Dickov guards club’s crown jewels

LUCA SCAPUZZI has impressed manager Paul Dickov during is brief stay at Boundary Park.

KEEPING hold of prime borrowed assets is the goal for Athletic at the moment.

Manager Paul Dickov, who is himself on a rolling 12-month contract, hopes to secure the futures of loan stars like Nathan Clarke, Tom Adeyemi, Robbie Simpson and Luca Scapuzzi beyond the original terms of their respective deals.

Simpson will head back, at least temporarily, to Huddersfield Town on December 11, with the other three players all currently set to depart Boundary Park around the turn of next year.

"We got to a stage towards the end of the loan window at the start of this year where we were scratching around a little bit," said Dickov, recalling Athletic's struggles for personnel and points in the latter half of the 2010-11 campaign.

"It was through circumstances, with an outbreak of mumps in the camp and with Dale (Stephens) going to Southampton.

"It is important we keep the squad together all season and we are very hopeful we can do that.

"We need to speak to the respective clubs first, but that is the plan."

While Clarke and Adeyemi have been on the fringes of the first team lately, it only takes an injury or suspension for both to be involved again.

Dickov has already spoken of his desire to bring in-form Simpson back to the club when the transfer window reopens at the start of 2012, while the chances of retaining winger Scapuzzi's services will no doubt depend on how parent club Manchester City view his progress.

The highly-rated 20-year-old Italian could, in theory, have his current emergency loan period extended until the away game at Stevenage on Saturday, January 28.

Athletic's other on-loan Italian, Andrea Mancini, has not been able to force his way into the first-team picture and may not be required beyond his scheduled loan expiry date of December 3.

As far as tomorrow's game at Bournemouth goes, Dickov is not taking lightly the task his side faces in trying to outwit his good friend and Cherries manager Lee Bradbury.

"They had disappointment in the FA Cup but have picked things up in the league,” he said.

"I am pleased for Lee. He is slowly, but surely putting a team together after losing a lot of players and without necessarily being given the funds to replace them.

"It has taken him a little while, like ourselves, to find some consistency. But it will be tough for us.

"We put up one of our worst performances down there last season, so we need to first and foremost make ourselves hard to beat.

"We know we can score goals. So we have to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in."

Bournemouth's squad is much-changed from that which saw off Athletic 3-0 at Dean Court last time around.

Nine players departed in the summer and Bradbury now has 35 professionals to select from, including new signing Charlie Daniels, the left-back who beat yesterday's deadline to join on loan from Leyton Orient with a view to a permanent deal.