Without wanting to panic and go out and make rush signings, it is getting a little worrying with pre-season training underway and friendlies and tours soon upon us. I can only think that it will all start happening all at once and the management team will unearth a gem or two.

When you see what the likes of Wigan, Leeds and Bolton are doing it does cause concern though. In the case of Wigan, who seem to be signing the most players, their team with need to gel quickly to get a good start.

Have Bolton taken Beckford on their tour starting yesterday?

I don't believe we can afford to sign anyone

^
What Nev said.

If we look at what's urgent, then we need a centre back. Other than that, I'm getting increasingly doubtful that we'll make any signings unless we achieve a significant clearout of unwanted high-earners.

On the other hand, I do wonder how Bolton can afford some of the signings they're making. However, I'm not complaining as long as they send us the money for Beckford.

Anyone know what's happening with Michael Keane? I presume he's gone back to United now that his loan is up but has anyone heard anything about us trying to get him back on loan again?

If you read Pearson's comments in today's Mercury, it suggests thy we shouldn't expect much (any?) transfer activity.

I agree that we need a centreback to partner Wes and a tough tackling midfielder. Whilst I'm broadly happy with the squad, with the signings that other teams are making (Wigan) I'd be worried if we don't address those positions before the start of the season.

I think Pearson knows this, and is keeping his cards close to his chest (I hope!).

You are right to be concerned. This is without question the worst, most unactive dirge of a pre-season in my history as a Leicester fan, which dates back to 1998. Literally nothing has happened. We are three weeks from the start of the season and we haven't even had the retained list from the end of last season yet!

We keep hearing that no players can be brought in until players are sold, but whilst we continue to wait for clubs to pick off our high earners are ridiculously low wages, we are going absolutely nowehere in the transfer market. There must be over a hundred free transfers out there, many of whom would not cost the earth and would improve our squad (Baptiste and McCann being two of them). Yet we are letting our so-called promotion rivals steal them all. This is an absurd, ludicrous way to run a football club. By the time we get to the point where we can actually be bothered to sign anyone, all the best players will be snapped up and we'll be left with the crap no sod wants.

At the moment, I consider the promotion contenders to be Reading, Bolton, Wigan, Forest, Watford and Leeds. All of whom have signed good, experienced players, many of them free transfers. Yet here we are only a matter of weeks before the season starts with nobody.

You can blame Sven and FFP all you like, the fact is if the best paid manager in the Championship, with one of the best squads and biggest budgets, had got us promoted with the TWO attempts he had, we would not now be sitting here worrying about having to sell players to buy cheap replacements. It is about time Pearson took some responsibility for his own failures and stopped implying that everyone else is to blame.

P.S. I also believe that the reason there has been so little activity is that the owners were extremely close to sacking Pearson but, because of how much it would cost, decided not to. This has left the club unstable and several weeks behind everyone else. This isn't ITK, just a little theory of mine.

You and your tough-tackling midfielders, Merseysidefox.

You do realise that, at Championship level, tough-tackling midfielders are generally otherwise known as "donkeys"?

We are where we are, Foxello, and the high-wage players that are arguably (probably) causing the lack of transfer activity were all here before Pearson was a twinkle in the Thais' eyes.

I agree that the owners may well have been considering removing Pearson, and that the effects of FFP and the sinful signings of the past may have effectively saved his job - although I'm doubtful that this would have had a significant effect on transfer policies as I think our hands are tied regardless. But as I say, we are where we are, and if we'd changed managers again and failed (which would have been incredibly likely) then we'd be in a worse position, having a manager who'd had no influence over the choice of players in the squad and without the funds to change anything without blindly selling our best players to all comers.

"This is without question the worst, most unactive dirge of a pre-season in my history as a Leicester fan, which dates back to 1998"

That's why you don't remember the panic spreading throughout the City in 1996 then, when we were facing a season in the Premier and absolutely no new players signed throughout the summer.

The only players signed at the last minute were (IIRC) Spencer Prior and Kasey Keller. And that season didn't pan out too badly, really - we finished 9th, won the League Cup and qualified for Europe.

"and the high-wage players that are arguably (probably) causing the lack of transfer activity were all here before Pearson was a twinkle in the Thais' eyes."

Players who Pearson decided not to use, for one reason or another.

"The only players signed at the last minute were (IIRC) Spencer Prior and Kasey Keller. And that season didn't pan out too badly, really - we finished 9th, won the League Cup and qualified for Europe."

Not quite sure history will repeats itself to be honest

Pearson has as good as said we won't be signing anyone.

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Transfer-news-Pearson-rules-major-changes/story-19489804-detail/story.html

In my opinion that's our season pretty much written off because the squad was exposed as being horribly thin last season.

He may yet prove people wrong, but it's looking like mid-table at best as things stand.

He won't be the first to conclude that a poor but expensive acquisition of a previous manager/regime isn't up to the job and he certainly won't be the last.

Dunge, I think we could go round in circles until we're both seeing stars regarding Sven's signings. I personally feel the majority of his signings, certainly those still contracted at the club at this moment, would have been more than adequate for a shot at automatic promotion when they were brought to the club in 2011. I don't by the frankly bizarre belief some people have that a player can be good at one club, and then suddenly becomes poor the second he signs for another. You could certainly argue they have under-performed, but I don't believe this is due to them suddenly morphing from a good player to a bad one.

A bit harsh DM! There are some good 'donkeys' in the championship and I wouldn't mind someone who can get stuck in against the likes of Yeovil et al! That game we will be kicked off the park if we are not careful...

If we don't have cash to spend then it would be good to hear it, this cloak and dagger approach by the club helps no one.

I hope we don't, but let's think that we have a tough start to the season it won't be long until the knives are out for Nige again and this will help no one - I think the club needs to be a bit clearer as at present this 'FFS' doesnt seem to be an issue for a lot of other clubs!

Foxello, it strikes me as perfectly plausible. There is a long history in the game of players who have been good for one club and poor for others, or vice-versa. They aren't machines, they're people who sometimes fit in at a club and sometimes don't. This is sometimes down to the manager, but other times down to the player himself or matters beyond individuals.

Sometimes a player is defined by the start they make at a club and simply can't turn it around if their career at a place doesn't start well. Take a couple of examples:

First, Sol Bamba. If there's any one of Sven's players we shouldn't have let go, I'd say it was him. I know others would disagree with me in that but I loved him as a player. The fans got excited to see him and many of us could forgive the Bambaisms, but he started incredibly well. He made himself a legend within one match and went from strength to strength, while many at Hibs couldn't understand what all the fuss was about.

Then take Beckford. For me, his potential is that he could be an upper Championship or possibly Premiership striker. But he isn't, and despite getting plenty of encouragement from our fans early on (and I believe he did), eventually they tired of his... let's say "distinctly average" efforts on the pitch and in recent times he's been barracked by sections of our support while on loan at Huddersfield.
Ask yourself: Can he come back from that? Could he ever wear a Leicester shirt in anger again? Would the crowd get behind him or would there be a horrible, embarrassed mumble like there was when DJ Campbell played under Paulo Sousa?

It may be an extreme example, but I'm trying to illustrate how circumstances can define a player's career at a certain club. Just as there are places that we may or may not want to work, some football clubs suit certain personalities at certain times in their lives and some don't. As such, all we really have to go on as fans are how players perform while they're here - what they can do at their best and, more importantly, whether they have the strength to get back when they've been out of form. (One reason I remain a big fan of Andy King here.) Other players don't show this kind of mental strength, and from outside it's difficult to know whether it's because of them, the club, the manager or something outside everyone's control. With only the odd exception (such as what happened to Gallagher), the answer remains the same: They should move on.

Oh those heady days of being linked with every player and his dog, the false promises, failed hopes, overspending and underachievement, no wonder some fans like Foxello sound so bitter now we're in the real world!!

DM - Ironic really that Beckford was actually failed by the guy who bought him, playing him in exactly the formation everyone knew didn't suit his style!

Even more ironic that NP managed to get him playing the best football he has for LCFC, for a while anyway!

Beckford has been failed by nobody but himself. He had the talent to make it but hasn't put in the effort required at several clubs now. Managers far more inspirational than either Pearson or Sven still need that basic will to succeed at the heart of what they build. Unfortunately I haven't been that from Beckford in a long time, however much I hoped that I'd see it him as he wore a Leicester shirt.

Dunge - if having a player who is prepared to do the ugly stuff, get stuck in and stop teams bullying our playmakers means signing a donkey - send me to Blackpool beach now and I'm selecting the one that looks most up for the fight!!!

I'd take a donkey if he means we scrap wind in those horrible championship scrappy games. And we only have to pay him in carrots. Much cheaper than Beckford.

It's really no surprise that 4 or 5 signings haven't been made so far.
The writing was on the wall with FFP and our club.
Loans is all we can hope for this season with, maybe the odd permanent cheapo signing.
It's times like these when your scouting network should be bringing some inexpensive foreign players to the table.
There are thousands of players out there..........British and foreign. What have our scouts unearthed for Pearson & City? Surely there must be at least a dozen players who are affordable on our radar?? If not, why not???
It would be nice to hear some answers from our club without the BS.

Pearson could fall short early doors otherwise........and the season finished before it has started.

Let's all hope it's all been hush hush so that we get our targets. Time will tell for sure.
Time is running out!!

The Sven-bashing by some on this site is both wearisome and magnificently hypocritical. But let that pass. For me of course, the "poor but expensive acquisition" is NP, whom we seemingly cannot afford to pay to go away, dammit.

Let us have Wes and we'll give you some cash to help you buy some players. Simple

Foxello - you moan and whinge about Pearson but you're lucky you didn't have to endure the stream of crap we had in the 80's. Only been a fan since 1998? You need to count yourself lucky!!

I think I must be the only one who is pleased we aren't seeing yet another season start with an influx of players who will take an eon to gel.

I've no doubt we will see a couple of additions in areas where we are a bit thin on the ground - Consistency has been missing from our club for too long now. Lets give it a try