capt_oats

Out of curiosity who are you classing the 28? Not a dig just wondering as I'd have said 24 first team (including McMillan, Watt, Campbell, MacLean and Gordon).

As steelboy says, with regards Campbell and MacLean you probably have to look at the numbers and depth. It looks like we'll be playing 3 central midfielders. Right now we've got 6 CM to pick from; Cadden, McHugh, Bigirimana as first picks with Rose, Campbell, MacLean the cover, plus Shea Gordon. You could maybe make an argument for one of Campbell, MacLean or Gordon being loaned out but no more than that.

True that.

This is kind of the nagging concern for me however it depends on whether there's a broader plan in place. There may be, there may not I don't know. If it's the case that the squad has just been filled up and MacLean, Campbell, Hastie and Turnbull will just be sitting on their arse then it's clearly a problem, if it's the case that there's a view to them being loaned out to get regular first team games then it's less of an issue for me. In fact it makes a bit more sense IMO and I seem to recall that being a key part of the evaluation aspect of Project Brave (unless of course that whole thing has been binned now?). Obviously we need bodies here to cover suspension, injury and loss of form. For too long we've essentially been running with a squad that's had absolutely zero depth so the idea of there possibly being competition for places is quite a novel one and that's the balance that needs to be struck. Despite all the activity, as it stands it looks like we've still brought in less than we released at the end of the season however it seems that those we've brought in are more likely to be nailed on starters. In fact even someone like Andy Rose looks like he's more likely to be a squad player with a central midfield of Cadden, McHugh and Bigirimana.

Had a look on google yesterday when he was mentioned and noticed that in his trial games with both Bradford and Chesterfield he was playing left back. In the blurb about him signing the first position Robinson mentions him playing is left back, so given it seems he's not 6ft+ I wonder if he's been brought in primarily as a left back. Obviously you get the occasional centre half who's 5ft 10 or thereabouts but given I don't imagine we've gone out and signed the new Cannavaro it could be this is our left back cover.

For a bit of context, Dundee had done 3,200 at the end of last week https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/neil-mccann-says-hes-surprised-dundee-sold-around-3000-season-tickets/

After thisGRAEME mentioned it earlier on P&B I had a quick browse and it seems he's been bouncing around teams on trial most of the summer but notably seems to have been mentioned as playing left back in his trial games for Chesterfield and Bradford. Chesterfield seems to have been his most recent trial stint last week.

Pretty much my view on it. He's basically accentuating a positive, which it is, it's indicative of the extent to which we managed to get in to the attacking third. I'm pretty sure the guys who focus on the stats side of things have better metrics in terms of chances be it xG, key chains or 'danger zone' chances etc however taking very basic stats available to everyone the stats were as follows: Queens Park: 12 shots, 6 on target, 5 goals Morton: 21 shots, 12 on target, 4 goals Edinburgh City: 19 shots, 12 on target, 2 goals Berwick Rangers: 25 shots, 12 on target, 1 goal Shots/Shots on target etc don't actually give you *that* much of an insight in terms of quality of chance. Andy Rose having a dig from 25 yards that's comfortably saved by the goalie still goes down as a 'shot on target' as does Louis Moult 1 v 1 with the keeper that he saves however one is clearly a *better* chance than the other. Either way it's probably reasonable to say that our conversion rate has definitely dipped though equally Robinson's right to highlight that the extent to which we got the ball up into that area of the pitch.

Kipré

Can scratch Michael O'Halloran off the "pacey" striker list (was he ever really on it?). That's him signed on loan with St Johnstone. https://twitter.com/St_Johnstone_FC/status/891236797153505282

That's yer Shaq Coulthirst released from Peterborough United by mutual consent...and is expected to join a Sky Bet League Two side in the coming days. https://www.theposh.com/news/2017/july/coulthirst-departs-posh-by-mutual-consent/

442 surely? Carson McMillan Kipré McManus Dunne MacLean Rose McHugh Frear Fisher Bowman

Campbell on the bench

Starrs goals below: https://twitter.com/ScottishFA/status/889835380769476608 https://twitter.com/ScottishFA/status/889827806372298752

I'd have said he seems to have taken Mackin's place in the squad (he's the same age at least). Bulks out the u20s and "could do a job" as cover in the first team if needed. Falconer, Scott, Semple and Agyeman are all good prospects but I'd have said they're still a fair distance off being first team options. Semple looks outstanding but he's only just been promoted to the u20s.

It is indeed.

George Newell, signed from Bolton for the u20s on a 1 year deal. https://twitter.com/MotherwellFC/status/889522311480692738

I don't disagree but they were definitely one of the names thrown up prior to him signing with us. http://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/latest-news/conference-premier-step-one/16361/young-chester-defender-ben-heneghan-moves-north-of-the-border-with-motherwell/

Pretty sure Heneghan was linked with Sheffield United a while back (as well as Moult).

It was Fletcher who was on a free, Moult was another of the small 'undisclosed fee' deals

He's signed for a French side, so it's not that much of a surprise he kb'd us tbh. http://www.stade-lavallois.com/actualite/l-actualite/25565-Bira-Dembele--Heureux-detre-ici.html

If you try it on a non-mobile device you might have a bit of joy. It works on my MacBook Pro but didn't on my iPad, I'd imagine it's an issue on YouTube's side more than anything. I thought it might be Coulthirst myself then had a look at some photos and I'm really not sure. There are a couple, in particular one on his Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BU97PUwlQqG/?taken-by=shaqcoulthirst where it looks like it could be (if he's done something with his hair), others where it looks nothing like him. That said the screenshots obviously aren't the clearest.

Was watching the new #content the on the YouTube channel yesterday and noticed an unfamiliar face. Who's the new guy?

Tbh, looking at his record with Barnsley I'd imagine they'd be willing to just let him go if he can find a club. They signed him in February last year on a 2 year deal with a year option but he's only played 7 games and been loaned out twice. When he signed they were in League 1 and 12th in the league but ended up promoted to the Championship via the play-offs. In the run of fixtures after he signed they only lost 3 in 18 games so it may well be he wasn't able to make much of a mark on their first team in that time with that sort of form and they didn't fancy him for the Championship, which is a league they possibly didn't expect to be in when they signed him. He's got the same agents as Heneghan, Tait and Clay so I wonder if they've said he's probably looking for a club, do we want to have a look at him. I only saw his 45 mins at Stirling so can't comment on the Livi game but I thought he was fine. Scored a cracking goal but didn't really feel he did much else of note though given the state of the side he was in it was probably difficult to judge him properly; 2 returning from long term lay-offs, 2 trialists, 3 new signings and Campbell and MacLean (having been out a while injured last season as well) it wasn't exactly a cohesive side and the service he got was pretty rotten in general. Edit: curiously he no longer features on Barnsley's first team players list though as far as I can see there's no indication that he's actually been released either. https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/ It's all academic anyway I suppose.

We were also in for Bigirimana (along with Vuckic) in 2015 when Baraclough was here so I'm not sure it matters one way or another whether Ciftci was a McGhee target or not. Though clearly it matters if Robinson fancies him. He's someone we had a confirmed interest in and if the reports and comments in January are true were quite far on in discussion with so it wouldn't be a huge surprise to me if he's on a big list of possible players that's put to Robinson for consideration.