Lambert: I don't want to lose anyone

DAVID CUFFLEY
28 November 2009 08:21

City boss Paul Lambert insists none of his players will be allowed to “walk out of the door” in the New Year.

Half a dozen senior players are out of contract at the end of the season and most will be entitled to talk to other clubs in January if they wish.

Lambert has already spoken to midfielder Darel Russell about his future plans, while full-back Jon Otsemobor is another pencilled in for talks. Both players reach the end of three-year deals in June.

Said Lambert: “A lot will depend where we are. Nowadays players seem to hold the ace cards, and the clubs don't because of the Bosman ruling. Players can do what they want in January but I'm pretty sure the two of them are enjoying their football for the first time in a while.

“I've spoken to Darel a few times and he has his ideas about what went wrong and what went right and Jon I will speak to in due course. There are a few of them I need to speak to.

“The way we're going at the minute we're not just going to let anybody walk out of the door. It would be silly the way team is going at the moment. They're playing really well and they seem to be happy in what they're doing. I'm sure they'll want to stay and give it a go, whereas before they probably couldn't wait to get away from here. Now I think it's a different scenario.”

In-form striker Chris Martin's 3½-year deal runs until June.

“I had a chat with him the other day and I'll speak to him again and see where we're at,” said Lambert.

Gary Doherty, Paul McVeigh and Jamie Cureton are among others whose contracts run out in the summer.

Meanwhile, Lambert admitted he missed out in his bid to make a third loan signing before Thursday's deadline, after snapping up Peterborough defender Russell Martin and Swindon winger Anthony McNamee.

“We tried to get somebody else in but that couldn't happen,” said Lambert, who said there was already evidence that two new arrivals had given the existing players added incentive to keep producing the goods.

He said: “As I said before, we needed a little bit of help and I hope Russell and Anthony will come in and do something for us.

“We saw in training yesterday that it raises the whole thing. I always think if you bring someone in to help it, you start to look over your shoulder and think 'It could be me'. The way to rectify that is to make sure it's not you.”

Lambert expects 26-year-old McNamee to be a crowd pleaser - but said he would not walk into the side. He is, in any case, not eligible for tomorrow's FA Cup tie at Carlisle.

“What he will give you is speed and he will get people off their seats, hopefully for the right reasons because of the way he plays the game,” he said.

“He won't do everything right every single time, but his position is he's got to make things happen. Being an offensive player, you can forgive somebody maybe getting it wrong but as long as they keep on going that's what you're looking for.

“He has got to earn the right to get in this side, as does Russell. This team at the minute is playing really, really well and the lads in the team at the minute are there on merit, so it's up to people to break into it.

“Even though I bring somebody in it's not an automatic thing that they'll get in the side.”

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