Warnock willing to swap duo

12:23pm Friday 22nd August 2008

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EAGLES boss Neil Warnock has hinted he may be prepared to do a player swap deal involving Carl Fletcher or Paul Ifill in an attempt to freshen up his Crystal Palace squad.

Both players have one year left on their contracts and Warnock placed them on the transfer list earlier this week.

Ideally the manager would prefer to sell the pair to boost his own transfer kitty, but added he could also consider a direct swap if the opportunity arose.

He said: "I've put them on the list to try and generate some interest so I can generate a little bit of money and funds to use elsewhere as well as getting a few people off the wage bill to allow me to bring one or two in.

"I don't think it is a case of me having to sell them before I can bring anybody in, it is just practical football management.

"You bring players in just to give the squad a lift and new faces always lift morale, so that is what we are going to try and do.

"I've brought a few youngsters in but I think we need one or two quality first team players really. There is no way they will go anywhere if they don't want to.

"I just thought it would be better to circulate it to other clubs because everybody is looking at what is available at the moment and there may be a player at another club we might be able to swap."

Warnock is also predicting a last-minute deal to solve the striker shortage at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace have yet to score a league goal this season and the manager is desperate to fill the void left by Clinton Morrison, who quit for Coventry during the summer.

Warnock has already confirmed he would like to sign Collins John from Fulham, but indicated he wouldn't be prepared to do so until seeing him in action first.

With John not scheduled to play again in Fulham's reserves until transfer deadline day (September 1), an immediate move is highly unlikely according to the Eagles chief.

He explained: "I would imagine it would be somewhere around 11.45pm on the Monday night after the Reading game.

"This seems to be what everybody is doing by holding on to their players and seeing what they can get in. I'm not going to be panicked or rushed into anything and will just take my time.

"Even though we haven't got a win in the first two games, we've been a whisker away from winning both of them.

"It isn't like when I first came and we went six games without winning.

"I think we've got a decent side and yes we are looking for one or two players to push us on but it could be an exciting season."

Warnock also reiterated his hard-line stance on Ben Watson who, despite Palace's poor start to the campaign, has yet to start a game after demanding a move.

The manager didn't completely rule out the possibility of a shock recall, but indicated it was highly unlikely and Watson remains an individual who is almost certain to leave Selhurst Park.

He said: "I will never say never to anybody and have said so all along, but we've offered him a fabulous contract and his representatives have seen fit to turn it down.

"We don't want another Hudson situation, so you have to make a stance somewhere.

"I think it will all be decided by September 1 and there isn't really anything more I can say about it until then.

"He is on the list, we are hoping to sell him between now and then and if we don't sell him, he is still part of the squad."

And would the possibility of having an unhappy and disgruntled player still on his books on September 2 prove a nightmare scenario if a move for Watson fails to materialise?

"You will have to ask me then," said Warnock.