Duo backed to fire up Pompey
Steve Cotterill believes his double deadline day signings will kick-start Pompey's season.
Cotterill lauded the arrivals of Dave Kitson and Liam Lawrence as being key to adding impetus to his team's campaign.
The Blues boss admitted he was powerless to stop Tommy Smith leaving for QPR as the transfer window came down.
But he was delighted with orchestrating the deal which saw Kitson and Lawrence arrive along with an eventual 2m in return for Marc Wilson.
He felt the former Stoke pair could now inject an impetus into his team's season and get Pompey firing.
Cotterill said: 'I'm pleased to get them and to have them in the starting ranks.
'The Wilson deal was one I started with Tony Pulis and Peter Coates at Stoke.
'To get money and good players in could be difficult. I look at that one and think it's a really, really good deal.
'It was a deal I started and was able to interact in.
'I started, got it moving and worked with it the whole way through.
'It's pleasing. They are my first permanent players through the door.
'With any loan you are taking a chance but with the permanents they are more part of the furniture.
'We're pleased to get them through the door, for sure.
'Liam's a full international and he will go on to be a crowd favourite here.
'And it will be the same for Dave Kitson if he goes on to deliver the goalscoring spree he did at Reading – not only in the Championship but in the Premier League.
'I think we've needed a big centre-forward, certainly one who can face up and hold it up. And Liam will certainly give us more energy. He will cover more ground than anyone in our team. That's what will happen.
'I think Celtic had put in a 2m bid for him and there was another Championship club willing to pay that.
'What we had to look at was if Marc was to go, we had to get players back in exchange.
'The opportunity came about to get the players with a view to letting Marc Wilson go.
'Obviously it was a disappointment to see him leave because he's a great talent.
'But what I had was a great relationship with Peter Coates and the willingness of Tony to let us take the players.
'That's why it was a such a good deal for the club.'
Cotterill admitted his hands were tied over the 1.5m exit of Smith as Pompey chased funds on deadline day.
He is still pushing on with a player hunt as he looks at adding Kyle Naughton and Kanu, along with an attacking midfielder.
Naughton was named in Spurs' 25-man squad but is way down the pecking order at White Hart Lane and Harry Redknapp can promote 20-year-old Kyle Walker into his place.
Cotterill said: 'You have to look around a lot of clubs and see players we can get hold of.
'At this moment we're not flush with money to pay big fees.
'The chance came about to get the players with a view to letting Marc Wilson go.
'Obviously that was a disappointment, as was seeing Tommy Smith go.
'As regards the Tommy Smith one, that was out of my hands a little bit.
'I was told a while ago we needed some money.'
Cotterill will take a number of his first-team squad to face Gosport at Privett Park on Monday. The friendly kicks off at 7.45pm. Tickets are 10 (adults) and 5 (concessions).
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Weather for Portsmouth
Thursday 24 May 2012
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