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If Christmas starts early, so the Bell likewise sounds early for talk of the January sales

17th December 2008 By Latest News Leave a Comment

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Next month's transfer window might not officially open for business for another fortnight or so, but that did little to dampen the transfer spirits as the rumour mill cranked into life.

Canary winger David Bell for Coventry City centre-half Elliot Ward was the shout; a straight swap-deal was the word. One in and one out.

Tonight and the Coventry Evening Telegraph offered a small fly in the ointment – the fact that Sky Blues boss Chris Coleman was unlikely to sanction such a move if it left him short of defensive cover himself; that any proposed swap-deal might hinge on Coventry prising James McPake out of Livingston five months early.

And having just lost Scott Dann to a shoulder injury for two months, minus Ward and Coleman would be left with just one, out-and-out centre-half at the club in the shape of Ben Turner.

Hence why any proposed Bell-Ward swap could yet hinge on Coventry's discussions with Livingston over the fate of their 24-year-old skipper – would he be allowed out to play early?

Speaking at the weekend, McPake himself did not know whether the switch would now happen in January or, as originally scheduled, in June.

“I don't know whether I will be joining Coventry in January or the summer,” said McPake, definitely en route to the Ricoh at some stage or another. “Right now I am a Livingston player until someone tells me otherwise.”

The McPake situation apart, aspects to talk of a Bell-Ward switch make sense.

City boss Glenn Roeder is in desperate need of a centre-half replacement after losing first Dejan Stefanovic to long-term injury and then seeing John Kennedy be carried off at the Madejski on Saturday.

The on-loan Celtic star was due to return to Parkhead in January anyway. But with the club yet to officially reveal what this week's scan discovered, the feeling remains that be it good news or bad, Kennedy was only on borrowed time anyway.

All of which just leaves Gary Doherty and Elliot Omosuzi to fight the good fight at the heart of that City defence; even there nothing is certain.

Despite nominally being on a season-long oan, Roeder revealed last week that Fulham still enjoy a one-week window next month when they have the option of hauling the England Under-19 defender back to Craven Cottage.

After, say, January 8 and that's it. Here's he at Carrow Road until the summer; but for seven days a question mark hangs over the youngster's head.

Given that Roeder knows Ward from his time as a West Ham trainee, that all makes sense. The fact that he still has 18 months to run on his current Ricoh deal ensures that he would probably command a similar-type transfer fee to Bell.

Or rather would do when money was free and easy. Given that both clubs concerned are having to watch every penny like a hawk, a straight player-swap deal holds ever more appeal. Particularly if their respective wage demands are not a million miles from where they were beforehand.

Coleman's own interest in Bell is well-reported. By all accounts, Coventry were sniffing around for the 24-year-old's signature in the summer after being likewise impressed by his end-of-season loan spell at Midlands neighbours Leicester City.

It was, however, Roeder who took the plunge as cash-strapped Luton Town hawked their star asset around to the highest bidder – a bold decision given that Bell was carrying a nasty ankle injury at the time.

Since then, of course, he has returned to full fitness and has demonstrated why both Roeder and Coleman were so keen to add him to their armoury – his set-piece delivery is out of the top drawer. And with Lee Croft in full cry down the right, the Canaries have found width, balance and threat in their play – albeit with that large, soft centre still haunting all their best intentions.

And then, of course, there is Arturo Lupoli to factor into these equations.

An unused substitute at the Madejski on Saturday as Roeder threw Darel Russell back up through the middle and installed Matty Pattison in the hole behind, the manager's remarks afterwards made for telling reading given the way that the rumour mill was about to spin.

“I think that maybe playing down through the middle against the physical presence of their two central defenders is tough for Arturo Lupoli,” said Roeder in the Press conference afterwards.

“That's not a criticism of him – that's how he is physically made. And at the moment – in a game like that – is probably better suited to playing in a wider position.

“In a way that Billy Davies used him at Derby when he was on-loan from Arsenal; I think he played him a dozen times, but played him wide-left. And at the moment Belly [David Bell] is doing very well there. So he's just going to have to be patient to get a game.”

If there is, indeed, something in the wind, then Lupoli might not have to be patient for too much longer. He could be filling Bell's boots in little more than a fortnight.


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norwichcityfc Norwich City FC @norwichcityfc ·
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Congratulations, Ian 👏

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Our Programmes have arrived & they look great!

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🇬🇷 Nuestro @christos_tzolis será titular con la Sub21 de Grecia en el duelo 🆚 Hungría 🇭🇺.

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🇬🇷 Tzolis starts for the Under-21s this afternoon 💪

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Great work by ref Neil Midgley for #ncfc goal. Lino was on other side of pitch, so ref sprinted to give himself great view of Dixie Deehan keeping ball in play. Also great position and quick, firm decision for their peno.

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