Kapowzer Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 3 minutes ago, capt_oats said: I suppose the fact we were linked with Gotts instinctively makes you think that we feel we're short of something in that area. Maybe we knew that was the case in the middle of last week and Goss was the plan B? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 1 minute ago, Kapowzer said: Maybe we knew that was the case in the middle of last week and Goss was the plan B? Possibly, but they're both very different types of players. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadStar Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 Very decent window, the most handsome squad (defense especially) secured again for another season. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well fan for life Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 The fact we've gone from having a strongest XI that includes Crawford, Maguire, Lawless and Lamie to possibly none of those in a few weeks is good enough for me. Cannot wait for more Grezza Murderball with a big Norwegian dreamboat at the helm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dezz Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 I’m pretty happy with our business overall. I’d maybe have liked another attacking mid/playmaker but not to worry. I’ll be interested to see what formation we run with now that Grezza has all his own players in but it looks like we have the options to go with the usual 4-3-3, a 3-5-2 or a 4-2-3-1. I’d be very keen to see how may pieces a back 3 of Mugabi, Ojala and Johansen could reduce a opposition striker to. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim McLean's Ghost Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 2 minutes ago, dezz said: I’m pretty happy with our business overall. I’d maybe have liked another attacking mid/playmaker but not to worry. I’ll be interested to see what formation we run with now that Grezza has all his own players in but it looks like we have the options to go with the usual 4-3-3, a 3-5-2 or a 4-2-3-1. I’d be very keen to see how may pieces a back 3 of Mugabi, Ojala and Johansen could reduce a opposition striker to. The obvious glaring flaw in a 3-5-2 is the left hand side. Jake Carroll is no wing back. And O'Donnell isn't ideal there either on the right. I kind of like Mugabi as a massive right back. It makes us fucking huge with 3 giant defenders and 3 big forwards on the park at all times. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well fan for life Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 17 minutes ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said: The obvious glaring flaw in a 3-5-2 is the left hand side. Jake Carroll is no wing back. And O'Donnell isn't ideal there either on the right. I kind of like Mugabi as a massive right back. It makes us fucking huge with 3 giant defenders and 3 big forwards on the park at all times. Who needs wing backs when you're playing 4 centre backs and 4 full backs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YassinMoutaouakil Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 Looking around the league it feels like the gap between the city clubs and the rest is widening, but we've definitely had the best window outwith the Top Five imo. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowsdower Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 It's a shame that clubs our size can only have one successful season before their good players get snapped up for peanuts (comparatively speaking). Hopefully our 3 year deals we've dished out allow us to command decent fees for our superstar signings after alexanderball elevates them. I'm glad McGrath didn't end up at hibs, losing your best player to them would be embarrassing. Overall I'm happy with the window, with most of the signings looking good in theory, or on instagram, and only Parker being a real disappointment, with even the manager saying he was shite. Van Veen is the highlight for me, although he will be wondering what the f**k is going on when the club and support are gushing over him trapping a ball that one time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorky Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 (edited) 7 hours ago, well fan for life said: The fact we've gone from having a strongest XI that includes Crawford, Maguire, Lawless and Lamie to possibly none of those in a few weeks is good enough for me. Cannot wait for more Grezza Murderball with a big Norwegian dreamboat at the helm. That’s pretty much how I feel, he’s addressed the areas we all wanted addressed and now we just hope the newer signings pan out. Next to the likes of St Johnstone and St Mirren where even Seedorf gets a mention it’s that desperate we look to have done ok. Edited September 1, 2021 by Yorky 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dezz Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 Agree with Yassin that on the face of it, it looks like we’ve had one of the better a windows. Just need to hope that our main signings come good and we’re not stuck with a bunch of jobbers on 3 year deals. I appreciate we are now in a different market with covid etc but it’s quite pleasing that we got a similar transfer fee for James Scott after 36 appearances and 4 goals as St Johnstone got for Ali McCann. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swello Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 30 minutes ago, dezz said: I appreciate we are now in a different market with covid etc but it’s quite pleasing that we got a similar transfer fee for James Scott after 36 appearances and 4 goals as St Johnstone got for Ali McCann. It's easy to forgot how passive and shite we were in the transfer market until the change in tack under Hutchinson/Burrows - the way that St Johnstone handled their transfer window reminds me of us under Dempster. Putting our foot down with Marvin Johnson and actually getting a result from it was the best thing we did and I can't think of many situations where we've fucked it since then. On our transfer window - I'm pleased with it as it was a genuinely huge rebuild this year. We might need to wait a couple more months until the "fitness/getting up to speed/need time to gel" excuses run out and we see what we've really got - but with so many players on long term deals - it feels like there is lot riding on it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisGRAEME Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 18 minutes ago, Swello said: I can't think of many situations where we've fucked it since then. I think you're forgetting the disgrace of letting Robbie Leitch leave on a free. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swello Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 1 minute ago, thisGRAEME said: I think you're forgetting the disgrace of letting Robbie Leitch leave on a free. I was going to say not negotiating a big enough sell on for Dom Thomas - but I take your point. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 It feels like we've at least addressed the issues that a lot of folk had. Whether we've addressed them successfully...hmmmmm? Folk were worried about the idea of Mugabi and Lamie being our first pick CB pairing, we've brought 2 CBs in and 1 more for additional cover. Looking at a squad depth chart it looks like players that we know probably aren't good enough to be starting for us have been bumped down into squad roles. There are still aspects like the midfield unit being unconvincing but with us having been in for Gotts it at least suggests we were attempting to address that area. Overall the main doubts are still around the obvious punts, which stands to reason and even in the case of someone like Woolery the addition of Roberts should hopefully soften that and allow him to find his feet. On the face of it the window's probably a solid enough C+ that's probably artificially inflated upwards towards a B grade when you start looking at some of the wild shit going down at certain other clubs. Here are the contract expirations for the squad as is: January 22 - Mich'el Parker (1) 2022 - Scott Fox, Peter Morrison, Ricki Lamie, Bevis Mugabi, Darragh O'Connor, Nathan McGinley, Liam Grimshaw, Barry Maguire, Mark O'Hara, Robbie Crawford, Liam Donnelly, Steven Lawless, Justin Amaluzor, Tony Watt (14) 2023 - Stephen O'Donnell, Jake Carroll, Juhani Ojala, Max Johnston, David Devine, Dean Cornelius, Sean Goss, Kevin Van Veen (8) 2024 - Liam Kelly, Sondre Solholm Johansen, Calum Slattery, Kaiyne Woolery, Connor Shields (5) Loan - Jordan Roberts (1) Total: 29 My big takeaway there is 10 year deal for Tony Watt please. Immediately. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisGRAEME Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 35 minutes ago, capt_oats said: On the face of it the window's probably a solid enough C+ that's probably artificially inflated upwards towards a B grade when you start looking at some of the wild shit going down at certain other clubs. Think even that's a bit harsh, tbh. Ojala, Slattery, KVV and even Justin have shown a bit of something so far. Reserve judgement on Shields and Woolery so far, what looks like capable cover in O'Connor, Kelly and Roberts were 2 of our best performers at the end of last season, which leaves Goss and Johansen as the unknowns so far, and so long as they're at the very least competent, that's really not bad business at all. The fall-out from the Airdrie United game was that we all felt that going into the season with Lamie, Crawford, Lawless and to a lesser extent probably Maguire and Deano as nailed on starters would not end well, and now for better or worse in some cases, none of them will be. Put into the context of other teams we'll be competing with; St. Johnstone losing their two best players hours before the window closed, Dundee signing a whole collection of drama, County and Livi signing a bunch of regens, St. Mirren signing our squad of 3 years ago and United being linked with all sorts of guys then signing Scott McMann. Gotts aside, (who was shite and had nae tits anyway) it doesn't feel like we've missed out on anyone we clearly wanted so all in all; good window, IMO. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 (edited) 12 minutes ago, thisGRAEME said: Think even that's a bit harsh, tbh. Ojala, Slattery, KVV and even Justin have shown a bit of something so far. Reserve judgement on Shields and Woolery so far, what looks like capable cover in O'Connor, Kelly and Roberts were 2 of our best performers at the end of last season, which leaves Goss and Johansen as the unknowns so far, and so long as they're at the very least competent, that's really not bad business at all. The fall-out from the Airdrie United game was that we all felt that going into the season with Lamie, Crawford, Lawless and to a lesser extent probably Maguire and Deano as nailed on starters would not end well, and now for better or worse in some cases, none of them will be. Aye, it probably is. I think I was looking at it from a POV where, when you look at the incomings, the jury is probably out on half of them? The plus point as you say are that the players we've obviously brought in to drop in to the starting XI all seem to have something about them and in the case of Kelly and Roberts have proven themselves "at our level". To your point about the fall-out of the Airdrie game, 100%. We're now realistically in a place where Crawford and Lawless don't even make the bench most weeks. Edited September 1, 2021 by capt_oats 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well fan for life Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 I'm still pretty raging about our approach to the cup games so far this season. They were treated like a pre-season and we got exactly what that approach deserved. However as the good brothers have pointed out they have meant we've emptied two of our worst performers right out the squad in the past few weeks. Our starting midfield in the early cup games was giving me the complete & utter fear going into the season. Crawford, Maguire & Cornelius as our best starting 3 would have seen us welded to the bottom of the league for the long haul. Wouldn't mind Deano getting fired out on loan for a season to get him a regular game. Roberts is a decent signing. Looked quite handy last season until he got injured. Having had a peek in at the St Johnstone thread I realise it could have been much, much worse. Not sure how they managed to get less for McCann than we got for James Scott. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 3 minutes ago, well fan for life said: Having had a peek in at the St Johnstone thread I realise it could have been much, much worse. Not sure how they managed to get less for McCann than we got for James Scott. Because we are massive. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazylegsjoe_mfc Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 This transfer window has definitely been about playing the long game which really doesn't fit with the league cup group stages and indeed, the last 16 being over before our squad was built. Hopefully, our 29 man squad becomes something like 22/23 once we have loaned some players out. Would like to see Johnston, Devine, Cornelius and Morrison loaned out and playing actual games. None of them will make it in our first team by sitting on the bench. I'm hoping that the pain we've gone through to build the squad so late this season will benefit us next time around. Going by who is under contract next season, we look like we'll start the league cup games with a first choice goalie and back four and a reasonable spine to the team. That's obviously before any contracts are extended or pre-contracts negotiated too. On another note, this summer must be our most diverse summer yet, we've signed players from nine different leagues (2 in Scotland, 5 in England, Norway and Denmark). Time will tell about the quality of the squad, but you can't accuse the new recruitment system of not having broad horizons. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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