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Exactly. 3 or 4 quality signings to sprinkle some stardust on what is, on the face of it, a mostly solid if unremarkable squad. More Spittal's less Paton's & Davor's.

😉

Just to be clear, I’m optimistic about the new manager and the season ahead. We just need to get the Miller money in and bring in some quality over the next couple of weeks.

To be fair it's sometime difficult to tell the sarcastic ones apart from standard . Maybe a 😉 emoji would help the simpler of us on here the next time sarcasm is attempted. Cheers.

I’d explain the sarcasm in my post, but I didn’t bring my crayons.

"Like clockwork", you say. So, at what time will the the recruitment team start "dishing out" contracts? I certainly have a pulse and could do with some extra cash, so would like to get in early to join the queue.

No point cramming the squad now. Like clockwork, the recruitment team will be back at it in January, dishing out contracts to anyone with a pulse to paper over the annual injury crisis.

We are allegedly interested in a striker from Crystal Palace, Ademola Adebomi https://www.glasgowworld.com/sport/football/motherwell-fc/crystal-palace-talent-motherwell-transfer-radar-interested-in-forward-5176400 The article says he has other options so we probably can't afford him.

That's kind of my point. Many on here rightly point out that our squad was huge last season full of players not contributing. To sign another defender before moving someone else on risks the same situation...

Yes, we have an overabundance of defenders, many of whom are squad players at best. Hopefully we can move a few on. Questionmarks also remain about McGinn's fitness now. As Weeyin has said, on a few occasions, our defence needs an overhaul and that should start in the middle.

I think O'Donnell and McGinn were right backs at one point in their career. But whether a manager plays a three or a four, your full/wing backs are asked to do a lot of attacking as well as defending. Are McGinn and O'Donnell really that capable of that these days? I think we have a glut of defenders, some of whom used to be full backs and a probably better suited to centre back, some centre backs of varying quality and one left back who may be only seen as good enough for backup. Problem is all of these players are under contract (renewing both O'Donnell and McGinn is borderline insanity) so to sign too manyvmore defenders again leads to a large squad with people not contributing as we had last season. Can we move a couple of them on? Time will tell...

Not sure we were watching the same guy. He was pretty much our best player until he got the first injury. Not that he had much competition. I agree that there remains a doubt over how much actual football he will be able to play this season but I wouldnt be writing him off just yet. Even in a pressing team, centre backs dont have to do as much running to close down.

Glad to see Blaney head to Livi. He’s not going to make them stronger. If we had recruited like they have so far I suspect this forum would be in depths of despair.

I think people are forgetting McGinn’s minimal appearances last season were mostly at centre back., Apart from Hearts game he was pretty woeful. Another year older and greater likelihood of breaking down again I don’t see him as a regular starter in the type of game the new manager seems to want to play. I think he is definitely one I’d be looking to offload/ loan to championship side and bring in fresh legs.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cdxv1vd7wx7o

I think what we have is a glut of right backs. We need to concentrate on players playing in their best position, although I understand last season we had no choice due to all the injuries. We should at least start the season that way, so I think that just leaves Balmer to partner Gordon and I believe we need to improve on that. I can see McGinn and Koutroumbis sharing playing time at right back as it is going to be hard for either of them to give 100% for 90 mins.

I'm probably miles out here but I vaguely remember him playing right midfield/wingback for Dundee arriving late at the back post a fair few times to knock in a few goals.

His primary position throughout his career has been CB, and he’s listed as a defender on the club’s official squad page.

O'Donnell will never have the tools for cenre back i think we have witnessed that and if he does start in that role then just give us -10 goal differance from the off. And no this isnt picking on him this is the facts.

O'Donnell and McGinn no longer have the energy to play as modern full backs. Whether they have the tools to play centre half is an entirely separate question...

We are certainly behind in terms of our stadium.

Playing right backs as central defenders is as productive as playing goalies as number 10s.

Those wishing us to sign another central defender when we have five players on the books who can play there (actually six as probably Koutroumbis could do a turn there). Whether you rate O'Donnell, McGinn, Balmer and McGhee there (or Gordon for that matter), unless you can shift one of them off the books bringing another one in risks the kind of large unwieldy squad we had last season...

Yep! Definitely need at least 1 solid centre back to go with Gordon and perhaps another for back up. My take on McGhee was that he would be a defensive midfielder, not part of a back 3 or 4. Could put McGinn there at a push but would rather keep him for right full back to fight it out with Koutroumbis for starting position. Or switching them out during games to keep up the energy level needed for an overlapping full back.

It's on twitter - Ben Banks I'm sure. Also on Glasgow world - also Ben Banks