capt_oats

It's possible but I'd be interested to know how much in comp we'd be likely to get for Moore and by extension which clubs would realistically pay a fee (I get that the two are interlinked). My interpretation of it is that he signed with a view to being part of the match day squad and hopefully break into the starting XI, 4th choice striker in the group being utilised as 2nd striker on the bench with a bit of rotation however due to *ahem* "unforseen" circumstances regarding the midfield and consequent need to free up some budget we've taken Ayr up on their interest; MFC get a wage, Ayr get a player they've been chasing, the player gets guaranteed first team football at a club he's performed well at.

Ultimately there's nothing to stop a team putting in an offer for McDonald, however to recap, as it stands: - the player signed a new deal on 1st July. - Sydney FC's CEO has said he doesn't know anything about the story. - MFC's COO has said there have been no bids or enquiries regarding the player. As far as the squad building goes I've got reservations about Samson and Brill, it's fairly clear we haven't fully addressed the middle of the park but equally we've addressed the right back issue, look to have brought McHugh in with a view to succeeding Lasley (which is again something that's been highlighted almost every window) and brought in a different 'option' in Blyth up front. So of the 5 first team signings we've made 3 of them address longstanding issues or at least offer something we didn't already have (right back, holding midfielder, target man). To say there's no joined up thinking there is a bit extreme. It's all well and good to talk about moving certain players on but they can only be moved on if another team actually wants them and they're willing to go in the circumstances. Given his relative success at Ayr last season Moore was clearly a player there was interest in. For whatever reason, budgeting issues as a fall out of the fixtures etc, we're looking to free up some cash there was interest in Moore and we've done a deal. It's worth pointing out that Ayr were paying Ryan Stevenson's wage when he joined them from Thistle last season so if they were able to cover his wage when they were in League 1 then I'd imagine they'd be able to cover Moore's now they're in the Championship. It's fair enough to question why Moore was given a new deal and then loaned out in the context that he has (with some suggesting that it was a player option in which case it's a legacy issue from the original deal) but it seems conflicting to be questioning why some fringe players were offered terms, and to be clear when he signed Moore was evidently 4th choice striker, yet have people up in arms at the thought that we may not have received a fee for Robbie Leitch because he may not have been offered terms (by a certain date) and ended up at Burnley. You can't really have it both ways.

Just quickly watched back McDonald's press conference there, after all the questions about Hibs a journalist asks "was the A league ever a possibility?", his response is "...we can talk about this one or that one but what's important is that I'm here now." There's enough about the pause before he answers to make you think that it was definitely on the table and realistic. There's obviously a clear difference between a 4th choice striker being moved out on loan to free up some funds (if that is indeed what's happened) and a key first team player moving 3 weeks after signing a new deal. If Sydney have decided to come back in with an offer and asked the question then it's up to the club to answer, it's all pretty weird though.

Reading McGhee's comments on the official site it seems to be as folk have been suggesting, in his words we need to be "clever" with the budget. Moore's unlikely to get that much game time so by extension you'd think that we're freeing up a wage. He also mentions we have a call back option in January.

Seems really odd on the basis that we gave him a year a couple of months ago and we're a striker down with Moult being injured. He'll clearly start every week at Ayr which he wouldn't at Fir Park but that was surely clear when he agreed the year extension. In truth I'd say that an additional midfielder (or two) is a bigger priority at the moment given that we can perm 3 from McDonald, Blyth, Johnson, Ainsworth, Thomas and at a push Mackin for a front 3. So if Moore moving helps facilitate a midfielder coming in then fair enough. Just seems really weird in context. Edit: just seen thisGRAEME's post, Faddy in as the additional low cost 4th choice striker would seem to be the obvious move if we're light up front.

Agreed. As it stands I count a first team squad of 19, going back to the start of the close season when McGhee was explaining in detail the thinking behind the reduced terms being offered he quoted working on a squad of 20 bodies or IIRC 21 "if we have a 2nd goalkeeper" Obviously if they've naively budgeted on their incorrect assumption that they'd be getting their 3 home games against the ugly sisters then you can see how the budget could have taken a hit but as you say an attacking midfielder was identified as a priority when Pearson moved, long after the fixtures were announced so it seems unlikely that it's no longer the case. It may well be that it's as much an issue of availability as anything. Edit: It's speculation obviously but what could possibly explain an awkwardness with the budget would be if Pearson is likely to be back in January, as has been rumoured, and the club are building his wage into the budget from January onwards.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this happen either or even a free agent who may be willing to accept terms that are a bit lower than those he'd be looking for at this point while there's still another month and a bit of the window to go. Similarly I definitely get the feeling that there are a couple in the squad that McGhee possibly has doubts about but may want to give them an opportunity to show something to change his mind.

With the Heneghan incident I think it's the deviation of the ball from the deflection that raises the doubt and I can understand why the ref didn't give it, though equally wouldn't really have had an argument if it had. The Samson one was just a remarkable (non)decision.

McGhee's comments on Chalmers post-match were quite revealing. They were general platitudes; he did alright, played a disciplined role, we think he's a good player etc but qualified with Joe's got a future here "if he really buckles down & grabs his chance" and oddly "we're still not quite sure what his position is. Is he left midfield, left back, left wing". Again, a fair few of my recent posts on here have been saying that you take most of what McGhee says publicly with a pinch of salt but Chalmers has been here a year. If the management and coaching staff still haven't worked out where he fits then it doesn't really bode well for him long term. Edit: For what it's worth I though Chalmers was alright, certainly by no means the worst player on the park and the shift in shape when he went off left us that bit more open.

Thought McHugh had a decent game in an area of the park that folk have (rightly) been highlighting as a problem. Couple of slack balls here and there but otherwise broke things up and seemed to move the ball well. Agree with others re: Tait.

Quite interested to hear McGhee's post match, suggests that the wide 433 is pretty much the shape he's going with and other than the odd change he's not looking at rotation for the Annan game. Given he's chopped and changed personnel and shape in the pre-season games up until now you'd hope that establishing a preferred system and XI will benefit everyone. Presumably with Moult needing his surgery this is a pretty massive opportunity for Ainsworth.

Yeah, I'm loathe to hold someone to broad statements in an "oh! but you said..."-type way. situations and scenarios change and evolve. I think most recognise that as a club we aren't in a position to overspend. There's no real latitude for that, we literally can't afford it. However given that a week and a half (or so) ago both the COO and manager were commenting on wanting to address the centre of the park then with a month and a half of the window to go I don't imagine that in the space of just over a week since those comments their minds have changed and that's a line been drawn under things for the season. As I've said before I don't think that McGhee's framing of the situation is *too* different from his comments the other week. What does seem to be the case is that in order to get another body in, there will need to be movement out.

We're the quotes about the midfield being a priority not after the fixtures came out? Just checked Alan Burrows tweeted to a guy about McGhee being after a midfielder but needing to 'wheel & deal' for it to happen on the 8th July the fixtures were out 17th June. McGhee's comments to the press about bringing in another midfielder were reported after McHugh signed on 5th July.

Given the fairly indifferent pre-season form so far, particularly the absolute shellacking and shambolic defensive performance at Easter Road combined with Lasley being out, Moult being half-fit and having lost an assistant manager I had the genuine fear about that game today. In the end it's definitely disappointing not to have taken something out it given the number of chances created, not even half-chances but actual gilt-edged, "he should totally have scored that" chances. Folk will point to the amount of the ball Sevco had but they didn't have a shot on target until something like the 26th minute. By which point we'd got in behind their defence a few times. It's just disappointing that their goals, good hits though they were, could have been closed down better. Tavernier and Waghorn hitting from the edge of the box? Who knew? I suppose in context that was Accies lost to Ayr and Dundee drew with East Fife (EF got the bonus point on pens).

Unless Cadden takes the Pearson role on the right of the 3 with Chalmers and McHugh sitting. But still...now's Joe's time to shine. Not surprised to see Ainsworth and Johnson starting tbh. I have the absolute fear about this though.

Out of curiosity does Lasley's suspension only apply to him being on the park? Seeing as we're down an assistant manager and I believe Craigan's on pundit duty with BT, would there be anything to stop Lasley filling in as McGhee's assistant until there's a new body in?

Given Holt left his role at Norwich because he wanted to pursue a managerial position it'd seem an odd career move to go for the assistant job at Motherwell tbh. http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36650786

Going by the list on STV's page they've 5 on loan. http://stv.tv/sport/football/1356778-every-confirmed-move-of-the-2016-scottish-premiership-summer-window/

BBC also ran this at the time: "Leitch and Freeman will join their new clubs' development squads and their former clubs are likely to receive compensation." http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36681358 Key use of 'likely', suggests they don't know for a fact. Edit: Interestingly the compensation due for the Freeman deal was additionally reported. https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/dundee-united-due-fee-kid-kieran-freeman-joins-southampton/ https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/dundee-united/211945/dundee-united-get-compensation-young-defender-kieran-freeman-prepares-join-southampton/

I still don't know if I like it or not. On first look I thought it looked like a Ross County shirt (in fact, it's nicer than Ross County's actual effort) but you're right, if you were to stick a pair of white shorts with that it'd probably look better as a kit.

Surprised that people still seem to take McGhee as literally as they do. He's already on record as acknowledging we're light in the centre of the park and he'd want to bring another central midfielder in. His press conference simply reiterated what he said the other week insomuch as to bring in another player there will need to be a bit of juggling with the squad. We're clearly not in a position where we can overspend our budget and you'd think there's a certain amount of that budget taken up by legacy contracts that he inherited. We're in mid-July of a Summer window that runs until the start of September, I'd doubt if there was any club who were completely done with their squad building at this point.

That'll teach me to believe the Sky Sports app line-ups then.

Echoing what Desp said, it's the middle of July. The league season doesn't start until August 6th and the transfer window doesn't shut until the end of August. It'd be fair to say there's a decent chance of additional movement between now and then. As it stands, with Law having moved on, there's every chance that one of those centre backs (either Kennedy or Laing) is being viewed as a cover for right back as well. Out of curiosity, was Ferguson playing left back for Airdrie when he was on loan there as well?

No it's not just you. That was what I was getting at when I commented on the drafting.