Free agent Marlon Harewood would be a great signing for Bristol City, says Louis Carey VETERAN Bristol City defender Louis Carey is urging the club to sign up Marlon Harewood. A free agent after being released by Barnsley, the 33-year-old former Aston Villa and West Ham striker has been training with the Robins for nearly three weeks in the hope of earning a contract. City head coach Sean O'Driscoll insists Harewood's experience would be a major asset for a young squad in League One, and the player himself did his prospects of being offered a deal no harm when scoring twice in a 3-1 pre-season friendly win at Weston-super-Mare on Monday night. Carey played in the same game and the Bristolian agrees with O'Driscoll that Harewood should be offered terms providing City's new financial model permits. He said: "Marlon does a bit of everything. He can bring the ball down and bring people into play, he can run in behind and he can be a nuisance. "Marlon does all of those things and is different to the other forwards we have here. "At the end of the day, you still see experience. There has been a lot of talk of going with young lads, but it is hard to try and learn the game in five weeks. "The gaffer is bringing them on board, but it's going to take a while and won't happen overnight. "To have someone of Marlon's experience about the place does help in the long run. He is great when it comes to talking to the youngsters. "In my opinion, he is definitely worth a deal." Already in the market for a replacement for top-scorer Steven Davies, who joined Blackpool last week, O'Driscoll is eager to sign two strikers before the transfer window closes on September 2. The head coach is concerned that his squad lacks firepower and is wondering where the goals are going to come from in League One. Sam Baldock has a proven track record in the third tier, but Ryan Taylor has scored just one goal since arriving at City two years ago, while Kevin Krans, Toby Ajala and Wes Burns have played only a handful of senior games between them. Harewood certainly offers something different, and the Londoner admits he would jump at the chance to play under O'Driscoll, a coach he first worked with at Nottingham Forest. "I would be more than happy to work with Sean," Harewood told the Bristol Post. "He is a fantastic manager and coach and I would like to work with him for an entire season. "You are never too old to stop learning, and I believe I could learn a lot from him. I worked under him when he was a number two at Forest and it was a good experience." With the new season just four days away, City's board of directors must decide if they have sufficient funds to sign a replacement for Davies as well as Harewood and on-trial midfielder Marlon Pack. Harewood said: "I know I have to keep my head down, work hard to get fit and then speak to Sean and people behind the scenes about where we go next. I think Sean wants me here and the other lads want me to join, but it's out of my hands. "All I can do is carry on the way I have been and hope that something comes out of it. "They have some great strikers here and I would like to add to that if I can. It would be good for the other strikers to have competition and be looking over their shoulders. "I'd love to come on board and have a real go at League One." Now when it was first suggested he might be signed I was not exactly excited but I have to say I am warming to the idea slowly partly because in his interviews he comes across as someone who wants to be at the Gate working under the manager because even at his age he still wants to learn perhaps it is self interest on his part as he wants to learn how to be a 'good' manager but if he can be signed with another striker or I keep saying this Albert moves up front and that young Ipswich lad comes in to cover rt midfield and Pack signs as well I really think there would be goals to be had because outside of perhaps Wolves and Sheffield Utd none of the L1 teams could cope with an attack with the sort of pace that Sam and Albert would provide with JET behind them to pick up any rushed/panicked clearences I think City would be a real handful, and as this type of partnership developed it could easily be as dangerous in the Championship if we keep playing the ball on the ground. Harewood would give a different type of striking option to anyone we currently have closer to Billy Sharp, without his pace, but still has the ability to control the ball first touch and either pass or shoot. The longer time goes on the less likely it is we could get Billy Sharp if it was going to happen I think it would have happened by now, the best chance of getting him now is if they can't sell him in this window and decide to let him go on loan til January.
I was part of the group that wanted us nowhere near this guy when he first joined but slowly im getting my head around the fact that he could be a good addition. If the wages are right and he is here for the cause then sign him up. Just pray we're not getting another stern john, More of a Adebola!
I think he could be more of a Stead than an Adebola or John, Shiny, he really seems to want to stay and learn from Sean which has to mean he is commited to what Sean wants if not directly to Bristol City and that is as much as we can realistically expect some players want to play for certain managers - I don't think we would have Jay here if Sean hadn't been the manager and somehow I couldn't seem Millie or DM attracting the youngsters that have arrived and certainly not Flint as they had the time and money to get a commanding CB and didn't.
