This is what Mochrie, Neilson, Fotheringham, Freeman, Graham, Cooney, Meekison, Hoti all did in stages last season. I'd be surprised if any go on Loan next season (apart from probably Cooney who didn't get a lot of game time on loan) as I think the club will want to them to get given a chance to see what they can offer.
The thing with the current United squad, assuming no one leaves, is that we are probably 2/3 players away from easily being top 6 level. A centre half to play beside Edwards that is at his level or better, a central midfielder to play in beside Fuchs, and then a out and out winger to play on the left and we have a team that looks like this:
Benji
Smith, Edwards, New CB, Robson
Chalmers, Fuchs, New CM, New LM
Shankland, Appere
I know that team is just off the top of my head, but if all of those new signings are at the level of Edwards & Fuchs then that is a line-up that I'd be confident with going onto most games. Yes, we could do with better full-backs, but the positions I have mentioned are of more importance at the minute.
So then you bring the youngsters in and you are maybe playing Mochrie or Meekison in behind Shanks. Or you put Fotheringham out left mid. Or Freeman comes into one of the fullback slots.
Could one of the young CB's fill that slot beside Edwards all season? I wouldn't be so sure and would want much stronger, experienced full backs to be 100% happy with Edwards and Smith/Neilson/Graham as a centre back pairing. But we saw last season that the Premiership isn't as difficult a place as we think at times. Yes there were some brutal matches but we also got a clean sheet against Celtic with Smith, Edwards, Reynolds, Robson as the back 4. We got 4 clean sheets against Aberdeen with all of the previously mentioned guys plus Neilson and Connolly in there too. So it's not like we are coming up against top quality teams every week.
The most important thing is that we bring in a 2 or 3 players to improve the current starting 11. I'd rather have Courts as manager plus these 3 new players, than McInnes but not make any new signings. I know thats not a situation that is likely to play out, but you know what I mean.
It's a massive summer and we can't afford to mess up recruitment. For me, its more important that the head coach appointment.




Reply With Quote