[10 SEP 01]

How much did Gordon Strachan spend in the transfer market?

In the period from when Gordon Strachan took over as manager in November 1996 Coventry City has signed 43 players for a total of almost £60 million.

On the opposite side of the balance sheet the club have sold 35 players for a combined total of £72 million. £42 million of that income came in the last fourteen months as the club’s gamble to survive in the top flight began to fail and the huge wage bill became unsustainable.

Of the 43 purchases only a handful can be described as unqualified successes. Included in this category would be Huckerby, Breen, Hedman, Nilsson, Boateng, Hadji, Keane and Roussel who all blossomed at Highfield Road. Several of them earned the club tidy profits but too many others were nondescript or added no value to the club’s playing assets.

A number of the failures were overseas players including Wallemme, Clement, Johansen, Delorge and Normann, and this must put a question mark over the club’s continental scouting ability.

Ray Clarke earned his spurs with the Boateng capture but little success has come via the European route since. There were other failures from the lower divisions like Lightbourne, Hall, Bellamy and Haworth, although the club did recover their money with most of these players.

In addition the jury is still out on players such as Konjic, Thompson, Guerrero, Martinez, Gustafsson, Edworthy and this season's purchases.

In total Strachan used 69 players in his 183 games. Noel Cantwell in three games more used only 51 players.

This reflects that Strachan made too many changes, too many new faces were introduced and too many players were inexplicably frozen out of first team action. In the latter category one must include Konjic, Breen, Aloisi and Edworthy.

PURCHASES SINCE NOVEMBER 1996

SALES SINCE NOVEMBER 1996

[NOTE 1 : exchange deal]
  
[NOTE 2 : some transfer fees are undisclosed and the figures are therefore estimated]