Summer 2024 transfer window

[KGB]

We need to give Milne an opportunity to show he can play in a position or get rid of him as our coaching staff don't seem to know what his best position is supposed to be and I cant see the point in keeping him. 

[RicoS321]

8 hours ago, KGB said:

We need to give Milne an opportunity to show he can play in a position or get rid of him as our coaching staff don't seem to know what his best position is supposed to be and I cant see the point in keeping him. 

I guess that the point will be that he can play in three or four different positions (three in our setup: CB, RB, DM, plus RWB). It's actually good for him in many ways that he can cover quite a few areas as it should mean that he has the best chance of being in the team for an extended period (he's immediate cover for Devlin for example). A bit concerning that he's not been given more minutes, but that could be because Thelin is more certain of Milne than the other guys, who he wanted to give opportunity before finally launching in the sea. Milne looks to me to be a solid player capable of consistency. He reminds me of Shaugnessy when he was with us, who was often overlooked for technically worse defenders and eventually moved on. It's certainly Milne's last opportunity I'd say. I hope he gets it and takes it.

A bit disappointing that there's been no stand out signings this season yet, as has been the case for the past two windows (Clarkson our best signing last year and he was already here). Be nice to get someone in to get the fans excited. Molloy has the potential to be good, but it might not be this season, and Mitov will be a good goalie I'm sure. I think we should just spank our entire budget on a really ace winger and be done with it.

[Jute]

Squad numbers are out

27 players including a keeper who is on a season long loan, another 17 year old keeper who has never been in a match day squad and a player who is long term injured. Definitely looks a bit thin and short on quality. 
 

Take Miovski out of that squad and you would be concerned. 

[tlg1903]

 

1 hour ago, Jute said:

Squad numbers are out

27 players including a keeper who is on a season long loan, another 17 year old keeper who has never been in a match day squad and a player who is long term injured. Definitely looks a bit thin and short on quality. 
 

Take Miovski out of that squad and you would be concerned. 

Miovski is actually the problem re the lack of recruitment.  We clearly want to sell him and we will get good money for him should we do so. It does seem prudent for Thelin to want to wait to see what he has to play with budget wise before taking in new faces. 

 

[OrlandoDon]

I think it’s the sale of miovski that’s holding us back in the market right now. The club doesn’t want to spunk a couple of mill on two winger studs then find out no legit offers for miovski come in. I think we’d ‘love’ to sell miovski, duk, and probably richardson too asap, and turn around and spend some cash. But it’s sell to buy at present. We spent a lot last year for little return, I think cormack would like to sell first. 

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, Jute said:

Squad numbers are out

27 players including a keeper who is on a season long loan, another 17 year old keeper who has never been in a match day squad and a player who is long term injured. Definitely looks a bit thin and short on quality. 
 

Take Miovski out of that squad and you would be concerned. 

I wouldn't say it's thin, but it's definitely short on quality. There are five players (at least) in there who offer nothing other than filling a number, plus two away and one on loan (and I'm assuming Boyd might get a loan before the window slams). I'm not convinced we need any more than 22 in the squad at the beginning of the season, given these are all known quantities (Nilsen and Molloy aside). I'd like to see us be a bit bolder in trimming down the numbers and go into the season with a tight squad. We can then work our way back up in January, and then allow for the natural filtering out of guys like Jensen, MacDonald etc.

[Jute]

Squad of 23 outfield players is to light for me. Injuries and suspensions will soon leave you struggling to fill the bench  or have any plan B.

[OrlandoDon]

16 minutes ago, Jute said:

Squad of 23 outfield players is to light for me. Injuries and suspensions will soon leave you struggling to fill the bench  or have any plan B.

It’s a squad clearly lacking. I don’t think we have a single right/left midfielder that’s good enough (I don’t consider McGrath a wide player). And as I repeatedly say, we can’t rely on two old guys every week in the middle of the park. That’s huge to me. Our midfield was the worst part of the team last year - a good midfield protects the defense and creates in attack - and we have not done nearly well enough, almost nothing, to improve that area. We never replaced Rama, Barron is gone, and all we have in return is an unproven soon to be 33 year old. Sivert could be good but, especially with polvara out, both old guys will get over worked and injuries/suspensions will come.

if we add a right mid, left mid, and center mid, I’m happy. But all three have to be of a somewhat decent established level. 

Edited August 4 by OrlandoDon

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, Jute said:

Squad of 23 outfield players is to light for me. Injuries and suspensions will soon leave you struggling to fill the bench  or have any plan B.

But we're filling our bench with dogshit. When you saw the Airdrie game, it was clear from the subs made that the manager was reluctant to call on any of the game changers on the bench. None offer a plan B either. Unless the plan B is to be absolutely pish. 

I'd look to trim it to 22 in the next week and maybe bulk up with a couple of loans towards the end of the window. We just seem to perpetually have half a dozen or so guys that you just wouldn't want to see taking to the pitch at any point. 

[Slim]

No number for Bavidge is a bit odd.

[Jute]

40 minutes ago, Slim said:

No number for Bavidge is a bit odd.

Going out on loan maybe?

[Jute]

43 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

But we're filling our bench with dogshit. When you saw the Airdrie game, it was clear from the subs made that the manager was reluctant to call on any of the game changers on the bench. None offer a plan B either. Unless the plan B is to be absolutely pish. 

I'd look to trim it to 22 in the next week and maybe bulk up with a couple of loans towards the end of the window. We just seem to perpetually have half a dozen or so guys that you just wouldn't want to see taking to the pitch at any point. 

I don’t disagree we do need to move on some of the dross but still think 22 would be to light and we need to replace some of the dross with better quality. However still think we need to up the numbers as well. 

[RicoS321]

3 minutes ago, Jute said:

I don’t disagree we do need to move on some of the dross but still think 22 would be to light and we need to replace some of the dross with better quality. However still think we need to up the numbers as well. 

Aye, you could be right. I guess I'm just concerned that we'll take in four players to get two good ones, and that'll be 7-8 players who need to be moved on. At the moment, it feels like we're way beyond the general churn of pish due to the length of contracts that we've handed some fairly mediocre crap. Mediocre crap that we'll feel obliged to play. Would anyone really be concerned if Boyd was the go to sub over Morris, Gueye or Vinny? Or Milne ahead of Jensen, McGarry and so on? I'd feel a lot better if we'd got rid of a few.

[OrlandoDon]

The problem we have, I think Rico touched on it, we don’t have enough established first team starters. Who in our first 11 would you start week in week out without question. Anyone??? Every single player we have has been questioned.
keeper is new so can’t judge, devlin and Mackenzie have their doubters, Molloy unproven, ruby, Jensen and Macdonald all inconsistent and prone to mistakes, we have no right or left mid, some dont rate McGrath, clarkson had an inconsistent last season, no clue about sivert, some think shinnie is past it, and questions asked of sokler. And that’s our best 11. Many of that should be a bench!

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, OrlandoDon said:

The problem we have, I think Rico touched on it, we don’t have enough established first team starters. Who in our first 11 would you start week in week out without question. Anyone??? Every single player we have has been questioned.
keeper is new so can’t judge, devlin and Mackenzie have their doubters, Molloy unproven, ruby, Jensen and Macdonald all inconsistent and prone to mistakes, we have no right or left mid, some dont rate McGrath, clarkson had an inconsistent last season, no clue about sivert, some think shinnie is past it, and questions asked of sokler. And that’s our best 11. Many of that should be a bench!

I'd start Shinnie, McGrath, Clarkson and McKenzie every week (and I think Mitov will be class). But, aye, you're right, the rest are squad players that if we were in a normal season, we'd be looking at options to replace them. We haven't been at the point where we've had a settled team since McInnes left in order to just make the little tweaks in two or three positions. We've never had a team to improve on.

[DantheDon]

Odd to see Duk keeping number 11. I don’t know how you deal with that situation or if we are any closer to some sort of resolution. I would have expected him to be given a number outside the first 11 though even if the numbers don’t represent anything these days. I assume that the approach to recruitment is a more patient one now that we are not in Europe this year and with Thelin just in the door. Hopefully this will yield a better calibre of player, we will see I guess. I would be disappointed if we don’t make a few decent signings this month though. 

[Reekie_Red]

Agreed. Disrespectful wee shite shouldn't have a shirt number in the first 11

[BigAl]

6 hours ago, Reekie_Red said:

Agreed. Disrespectful wee shite shouldn't have a shirt number in the first 11

More need to bring out the stocks, place them on the Castlegate and pelt the overly inflated ego prick with rotten tomatoes.

 

[BigAl]

See McKenzie is in last year of his contract and we are opening talks regarding extension.

I know he splits opinion but IMHO I think he has earned it and hopefully keeps developing.

[Stewart]

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

See McKenzie is in last year of his contract and we are opening talks regarding extension.

I know he splits opinion but IMHO I think he has earned it and hopefully keeps developing.

Agreed.

Wasn't impressed when Glass gave him a such a long deal but he certainly seems to be improving every season.

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

See McKenzie is in last year of his contract and we are opening talks regarding extension.

I know he splits opinion but IMHO I think he has earned it and hopefully keeps developing.

He's ace. Get him signed. If he was taller, he could be the next Considine. As it is, we'll take him for another 3 years as himself. He'll be one who is constantly identified as a weak link that we could improve on, but 83 McGarry's later, he'll still be in the team.

[RicoS321]

7 hours ago, Reekie_Red said:

Agreed. Disrespectful wee shite shouldn't have a shirt number in the first 11

It's just a shirt number. The club are probably thinking that they need to be in the position where they can say that they've done everything right by the player and kept the door open for him etc. There's a strong chance that we could reach the end of the window with him still on the books. Also, there could be other issues at play that us fans aren't fully aware of.

[tlg1903]

2 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

It's just a shirt number. The club are probably thinking that they need to be in the position where they can say that they've done everything right by the player and kept the door open for him etc. There's a strong chance that we could reach the end of the window with him still on the books. Also, there could be other issues at play that us fans aren't fully aware of.

I have found it interesting the club haven't hung him out to dry when they would be quite entitled to. It's not impossible there is more to this, perhaps a sick relative he wants to be closer to. 

 

Re squad size etc, we clearly need new recruits but there's still plenty left of the window and the August fixtures have been fairly kind at least....  St Mirren at home on Sunday will defo be a test but they are in Europe on Thursday so hoping for a wee hangover. Fwiw I think Thelin will not be rushed into making signings. I get the frustration at the lack of progress in rebuilding the squad but given some of the scatter gun signings we have consistently made, window after window, in the cormack era I'm pleased to see a bit more prudence. Hopefully we will see some movement on the Miovski front this week though as it's becoming an ever bigger elephant in the room. 

Defo keep McKenzie, he has become a good lb at this level. His positional sense has improved hugely and he makes a lot of smart runs now too.  If he was a couple of yards quicker off the mark he would be worth a fair bit more.  I would like to see competition for him though as I remain unconvinced by Mcgarry though not to the extent others are, I just don't think I have seen him play enough in red to make a full judgement 2bh. I also like mancs idea of trying him further forward as he is quick, allegedly has goals in him and he's a left footer.  

 

 

 

 

[Panda]

5 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

It's just a shirt number. The club are probably thinking that they need to be in the position where they can say that they've done everything right by the player and kept the door open for him etc. There's a strong chance that we could reach the end of the window with him still on the books. Also, there could be other issues at play that us fans aren't fully aware of.

Aye. Also, there's probably wee kids that have got Duk 11 on their shirt. Now if he leaves the club can't do anything about it, but if they change his number now then wee Hayden fae Tilly has every right to demand a refund.

6 hours ago, BigAl said:

See McKenzie is in last year of his contract and we are opening talks regarding extension.

I know he splits opinion but IMHO I think he has earned it and hopefully keeps developing.

I think Mackenzie is gonna be a very good player for us.

I think he's going to have a very solid two years then earn a move to Wrexham for £1.5m plus add ons.

[Kowalski]

Hoilett linked with Hibs.