Summer Transfer Activity

[Wellup4it]

I foresee a lot of comings and goings over the close season. Samson, Ferguson, Chalmers, Lasley, McFadden, Ainsworth, Lucas, Pearson, Moore, MacDonald, Griffiths, Pain, and Jules are all out of contract or their loan terms ends. In addition Robbo has suggested that he wants to move a few players on (Blyth, Bowman, Clay?) and yet others are getting past it (McMaunus & Hammell?), From that lot there are few, if indeed any, I'd want to retain. On top of that Moult and Heneghan may move on. So all in all we can expect a lot of comings and goings.

We really struggled this term and so a clear out and rebuild are definitely required. One target must surely be to stiffen and bolster our leaky rearguard.

[wellin]

Everything is bang on what you say there. especially the defence. We badly need a clear out because this season we just weren't good enough, simple as that. I just hope Robinson is the man for the job though.

[Handsome_Devil]

If you could wave a magic wand to get rid of the contracted players, we'd be happy with about five folk from our current squad.

Of course, no one in the SPFL has the resources where players 21, 22, 23 etc in the squad are not a notable drop-off in quality and I don't think it's a surprise that our better seasons recently have been when we've managed to invest in a strong 13-14 and then have real bit-part players making up the rest. These folk are the guys who get slaughtered if suddenly exposed 25 times a season due to injury or a loss of form elsewhere but you're hoping they can cope with 10 starts and a handful of sub appearances. I would hope we're shuffling Hammell and McManus into those roles but you never know.

Anyway, staying realistic re contracts, and assuming we return to four at the back when Tait is fit, we could currently be looking at...

GK1

Tait, Heneghan, NEW CB, NEW LB

Cadden, McHugh, NEW CM, Frear

Moult, NEW 10

Subs:
GK2
Campbell
Hammell
McManus
McLean
STRIKER
A.N. Other

That has the bones of an ok - not better - starting point but unsurprisingly it will all stand or fall on who we bring in.

[Wellup4it]

Today's sun reports that 8 players could be leaving us in a clear out. Samson, Chalmers, Jules, Pearson, MacDonald, Lucas, Bowman, Blyth. Keith Lasley may be offered a coaching role and we may learn of a couple of new faces later in the week.

[jwok]

From the sticky at above this is the current squad - soon to be dismantled.


1 Craig Samson (2017)
13 Russell Griffiths (2017 - on loan from Everton)

Defence:
2 Richard Tait (2019)
3 Stevie Hammell (2018)
6 Stephen McManus (2018)
4 Ben Heneghan (2018)
25 David Ferguson (2017)
15 Joe Chalmers (2017)
30 Jack McMillan (2019)
28 Luke Watt (2018 - on loan to East Fife)
21 Zak Jules (2017 - on loan from Reading)

Midfield:
26 Allan Campbell (2019)
12 Chris Cadden (2019)
23 Dom Thomas (2018 - on loan to Queen of the South)
8 Carl McHugh (2018)
7 Lionel Ainsworth (2017)
14 Keith Lasley (2017)
20 Craig Clay (2018)
18 Lee Lucas (2017)
27 Ross MacLean (2019)
43 David Turnbull (2019)
17 Elliott Frear (2019)
88 Stephen Pearson (2017)

Strikers:
9 Louis Moult (2018)
19 Jacob Blyth (2018 + 1 year option)
77 Scott McDonald (2017)
24 James McFadden (2017, player/assistant manager)
11 Ryan Bowman (2018)
22 Craig Moore (2017 - on loan at Ayr)
34 Jake Hastie (2019)