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The Great Rebuild 2017'18


fizoxy
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I get the impression that Robinson is putting some thought into what positions need strengthening in the team, 2 of the 3 signings so far have addressed the problems we have in midfield so it looks promising . All we need now is a decent keeper and maybe 1 centre half and a left back and we will be sorted.

Agreed Allan. I think we need a few more players than that though. As things stand, and they may well change, we need:

 

a first keeper

a depute keeper

a right back depending on whether Robinson rates MacMillan

a left back

at least one centre half, maybe two depending on McManus' fitness.

an attacking or good box to box central midfielder.

 

We may need to supplement that if players like Moult or Heneghan leave. A lot will depend too on the progress of our young lads like MacLean, Campbell, Hastie, Watt, Livingstone and Maguire. Interesting times ahead but good to see us rebuilding early on in the summer.

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If I'm Correct, this is our current first team. (Missed out a couple of the youth academy lads like McMillan and Gordon but this is pretty much what if consider the "senior squad.")

 

2. Richard Tait RB

3. Steven Hammell LB

4. Ben Heneghan CB

5. Gael Bigirimana CM

6. Stephen McManus CB

7.??? Elliott Frear LM

8. Carl McHugh CM

9. Louis Moult ST

11. Ryan Bowman ST

12. Chris Cadden CM/RM

14. Keith Lasley??? CM

17. Alex Fisher ST

19. Jacob Blyth ST.... supposedly...

20. Craig Clay CM

23. Dom Thomas LM

27. Craig Tanner CAM/RM?

30. Allan Campbell CM

 

GK: 0 DEF: 4 MID: 9 ST:4

 

So with that in mind, I think we'd need to try our best to obtain:

 

2 Goalkeepers

1 Left Back

Probably 2 Centre Backs, at the very least 1

At least one more Central Midfielder

A natural Right Winger

1 striker, if others leave, more.

 

That's quite a big shopping list in reality but if we are to be really competitive, it's probably necessary. Think one of our major issues last season was injuries and not having really the depth of squad to make adequate replacements. I'm aware we have a very thin budget so it'll be interesting to see what Robinson's priorities are. It's a massive rebuilding job but I think the three signings he made have looked positive so really hope they do well.

Edited by CSmith
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There are a couple in the u20s who will fill some of those gaps (McMillan, Mclean, hastie, Gordon) but I wouldn't be surprised if we see at least 7 more come in based on who has gone.

 

Flow did mention that some incomings will depend on outgoings, which could mean selling a moult or Ben, or moving on the likes of Blyth and clay, and maybe Thomas.

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To be honest, I really hope Blyth moves on and I'd expect Moult and maybe Heneghan could leave too if the money is right. Same goes for Dom Thomas, seemed to have a few good moments while out on loan but seems to have not really stepped up so he might be deemed surplus to requirements.

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Despite it being a rather unrealistic rumour, as the guy is being linked with some much bigger clubs, I do quite like the look of Graham Carey who's currently at Plymouth Argyle. 3/4 of their final goal of the year nominations were scored by him and their fans seem to love him and his creativity from midfield. Also, after the meltdown the Argyle fans had after losing McHugh to us last year, it'd be nice to gain a similar reaction if we were to sign Carey.

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With Cadden and Frear primarily used in wide positions last season, the signing of Tanner and the fact that Gordon, MacLean and Hastie all featured in the first team last season, you'd be inclined to think it would be best for all if Thomas moved on.

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Would it? I'm really not bothered about where they come from as long as they're good

 

We're a Scottish club and I can't believe we can't dig up some decent prospects from the Scottish game.

 

We could be doing with a couple of twenty-something experienced Scottish premiership players.

 

...................................

 

Another problem we are looking at is churn rate, you'd be looking at selling or disposing of just about every name you listed next year - and off we go on another giant rebuild job.

 

The Great Rebuild thread is going to become an annual event.

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With Cadden and Frear primarily used in wide positions last season, the signing of Tanner and the fact that Gordon, MacLean and Hastie all featured in the first team last season, you'd be inclined to think it would be best for all if Thomas moved on.

If Thomas returns from his loan as good as Cadden and Erwin did from their's I'd be happy to see him stick around.

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We're a Scottish club and I can't believe we can't dig up some decent prospects from the Scottish game.

 

We could be doing with a couple of twenty-something experienced Scottish premiership players.

 

...................................

 

Another problem we are looking at is churn rate, you'd be looking at selling or disposing of just about every name you listed next year - and off we go on another giant rebuild job.

 

The Great Rebuild thread is going to become an annual event.

 

We can dig up some decent prospects from the Scottish game - is the value there though? Development fees are sacrosanct which see us turn our attention elsewhere.

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I'm interested to read people saying that we'll need to sign "at least one more" midfielder. If you take wingers and "wide midfielders" into account, by my reckoning we have

 

McHugh

Clay

Campbell

Cadden

Frear

Bigirmana

Tanner

Campbell

MacLean

Thomas

Gordon

 

You can argue about whether Gordon, Thomas and MacLean deserve to be on that list. I'd argue that in Gordon's case, Robinson's willingness to use him in crucial games after the split suggests he will be considered an option. MacLean was breaking through before his injury (albeit under McGhee) and if Thomas isn't considered a first team squad member, we'd be as well moving him on.

 

That's a lot of midfielders, irrespective of what you think of their abilities. Signing another midfielder without moving anyone on would make the squad look unbalanced to me. Part of me suspects that if we sign another midfielder then it will mean we're selling Heneghan and McHugh may become our first choice centre half. Not saying it's a choice I would make but wouldn't astound me to see it happen.

 

On the subject of unbalanced squads, while I don't think Fisher is a bad signing (certainly explains Mackin's release), all four strikers we currently have are what I would term "number nines". None of the four seem suitable for the McDonald role of playing off a striker who's leading the line, unless that's a role Robinson has Tanner earmarked for (judging by his comments, I wouldn't rule it out).

 

Clearly we're nowhere near finished our transfer business but I don't think we'll see as many additions as some are expecting unless others leave...

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Hopefully we can play some good stacking football then, all we need now is a striker who will bang them in, the goalkeeper Carson, quality LB and another CB and CM is that asking for too much ??

 

I wouldn't say it is asking too much, but more an absolute necessity. Hammell can't play week in week out, Heneghan may go, McManus is probably one more injury from being done, which leaves us, potentially, with Richard Tait as a back one.

 

Left back and centre-half would've been a priority for me from the start. Not to bash the club business because they've done very well thus far, but I'd imagine a keeper, a centre half and a left back are next on the list.

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Think for now we need to be concentrating on getting the keepers in and strengthening the defence, left back and at least a centre half, so we don't have to rely on McHugh covering there.A right back for cover for Tait if Robinson doesn't reckon young Jack is capable of that.

 

After that looks at the strikers situation as above most of ours seem to be the number 9 mold rather than the Skippy\Arnott mold of getting in and making a nuisance of themselves against opposition defence. So that needs looked at, as well as moving Blyth on. Bowman I like as a bench player but if Moult doesn't go then is probably not going to get a lot of game time.

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I think talk of signing another 7-10 players is nonsense m, I'd say 3-4 more tops and even the higher end of that prediction would probably be on a one out one on basis and possibly include loans.

 

Quality over quantity should be the way to go.

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I'd like to see us get someone like Paul Dixon at left back, solid defender, decent going forward. I watched Dundee Utd a few times last year and he was one of the few glimmers of hope they had. He's out of contract and i doubt money would be an issue.

 

A Goalie would be first on the priority list tho.

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What's all the fuss about signing Scottish players. Let's nurture our youth team who are predominantly Scottish.

 

Fuss is a bit strong, only a preference for signing guys who know what they are doing in our league.

 

Wouldn't be a bad plan considering the amount of newbies we seem to be signing.

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I think talk of signing another 7-10 players is nonsense m, I'd say 3-4 more tops and even the higher end of that prediction would probably be on a one out one on basis and possibly include loans.

 

Quality over quantity should be the way to go.

Agree that 10 seems fanciful and am very much on board with the quality over quantity shout but we need 2 goalkeepers (as we don't have either a first choice or back up), a left back (as Hammell can't be expected to go through a season and we thankfully released SuperJoe) along with a right back (given we ended up with Cadden playing there in Tait's absence) and a centre half (given we fell to bits with and without McManus in the side). That's 5 already, none of which seems outlandish.

 

As others have pointed out, all 4 of our strikers fit the #9 profile to greater or lesser degrees. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if another forward came in with one (Blyth probably) moving out.

 

Given Craigan's comments at the end of the last window about there being more of the 20s group he felt would benefit from getting regular game time on loan I wouldn't be surprised if we were looking at getting those players out on loan.

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Not sure if there is much in this, but Flo has followed 4 players on Twitter this week, Bigi, Fisher, Tanner... and Greg Stewart!

 

Stewart would be a brilliant signing!

 

Has hardly had any game time at Birmingham and must be desperate for first team football!

 

Think he still has a few years left down there but a good loan option?

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