Player contracts and transfers

[scott1982]

Ryan Gauld?

[Radford 72]

What I'd like to see before the window closes:

• In: Holding midfielder in mould of Morris or Millar. Needs to be of the quality that will start every week, i.e. an upgrade on Craig, Alston or Wotherspoon, in that role.
• Out: Comrie to a Championship side until January. Not sure what the chances of that are but he needs a make-or-break loan. If he can't establish himself at the likes of Alloa then he won't at Saints.
• Out: Hendry on loan until January. Level is irrelevant here but most important thing is he plays. For the first time in his career he needs to get into the habit of playing every Saturday.
• Out: McClean on loan until January. Don't think games are so pressing for McCann as the reserves should be a step up for him but McClean is at the stage where he needs tested more. He's not in the boat of Hendry, he just needs some exposure to senior football. Would like to think he would interest a League One side.

[tucker]

2 hours ago, Radford 72 said:

What I'd like to see before the window closes:

• In: Holding midfielder in mould of Morris or Millar. Needs to be of the quality that will start every week, i.e. an upgrade on Craig, Alston or Wotherspoon, in that role.
• Out: Comrie to a Championship side until January. Not sure what the chances of that are but he needs a make-or-break loan. If he can't establish himself at the likes of Alloa then he won't at Saints.
• Out: Hendry on loan until January. Level is irrelevant here but most important thing is he plays. For the first time in his career he needs to get into the habit of playing every Saturday.
• Out: McClean on loan until January. Don't think games are so pressing for McCann as the reserves should be a step up for him but McClean is at the stage where he needs tested more. He's not in the boat of Hendry, he just needs some exposure to senior football. Would like to think he would interest a League One side.

Probably What's needed well said mate,hendry might be needed if we pick up injuries up front, would do the lad the world of good getting game time thou

[Cagey]

I think the new reserve league should help. Players like Comrie ,Alston ,McClean & Witherspoon when we get our new holding midfielder may get some game time rather than the odd game or 20 mins .

[blueheaven]

7 hours ago, Radford 72 said:

What I'd like to see before the window closes:

• In: Holding midfielder in mould of Morris or Millar. Needs to be of the quality that will start every week, i.e. an upgrade on Craig, Alston or Wotherspoon, in that role.

On this note - I'm finding it really difficult to understand why Alston was given a new contract. We were told he'd be given a chance to play more centrally this season, but he's never going to fill the Millar role, and he's never going to be first choice out wide either. Given how tight the budget is and how much of a struggle it is to bring in new players, that just seems like a wage that should have been put towards bringing in a bloody good Millar replacement.

 

[Radford 72]

21 minutes ago, blueheaven said:

On this note - I'm finding it really difficult to understand why Alston was given a new contract. We were told he'd be given a chance to play more centrally this season, but he's never going to fill the Millar role, and he's never going to be first choice out wide either. Given how tight the budget is and how much of a struggle it is to bring in new players, that just seems like a wage that should have been put towards bringing in a bloody good Millar replacement.

Alston is another who when he gets to play as an attacking midfielder centrally looks decent. He got far more involved at Montrose when given that license and I can think of a few other decent performances over the past couple of years. The problem is threefold though:

1. The manager rarely plays him there, in part because...
2. We don't regularly play a formation that creates the need for a central attacking midfielder.
3. If we do play a system with a more advanced midfielder, we are well covered there and other players are probably better options.

I think he could be a goal threat from the right area but he isn't suited to just a pairing in midfield and definitely isn't suited to playing deeper. He doesn't have the positional awareness, tacking ability, passing ability or indeed much of what is required to fill the hole vacated by Chris Millar.

The squad is just slightly starting to get the look of an unbalanced one with too many players that don't suit us or aren't versatile enough. It's not just said off the back of yesterday but I'm concerned about our ability to get Kennedy and Wright (and indeed the strikers) involved in games.

[RandomGuy]

Is there anything in these Marvin Bartley rumours? 

I feel like I'm just being whooshed again. Wouldn't be totally adverse to just signing a "destroyer" in the middle of the park if we can't find a genuine replacement for Millar. 

[andrew]

31 minutes ago, RandomGuy said:

Is there anything in these Marvin Bartley rumours? 

I feel like I'm just being whooshed again. Wouldn't be totally adverse to just signing a "destroyer" in the middle of the park if we can't find a genuine replacement for Millar. 

We were saying yesterday that we need a Martin Hardie type player

[bankfoot saint]

36 minutes ago, RandomGuy said:

Is there anything in these Marvin Bartley rumours? 

I feel like I'm just being whooshed again. Wouldn't be totally adverse to just signing a "destroyer" in the middle of the park if we can't find a genuine replacement for Millar. 

Started for hibs today so  can’t see that one happening but wouldn’t  mind being proved wrong 

[SlickDT]

3 hours ago, Radford 72 said:

Alston is another who when he gets to play as an attacking midfielder centrally looks decent. He got far more involved at Montrose when given that license and I can think of a few other decent performances over the past couple of years. The problem is threefold though:

1. The manager rarely plays him there, in part because...
2. We don't regularly play a formation that creates the need for a central attacking midfielder.
3. If we do play a system with a more advanced midfielder, we are well covered there and other players are probably better options.

I think he could be a goal threat from the right area but he isn't suited to just a pairing in midfield and definitely isn't suited to playing deeper. He doesn't have the positional awareness, tacking ability, passing ability or indeed much of what is required to fill the hole vacated by Chris Millar.

The squad is just slightly starting to get the look of an unbalanced one with too many players that don't suit us or aren't versatile enough. It's not just said off the back of yesterday but I'm concerned about our ability to get Kennedy and Wright (and indeed the strikers) involved in games.

Totally agree with this post. Before I'm accused of over-reacting to one result, this has been my feeling before a game was played.

Whilst I'm happy about our additions this pre-season- there is a glaring weaknesses to our squad which was there last season. We need a player in the centre of the park that can control the game, especially when Davidson is in there (a player with plenty attributes but helping us play a possession style game it is not).

Spoony is not that guy, Craig is not that guy and Alston is not that guy. I'm all for having two of the three of them in there as squad players. They are good options to have, they give 100% when they are needed, but they lack the quality needed to cover Millars place in the team. I'd happily let one of them move on in order to bring quality into the centre of the park.

Millar did the work of two men at times in his prime and made up for the fact that in Davidson we have a central midfielder that is often better when the opposition has the ball.

We need someone who is brave on the ball, who is willing to help his backline when they are under a little pressure and a player that can read a forward pass. I think that's vital to unlocking Scougall in a more advanced central position.

A quality player in that role all of a sudden can improve several players around him. How many times did Millar drop back into space taking pressure off MacKay or Easton and allowing them to 'pass and go' wide. How often did he pick up on MacLeans movement into deeper positions starting attacks? How often did he give Anderson a simple 10 yard pass and take away the lack of distribution he sometimes suffers from.

I'd go as far as saying a getting the right player for that role could be the difference in 5-6 places in the table.

[541ntees]

15 hours ago, Radford 72 said:

What I'd like to see before the window closes:

• In: Holding midfielder in mould of Morris or Millar. Needs to be of the quality that will start every week, i.e. an upgrade on Craig, Alston or Wotherspoon, in that role.
• Out: Comrie to a Championship side until January. Not sure what the chances of that are but he needs a make-or-break loan. If he can't establish himself at the likes of Alloa then he won't at Saints.
• Out: Hendry on loan until January. Level is irrelevant here but most important thing is he plays. For the first time in his career he needs to get into the habit of playing every Saturday.
• Out: McClean on loan until January. Don't think games are so pressing for McCann as the reserves should be a step up for him but McClean is at the stage where he needs tested more. He's not in the boat of Hendry, he just needs some exposure to senior football. Would like to think he would interest a League One side.

not sure how bad Joes injury is but i wouldnt be sending comrie out anywhere til hes back , can u imagine foster got a bad injury or for some strange reason got a few games suspended

[541ntees]

7 hours ago, RandomGuy said:

Is there anything in these Marvin Bartley rumours? 

I feel like I'm just being whooshed again. Wouldn't be totally adverse to just signing a "destroyer" in the middle of the park if we can't find a genuine replacement for Millar. 

imagine a midfield 2 of Muzz and Bartley

[Radford 72]

Great post above! @SlickDT

What reassures and encourages me is that everyone can see the issue, so surely it will be addressed before the window is closed.

Especially agree that this final signing could have a huge impact on our finishing position.

[Lang Toon Saintee]

As I have said before we lost two midfielders at the end of last season Millar and Willock it's not just one but two quality midfielders that we require to get us through the season.Its glaringly obvious that none of our current players are capable of playing in this role long term.Sure we can make one signing but if he is suspended injured or has lost form what are we left with.??

[bankfoot saint]

26 minutes ago, Lang Toon Saintee said:

As I have said before we lost two midfielders at the end of last season Millar and Willock it's not just one but two quality midfielders that we require to get us through the season.Its glaringly obvious that none of our current players are capable of playing in this role long term.Sure we can make one signing but if he is suspended injured or has lost form what are we left with.??

one permanent and a youngster on loan from down south would be nice but can’t see it 

[rik2304]

Comrie needs to go out in loan. Ideally we've got Foster at RB with Joe to cover it. 

If we have to rely on Comrie then he's going to be targeted by other sides as the weak link and will get ripped to bits.

[Guest ScottMann]

3 hours ago, Lang Toon Saintee said:

As I have said before we lost two midfielders at the end of last season Millar and Willock it's not just one but two quality midfielders that we require to get us through the season.Its glaringly obvious that none of our current players are capable of playing in this role long term.Sure we can make one signing but if he is suspended injured or has lost form what are we left with.??

Been thinking that myself. The fabled midfielder has become so key to the whole season that if we don't get him or he suffers a 'McMillan' we're potentially in for a bit of a struggle. Even with our financial and squad limitations that's a risky move. I know what Tommy says in the media and what Tommy does are two different things but I can't see us bringing in the two players we'd ideally need. 

[Cagey]

7 minutes ago, ScottMann said:

Been thinking that myself. The fabled midfielder has become so key to the whole season that if we don't get him or he suffers a 'McMillan' we're potentially in for a bit of a struggle. Even with our financial and squad limitations that's a risky move. I know what Tommy says in the media and what Tommy does are two different things but I can't see us bringing in the two players we'd ideally need. 

Will to be lucky to get one.

Tommy will struggle to get the man we need as even Random can't come up with a decent candidate.

Have to hope we can get a decent loaned from down south.

Still think it was a mistake to let Midge go even if he was only used as backup.

[mainstand]

7 hours ago, Cagey said:

Will to be lucky to get one.

Tommy will struggle to get the man we need as even Random can't come up with a decent candidate.

Have to hope we can get a decent loaned from down south.

Still think it was a mistake to let Midge go even if he was only used as backup.

Oh ye of little faith.

Wait and see cagey you never know you might get a surprise. 

 

[bankfoot saint]

1 hour ago, mainstand said:

Oh ye of little faith.

Wait and see cagey you never know you might get a surprise. 

 

Woooooooo canny wait 

[Cagey]

1 hour ago, mainstand said:

Oh ye of little faith.

Wait and see cagey you never know you might get a surprise. 

 

Your glass half full again MS.

English window shuts on Thursday . Does that apply to loans to Scotland as well ?.

[Lang Toon Saintee]

24 minutes ago, Cagey said:

Your glass half full again MS.

English window shuts on Thursday . Does that apply to loans to Scotland as well ?.

I believe that it only applies to them Signing Players

[RandomGuy]

26 minutes ago, Cagey said:

Your glass half full again MS.

English window shuts on Thursday . Does that apply to loans to Scotland as well ?.

English clubs can't sign anyone beyond the 9th, but we could still sign players from English clubs until the end of our window on the 31st.

Suggestion seems to be English clubs are stockpiling players until the 9th incase they don't get the signings they want, and after that there'll be a wave of released/available for loan players. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by RandomGuy

[Templar Saint]

9 minutes ago, RandomGuy said:

English clubs can't sign anyone beyond the 9th, but we could still sign players from English clubs until the end of our window on the 31st.

Suggestion seems to be English clubs are stockpiling players until the 9th incase they don't get the signings they want, and after that there'll be a wave of released/available for loan players. 

That applies only to EPL.  The football league teams can sign "on loan" players until 31 August.

Cannot see us competing against EPL teams for players and we could struggle against other english teams for loan players if they are interested in any target we have in mind. 

[Saint GB]

 Tommy Wright in Today’s newspapers  

 

“We won’t be sigining a midfielder anytime soon”

 

“We have to get players out first for that to happen but can’t really do that as the squad is thin in number” WHAT? 

 

He wants to play Jason Kerr there but had to take him off because he was tired as he’s not used to playing there. 

 

 Brutal