Has Roeder Convinced Shepherd?

Last updated : 20 February 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor

Roeder suffered a frustrating January and only managed to land loan signing Oguchhi Onyewu, despite talk of interest in big names Peter Crouch and Anton Ferdinand.

Freddy Shepherd says he will release the purse strings, just as he was in January ... but some still believe the chairman has concerns about where the money is going.

Roeder was allowed to invest £15million in striker Obafemi Martins and winger Damien Duff last summer and bring Antoine Sibierski in on a free transfer, and he must show he has the eye for a class player.

Duff has yet to get out of the starting blocks, and jury is still out on the Irish international, but Martins and Sibierski have been superb.

Roeder has been delighted with his signings to date and he believes Sibierski has been the bargain of the season.

Roeder: "We will be looking at a lot of players between now and the start of next season, and they will be young players aged 25 and under.

"I do not want to bring in big names who are past their shelf-life, but players who have their best days in front of them."