MelvinBragg

We're playing Celtic in a friendly anyway apparently. Have to accept that this is a weird pre season when pretty much the only teams available for friendlies are other SPL sides. Not going to be many secrets before the season starts...

We really need to sign someone. Or start a thread with a poll 'Should scouts be allowed inside closed door friendlies?'...

No word on the front of shirt sponsor yet?

Had heard this rumour but also heard from someone else that they had lined up Leeds U23 coach for the job...

Just out of curiosity, have any season ticket holders had their streaming logins sent out to them yet?

Haven't seen any announcement regarding Scottish transfer window but I note that the Rnglish window is going to run til early October. Would be surprised if Scotland isn't vaguely in line so this thread may have legs for some time yet. I could see us selling a midfielder as we seem to have plenty of bodies in there...

I don't disagree. But there will be those who take that approach. And the club may be trying to talk them round...

I think all it says about me is that I'm getting old and have seen clubs try every PR trick under the sun. I remember when Trevor Steven was at Rangers, he was voted MOTM every week as they tried to justify buying him back from Marseille...

Cynical of me to note how much the match report talked up Hastie? He may have played well, but I suspect others did without quite so many mentions in the match report. Trying to win over those fans unimpressed with his signing...?

Like I said, just a niggling feeling. Perhaps because, like you, when it looks like there's reasons to be optimistic, that's when I expect Motherwell to boot me in the nether regions...

I wasn't a huge fan of Chris Long, but nor did I think he was dreadful. An ok signing.. Balance of the squad looks slightly off to me. Three players that cam play left back, only one right back. A vast array of midfielders (particularly if Semple and Cornelius are considered part of squad) but very few options on the wing. Vast majority of the first eleven that took us to third place are still there but have a niggling feeling we might struggle this season...

I would guess that Fox won't be earning as much as Gillespie but don't know if the difference will be that significant. We've already brought in two defenders this summer and I'm guessing that whatever we're paying O'Hara will be costing more than the proportion of his wages we covered while he was on loan. How much we've saved by not having Manzinga and Ilic on the wage bill, I don't know but again I don't imagine it'll be a massive amount. If we're going to persevere with 433 with two wingers, then four centre forwards seems excessive. Lang may well be able to play on the wing but Long is a centre forward, nothing else. The same has to be said of White and Watt. Long or Lang, not both. Have never seen Lang play but didn't really rate Long so not fussed. Let's not waste a wage on a fourth striker though. .

Look on the bright side. If we were to get through to the third qualifying round and were drawn away to some Eastern European or Turkish side, absence of a hostile crowd might not do us any harm...

As much as I'd love Turnbull to sign for Newcastle or a decent English Championship side, I fear this story is a forerunner to a 'Turnbull chooses Celtic over move to England' story. If he leaves, I'd far rather it was to an English or foreign side but I suspect I'll be disappointed...

Never mind all this Hastie chat, is Allan Campbell going to Huddersfield..?

Any administrator at Wigan wouldn't be doing their job if they let assets go on the cheap and £1m for a young player with 2 years experience in the English Championship is cheap...

No way Robinson has agreed to that..

Not a massive fan of taking players on loan from teams in the same league and given the way that his move was perceived by fans, I can't see a move for Hastie being universally popular. Having said that, you could see taking Hastie on loan as mugging Rangers to an extent. They pay us a fee for a player and we still end up with the player. Just a thought...

Pretty sure Long is away but the change of number might be more to do with Dunne staying on as he was number 18, I think. Probably gave White his pick of the numbers that were left...

Seemed to realise the error of his ways quite quickly. Although given Fletcher scored on his debut then got injured the following week, I often wonder what might have been for Fletcher and Moult but for that injury...

Barraclough also signed Louis Moult...

I had the same thought myself but while it's relatively easy for us to half our capacity, it will be an issue for other clubs. Imagine Celtic or Rangers telling half their season ticket holders that they've got a seat for St Mirren at home but the guy next to them has the Old Firm game. If schools are back full time, I can see it being a case of full capacity in stadiums but you'll be asked to wear a mask...

If they've been told, then what's the secret? Assuming Cornelius, Robinson, Hussain/Devine and a couple of others...

I don't disagree. I expected us to possibly replace Hartley, O'Hara or Tait with cheaper options wage wise but wasn't expecting masses of movement. Who are the players from the reserves you expect to see stepping up?

I'd say our squad is still pretty small. Two recognised wingers, two strikers, three centre halfs, two full backs and five midfielders by my count. Not huge... Carson Grimshaw Carroll Gallagher Mugabi Lamie Campbell Donnelly Turnbull Polworth Maguire Seedorf Hylton Watt McIver Hardly a huge squad...