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AS Wanderers moved closer to confirming the signing of Jan Kirchhoff yesterday, Phil Parkinson pointed to an example from a year earlier of what an impact such recruits can have.
Last March the Whites brought in Jem Karacan, following the midfielder’s release from Galatasaray.
And though he played just five times at the end of the season, he became integral to getting their promotion charge over the line.
Parkinson admits Kirchhoff, like Karacan, may not be able to make an impact until he regains his match-sharpness.
“If you look at last year we brought Jem Karacan in at around this time and he didn’t play straight away,” recalled Parkinson.
“But he waited and waited and played tremendously well at Port Vale and then got the goal against Peterborough to help us get promoted, so we’ve always got to look and if we can add a player of quality to the team then we’ll try to do that.
“However, all the players available are going to be short on match-fitness, we know that, but that’s the situation they’re in and so are we because you can’t sign anyone who’s under contract.”
His lack of sharpness aside, Parkinson has been pleased with how Kirchhoff has slotted in at the training ground, and how the existing tightly-knit squad has welcomed the talented new arrival.
“The lads know about him and about his pedigree as a player and they’re the types of players who we’ve got to target, ones who can take us on to another level. It can only be a positive thing, it would give us more options, more competition,” he added.
“This is a division, especially as you come into the last third of the season, where fresh legs are so important in games.”
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/16042972.jan-could-turn-out-to-be-another-hidden-jem-says-parkinson/?ref=mr&lp=5
Last March the Whites brought in Jem Karacan, following the midfielder’s release from Galatasaray.
And though he played just five times at the end of the season, he became integral to getting their promotion charge over the line.
Parkinson admits Kirchhoff, like Karacan, may not be able to make an impact until he regains his match-sharpness.
“If you look at last year we brought Jem Karacan in at around this time and he didn’t play straight away,” recalled Parkinson.
“But he waited and waited and played tremendously well at Port Vale and then got the goal against Peterborough to help us get promoted, so we’ve always got to look and if we can add a player of quality to the team then we’ll try to do that.
“However, all the players available are going to be short on match-fitness, we know that, but that’s the situation they’re in and so are we because you can’t sign anyone who’s under contract.”
His lack of sharpness aside, Parkinson has been pleased with how Kirchhoff has slotted in at the training ground, and how the existing tightly-knit squad has welcomed the talented new arrival.
“The lads know about him and about his pedigree as a player and they’re the types of players who we’ve got to target, ones who can take us on to another level. It can only be a positive thing, it would give us more options, more competition,” he added.
“This is a division, especially as you come into the last third of the season, where fresh legs are so important in games.”
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/16042972.jan-could-turn-out-to-be-another-hidden-jem-says-parkinson/?ref=mr&lp=5
