thewelllfan

Watched the Celtic - St Johnstone game last night and our former youth player Reece McAleer was absolutely brilliant. Wouldn't mind him being brought back at some point as he definitely has the physicality we lack in midfield

Personally I think our best XI when everyone is fit is: Paulsen SOD McGinn Moormann Longelo Priestman Fadinger Maswanhise Lowry Said Palmer-Houlden

From what I read the proposal was for an additional 1M put in by the SFA that was split between all clubs in the top 4 divisions hence the reason it won't be worth most clubs in the top flights time especially not Rangers, Celtic, Hearts etc as there isn't really any incentive. Where it would make a difference is from the championship downwards because even 30/40k each as incentive will encourage those teams to take on and play our younger players as it will be extra revenue and shouldn't really affect their performance

They had a meeting about it with all the SPFL clubs on Friday and a lot of the top flight teams pushed back on it including ourselves if Open Goal is to be believed but the main issue you 'll then get in Scottish football is us and other top flight clubs will then further stump players developments for the sake of them playing maybe 5 games in our first team in the cups and the league games once Europe/Relegation is no longer a possibility rather than going out on loan and getting 30 games at senior level

Stama mutualled to pursue 'opportunities elsewhere'. Just hasn't really worked out for him here.

I think this is why it would never happen because why would we risk where we are but you see with Norway, Sweden, Belgium. The standard of player in those countries is improving because they are getting more homegrown players playing in the top league. We stunt a lot of our potential talent in this country because they aren't being trusted at a young age due to the 'risk' of relegation. You've even seen it this year with us that because our young players went out and played really badly against Stenny they aren't good enough for the level. Now that may be the case but has Luca Ross, Mikey Booth, Olly Whyte even Matty Connolly to an extent been broadly okay when they have played in the league games for us I would say the answer to that is probably yes. Us and St Mirren are currently benefitting from it from even other clubs in our league being unable to give proper game time to their youth players with Lowry and Nsio who have been 2 standouts so far this season but couldn''t get a look in at Rangers. Wilson at Hearts was sent to Spurs because McIness didn't fancy him. I think if you open the league up more you'd realistically see it stay the same or maybe even slightly improve. If we're also desperate for a Split the Belgian League Format they had up to last season with a 16 team league is probably the most plausible but it does make it a 40 game season

I highly doubt we'd let Stama go on a free we paid a big fee for our standards for him. If the bid we allegedly turned down for him last summer was real it was a really bad decision to have rejected it. Worse comes to worse he stays as a 3rd choice ST. We need to get Mikey Booth out on a co-op loan so his development doesn't stall as well but he'd still be available to us if we get injury problems same with Wilson and Ross to be honest

I don't understand how the 12 team league we have now is any better than an 18 team league. We play teams 3/4 times a season we realistically all work each other out by game 2/3. If we go to 18 it realistically encourages teams to try and play better football as their is less risk of relegation it should also in theory make bringing young players into the first team easier as their would be less risk of relegation and the 'meaningless games' would provide an opportunity to those players to have an exposure to first team football. It also should in theory make it easier for someone outside of Rangers and Celtic to win the league as they wouldn't be given 4 opportunities to beat them a season to claw back the gap.

I hope if we do go for league reconstruction it's to make it a 18 team league. 34 games each team home & away. 2 up 2 down and a play off for the team in 16th if you want to keep that option. Championship at 18 as well and then split into regions below that.

Not at all relevant to the discussion but the PFA list for their next camp is out and Gboly Ariyibi is on it bring him home. Ariyibi and Said on either side would be absolute chaos. Marvin Johnston is also on the list if Longelo goes he seems to have became a LB down south so we could ask the question. (I also accept these players probably wouldn't get in our team just now but I loved both when they were here)

I can't see us ending the window stronger than we are just now. Rangers are interested in Longelo, Fadinger is apparently wanted by Hamburg and Swansea have apparently bid for Maswanhise. If any of those moves happen we need to dip back into the transfer market and see who's available.

is he not out of contract in the summer?

Mo Salah will be loving life when Maswanhise rocks up in Turkey

I don't think so Kanga seems to be a AM so shouldn't really affect Maswanhise if he departs we'll need another winger but outside that I can't see us doing anymore business that's us up to 28 players on the books who have featured for the first team 3 times or more.

Not that we were going to beat Freiburg but it's partly the same issue as last season. We lack physicality if we've got a couple of more physical players in the middle of the park they probably struggle a lot more in that game, we were undone by set-peices against a very good side but it is still frustrating. Thought the new boy up front worked his socks off as well which is all you can really ask for as a lone St for a team playing with 10 men

They're is a couple of key decisions for AJ tonight. Who does he play at RB, who partners Fadinger in midfield and who starts in the attacking areas. Ideally my team for tonight would be: Paulsen Girdwood-Reich Knight-Lebel Moormann Longelo Fadinger Whyte Maswanhise Lowry Said Palmer-Houlden Whyte mainly in because of his physicality but Hodge could well start.

Do we know if Palmer-Houlden got international clearance in time to play tonight? I don't really want to see Vogt or Maswanhise in that lone striker role

If we were looking for a RB it would only be worth getting one on a loan until January to cover the position for us as we already have 3 Signing wise we're probably only going to make 1/2 more if there is no further outgoings. We could do with at least another RW as Vogt doesn't look great there and then an AM/LW depending on where we see Said playing. I imagine once we know wither or not we're in Europe loans will be found for Wilson and Booth so we don't stagnate their careers

Is anyone actually interested in Maswanhise I was sort of resigned to losing him but I don't think their has been a bid made for him all summer. I'd be interested to know how much we have paid in fees this summer. (Girdwood-Reich, Palmer-Houlden, Williams, Hodge all came for undisclosed fees)

I doubt we'll do much business before the window closes unless their is more outgoings (Maswanhsie, Longelo, Fadinger all been linked with moves in last few weeks) If you go position by position we're probably at the maximum we can afford. GK - Paulsen, Connolly RB - Sparrow, Koutrombis, SOD CB - Moormann, Girdwood-Reich, Knight-Lebel, McGinn, McGhee LB - Longelo, Williams, Wilson CM - Fadinger, Preistman, Hodge, Whyte, Booth AM - Said, Lowry RW - Vogt, Ross LW - Charles-Cook ST - Maswanhise, Bjorgolfsson, Hendry, Stamatelopolous I think in an ideal world we'd bring in another 3 but how financially viable that is who knows. The positions would be: - ST - LW - RW/AM depending on what position you think Said will be more effective in - Potentially another CM but I feel Whyte is probably fine as a squad option in midfield. Booth needs a loan. Ross and Wilson as squad options are fine they just can't be starting or playing significant minutes as the cup game showed.

That's a decent result for us tonight but I think we'll struggle next week, we've got what now 12 senior players to get us through the next period of games. Lowry and RCC both coming off injured isn't helping our cause either. We played fairly well second half but first half we rode our luck and Paulsen made some good saves. I think tonight highlights the need for a few more signings maybe even an extra 1 or 2 than we originally planned for because we're down to the bare bones and the seasons barley just began.

That's 2 massive blows so our team tommorow is most likely. Paulsen Sparrow Girdwood-Reich Moormann Longelo Fadinger Priestman Vogt Lowry RCC Maswanhise Knight-Lebel will probably be our only non-academy player on the bench. Edit - Apparently Jonny Koutrombis has travelled and may be involved.

How many more signings do we think we'll realistically make? For me 3 unless their is more sales. CM , Winger, ST Our Squad Currently is GK - Paulsen, Connelly RB - Sparrow, JK, SOD (Inj) CB - Moormann, Girdwood-Reich, Knight-Lebel, McGhee (Inj), McGinn (Inj) LB - Williams, Longelo, Wilson CM - Fadinger, Preistman, Whyte, Booth AM - Said, Lowry LW - RCC, RW - Vogt, Ross ST - Maswanhise, Bjorgolfsson, Stamatelopolous (Inj), Henfry (Inj)

No we just literally do not have a fit striker, he's scored the other night and Vogt looked like he needed a lot more time to get up to speed if RCC is fit he's going to play same with Maswanhise. Bjorgolffson hasn't played in pre-season so he's not going to start that basically leaves it between. (RCC who will play there if fit, Hunter who while being thrown in at the deep end could get through the first 60 mins and leave us with more ready made options to change it from the bench or Vogt who based of his showing against Genk could do with more time to get up to speed) We chuck youth players in when you least expect it regularly so tonight may be another one of those nights

I can genuinely only guess half the starting XI Paulsen Sparrow Girdwood-Reich? Moormann Williams? Preistman Fadinger Whyte? Ross Hunter? Said If RCC is fit he'll be in over Hunter.