MelvinBragg

Permanent signing, yes. On loan, no thanks. If he becomes a crucial part of our team then no doubt the fee at the end of the loan period would go up. No one would want a goalkeeper on loan from Celtic because you wouldn't want to change your keeper for games as it would disrupt the team unit. Why should a midfielder be any different...?

No thanks. If we're going to bring people in on loan, make it from teams outwith our league. I hate that if a player becomes a crucial part of your team, he has to drop out when he plays against his parent club upsetting your team's rhythm...

Celtic top, Accies bottom. The rest would just be guesswork...

Is Scott Leitch not in charge of the academy..? So looking after the younger age groups before we decide who should be kept on for the U20s...

I think you're having a laugh if you think we'll sign two midfielders. Also regarding wing cover, Cadden and McLean are there. Also possibility of pushing Josh Law to right midfield and playing Watt at right back. I can see us signing one midfielder, one defender and a keeper...

Head of recruitment, goalkeeping coach and head coach for the U20s all leave this summer. A lot of upheaval behind the scenes...

Interesting only one trialist featuring tonight. Decision made on the other already...?

He's never really had a chance to look at Leitch until now. Apparently he played quite well against Borussia U23s. Thing Leitch has in his favour is that we're not overburdened with central midfield options and given our main two are over 30 years old, he'll get his chance...

Reckon we'll see a bit of Ross McLean and Luke Watt this season. McLean had been getting praise and encouragement from Baraclough at training towards the end of the season and Watt is one of the first names out of Baraclough's mouth when he's asked about young players. McLean might get a chance to impress early on given Ainsworth is suspended for two games. Maybe push himself in front of Thomas and Cadden in the queue..?

I'm in the minority in being happy with our options at right back. Watt, Law, Ferguson, Reid, reckon they can all do a job there to a certain degree...

Lost Ramsden, Kerr, Cummins and O'Brien so hoped for more than one centre back. Likewise lost a few options in midfield so will one midfielder be enough? I appreciate that Baraclough says that Cadden and McLean will get their chance but with our two main midfielders the wrong side of 30, any injury is a concern...

I actually think Kilmarnock's recruiting has been poor. The kind of recruiting Stuart McCall was slated for two summers ago. Lazy signings that any manager could have made. A keeper they didn't need, a striker that looked well out of sorts last season, a left back that's been playing left midfield and getting slated by his own fans and a guy from a rival who had free rein to do as he pleased as he was clearly their best player (will be track back?). I expect them to be dreadful but still have enough to finish above Ross County and Hamilton Accies, maybe even Partick Thistle...

I disagree that striker is the most important position. Best striker in the world is no good if you don't get the ball to him. Also, Clarkson was available for most of last season, just dropped. A crock? I also note in your previous post the "I told you so" about signing players at the level that Straker and Thomas were playing at. No mention of the guy that came from non-league and was outstanding. You should be in politics. Only use the facts that suit your argument...

Based on...?

Irrespective of what you think of their abilities, at the end of the season we list Laing, O'Brien, Ramsden, Kerr and Cummins that could all play centre half. We have brought in two, including a player who is primarily a left back. Centre half seems more of a priority tban anywhere else right now. After that centre midfield. McDonald would be nice but money could be better spent elsewhere...

With only one recognised goalkeeper, two central defenders and three central midfielders (two in their 30s and one relatively untested), I'd hope we weren't anywhere near done. Seventeen players left (from an admittedly bloated squad) and we've signed five...

If we sign Moult and McDonald, I reckon Craig Moore could forget about getting his chance with us. Got to figure on one of the guys from down South with McDonald as first choice pairing with Clarkson and the other as backup. Sending Moore out on loan is pointless. He needs to be breaking through now or you'd be as well letting him go...

Nail. Hit. Head... Of course, despite us selling him for that fee, he was a player that divided opinion last time round. No reason it should be different this time...

Right now, I'm more keen to see a centre back arriving...

Flow texted him about what?

Nope, what's he saying?

Someone last season suggested to me that Dom Thomas may be better suited to playing behind a lone striker as McDonald did in the playoffs. Both he and Moore could be vying for that role. I'm not agreeing that to sign McDonald would be a bad idea but I don't think either player would learn from playing with McDonald as I don't see them lining up alongside him. I don't see Baraclough going for a front two of Moore and McDonald. Too similar in style of play...

I don't think Clarkson has been brought in to get the fans onside. I think, having lost Sutton, the club were looking for someone experienced to provide a goal threat from the bench. Clarkson was available, I suspect willing to come with no guarantee of being first choice and willing to come for a wage less than other experienced players with no connection to the club would have asked for. An exciting signing? Probably not but he'll do a job. He's 29 and scored goals in the SPL last season. Not like we're signing a 37yo gut who's been injured for two years. Still good to know he replaces Sutton in a few ways. Sutton always divided opinion on here as well...

You know, at other clubs if they'd just signed a 29yo striker who'd scored 9 in 19 starts last season, fans would be pretty happy. Didn't see enough of Dundee to know if his form tailed off because the team's did or whether he just struggled but even adding in sub appearances, his goalscoring over the season was better than one in three. Not the worst signing we could have made...

I suspect Clarkson is the replacement for Sutton, an option off the bench. Given he's been given the number 19 jersey, it would suggest the club have someone else in mind for the number 9 shirt...