Unlike every United fan’s favourite time of year the ‘British Summer Time', which continues to hide itself this summer, the EFL transfer season is really starting to hot up. With all eyes in England remaining fixed on the national team’s “progress” on the continent, there are departures and signings flying around League One, with squads slowly starting to take shape - along with the hopes and dreams that they carry.
It’s no different in CB5. While fans’ outcry for more and more signings as soon as possible can never be satisfied, the U’s have got their business underway efficiently. And in Shayne Lavery, the first attacker joins the U’s ranks, a sign of Monk starting build a forward line more in line with his vision of how he wants his team to play.
That style of play is yet to be seen, and its success or otherwise even more so, but for now let’s introduce the latest arrival in amber and black.
Shayne Lavery is a Northern Irish forward, 5 foot 11 inches tall, who joins United on a two-year deal. He lists Everton, Linfield and Blackpool as his ex-clubs, but mainly came to prominence in the EFL over the past few seasons at Pool.
This is another signing that we like here at UTAS. And another one that has seemingly gone done well amongst the fanbase as a whole. Following on from the arrival of Kell Watts, it’s a further indication of the change in strategy being employed by the club in their recruitment. Once again, we’ve looked up the pyramid rather than down. But instead of picking up a player in their 30s who might have racked up hundreds of appearances at a higher level but who is slowly but surely sliding down the pyramid in search of clubs who will meet their still inflated wage demands, the profile here is different.
This is about balance. Lavery is 25; still young, still with plenty of room to grow into what is seemingly a very high ceiling. But, in that relatively short time he’s also amassed over 100 appearances in the tangerine of Blackpool, the majority of those in the Championship. Like Watts, Lavery doesn’t strike as a player sliding down to find his level, and definitely not one just looking for a last payday - he just needs somewhere to find his spark again. Somewhere where he can play regular first team football, remember what the handy habit of scoring goals feels like, and start his journey back up to the Championship again. Whether with the U’s or not.
From what it sounds like, the Championship was not a level too high for him at all. Having played youth football in his native Northern Ireland, he moved to Everton after a successful trial where he spent two years in their youth system. After being released, he returned home and signed for Linfield where he scored a remarkable 45 goals in 74 appearances. That drew the attention of Blackpool back across the water, who picked him up to play a role in a team tasked with staying in the second tier.
It didn’t take long for Lavery to make an impact, scoring a last minute equaliser in their first game back in the Championship
To get a bit more insight into what we can expect from Lavery, we spoke to friend of the pod and Blackpool fan Jack Fallon:
The conscious uncoupling between Shayne Lavery and Blackpool earlier in the year probably came at the right time for both parties, but that's not to say it wasn't with a heavy heart.
He's 25-years-old, he needs games and I'm not sure he'd have enough to muscle out the current forward options at Bloomfield Road.
Plucked from Linfield the summer following promotion from League One, Lavs went off like a train and adjusted well to the Championship, bagging eight league goals in an impressive year for the Pool.
From there things were never quite the same. Following a tough second season - which ended in relegation - he was all set to be the main man up front in League One, but he never truly came to form like we all thought, particularly given his exploits in the second tier.
I’m convinced, however, a change of scene will do him good.
U's fans will be getting a player who works his socks off all game, is a good finisher - particularly with ball into feet - is aggressive and can do a job out wide if needed. Just like he did at Bloomfield Road, I'd imagine he'll strike up a good rapport with home fans too.
He'll need starts, he'll need chances and he'll need time away from the treatment table. You can also forget it if you opt for long balls too.
This feels like a very canny signing for Cambridge. Lavs also feels very League One-y and I'm convinced there's a player in there, it's just a shame he never hit his full potential at Pool; perhaps he will at the Cledara.
Best of luck, Lavs.
A story of missed potential at Blackpool, perhaps. But also playing for a club operating in an entirely different context - this season for example, they’re a club looking to keep pace with a ridiculously competitive top end of the division. Where it sounds like Lavs might be considered on the fringes of their squad, for us humble U’s at the other end of the table we might be getting a really quality player for the level with a fresh hunger to prove his worth.
There is, as ever, some downsides. Jack touched on it, and it’s been noted across socials by many Blackpool fans - who poured out in quite a remarkable wave of well wishes, indicating the high esteem he leaves Bloomfield Road in. But the obvious negative is that dreaded phrase: “if you can keep him fit…”
Judging by his appearance stats, it’s not been a series of high profile injuries that have kept him out of significant portions of season, in the same way you might say about Fejiri Okenabihrie over the past few years for instance:
If you look at his professional career so far, he’s never played less than 30 times in a season - either starting or off the bench. Where Jack refers to “time away from the treatment table” it sounds like he’ll need to be managed carefully - an over reliance on Lavery starting 46 games a season might be unrealistic. We might see Lavery and Kachunga occupy a similar role in behind a more focal number 9 in the Ahadme role, and rotate as the fixture list piles up throughout the season. Both have that slightly diminutive stature, appear to like ball into feet but also able to support a striker and play off the shoulder off the last man, if needed.
If we can get 30 games out of Lavery, you’d like to think his contribution will be significant in our aim for survival.
It goes without saying we’ll need to continue our recruitment in the attacking areas of the pitch, but in Lavery we have a really solid start.