It baffles us all - after all - they are given long contracts that mean they are paid during the close season, so why not bring them IN during the close season? Or is that too practical?The injury sustained to Obafemi Martins is less serious than first feared, but with Shola Ameobi suffering from thar worrying hip injury, and Michael Owen out for most of the season, Roeder knows the time is ticking away on a replacement.
Martins was taken off on a stretcher an hour into his debut in the 2-0 Premiership defeat at Aston Villa on Sunday. But Roeder was relieved to discover the injury was nothing more than a severe dead leg and the Nigerian forward should be available when Fulham head for St James' Park on September 9.
Albert Luque has again failed to show anyone he is up to the task up front, and Roeder is losing patience with the over-valued striker.
Once again, Chelsea's Robert Huth is said to be a target, but only if Jonathan Woodgate turns down the Mags to join Boro. The German international missed out on a £5million move to Middlesbrough when he failed a medical, which in itself is very worrying.
Roeder: "I am living on the mobile phone at the moment, but one of the biggest problems we have is that the season has now started in the rest of Europe. Coaches have got their squads together and it is proving difficult to prise players away."