Lorimer: We Want Serious Offers

Last updated : 03 May 2004 By Kevin Markey

A board meeting is being held at Leeds tomorrow where a strategy for dealing with relegation and life in the Football League will be discussed.

Lorimer has ruled out any fire sale of assets such as Alan Smith.

He told Sky Sports: 'There has been lots of interest in lots of our players but we haven't discussed anything yet. That will be discussed at our meeting tomorrow. However, just because we have been relegated does not mean they [other clubs] can steal our players. We want serious offers if we are going to rebuild.'

Lorimer also had a dig at striker Mark Viduka, sent off for two yellow cards in the 4-1 defeat against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium yesterday.

He said: 'It was very disappointing for Mark to get sent off. He is such a big player and a very, very good player. At certain times he lets himself down with his temperament. At 1-0 up and against a good Bolton side it was always going to be difficult down to 10 men. Mark should know better than to get sent off in those situations.

'It was sad day and one where you go to bed at night and don't want the alarm to go off and the reality of Nationwide football to hit you. There was a board meeting planned for Tuesday and that will go ahead as normal. Now we know where we are we can sit down and discuss the plan to go forward.

'We couldn't do that before because we didn't know where we were. It will be a long meeting and one where we will look at how we resurrect this club and get it back into the Premiership. We have to look to the future. We have five under-21 internationals and they are the way forward. We will build the team around them. Just how we do it has to be discussed.

'It will involve a lot of hard work. I am not saying we will come back straight away but hopefully we can be challenging next year and then build on that.'