Coventry City have been diddled – they‘ve spent millions on the strike force for the 109th best footballing nation in the world.

The latest FIFA world rankings place Wales in that illustrious position. Surely it would have been cheaper to buy two strikers from Malaysia, Oman, Mali, Qatar or Vietnam – just some of the countries that lie above them.

Hartson, whose official weight is slightly over 14 stone, has been scoring goals this year for Wimbledon, but has he ever really cut the ice at Premiership level since his debut half-season with Arsenal?

A traditional centre forward he might be, in that he is big enough to reach crosses, and heavy enough not to be intimidated by defenders.

But he lacks the real eye-catching goal-scoring record that the Sky Blues need if they are to stay in the Premier league.

It has to be hoped that he can quickly fit in with his new team-mates and find the net soon. Coventry ooze creative players, and the thought of Bellamy, Hadji, Eustace and Thompson running at defences with a decent target man waiting to lap up any leftovers augurs well, on paper at least.

If that doesn’t work, then perhaps Gordon Strachan should nip on a plane tonight to watch Singapore play Bahrain. Such doyens of world footballing talent would no doubt come cheaper for life in the first division.

Mind you, world ranking is no hallmark for quality.

Kyrgyzstan (rank 174) recently beat Singapore (101) to leave the group favourites at the bottom of their preliminary group for qualification for the 2002 World Cup.

SEE [08 FEB 01] HARTSON SIGNS IN 'PAY AS YOU KICK' DEAL