huge plus to maintain.

Either way, in Lambert We Trust and I''m more than happy just sitting back and seeing where the cards fall, but I think it''s an interesting situation that Lambert finds himself in.

[Europe_93 11]

The method is simple, you look to improve what you have. Players like Gill, MacDonald, McNamee, Johnson, Hughes & Tudor Jones that made little impact in the Championship will probably find contracts not renewed if they are up, or if they ask to leave or reasonable offers are made then will be allowed to do so.

I would say he will assess the team that we have and look at the positions where we are weakest, and look for signings in those areas. I can think of one or two positions to prioritise, then existing first team players will find themselves as part of the squad, rather than regulars starters.

Personally, I believe he will have a budget of around 8-12 million over the summer but I can see up to 6 players coming in, one or two on frees and others for around the 2-3 million mark.

This will leave the squad still balanced, team spirit intact and no fire sale in the even of relegation.

Essentially we are looking for continuous improvement, pretty much the model followed to date.