Transfer Window Done & Nearly Dusted

[YeOldeHamiltonian]

Well that’s another transfer window nearly done and dusted and unlike in Brian Rice’s January window,there has been plenty movement in both directions.

As old Willy Shakespeare said”Much Ado Abou Nothing” and we have reverted back to the Billy Reid/Ronnie McDonald years of a scattergun approach hoping 2-3 come good.

It rarely worked then and if anything all that can be expected here is a slight improvement.

There are no game changers incoming,yes a couple of good players but they are not match fit and won’t be for 4-6 weeks while other signings look a waste of a wage.

No creative midfielder and the one we did have had an attitude problem and is away to play for a Manager that knows how to handle him and get the best out of him…a Manager that is and not a Head Coach/pal of the players.

The striker issue sums up this scattergun approach: we sign another Mumbongo despite the warning signs and a young guy from Hearts B who will in all likelihood get a handful of starts/plenty last 15 minute slots and it will do nothing for either McKenzie Kirk or Accies.

The upshot here is Hearts will be reluctant to send any kids to us in the future and to make matters worse it is depriving our own youngsters like Ben Black,Kamala and Lewis Morgan of getting game time second half of the season to aid their development.

We have went from a club who were proud to give youngsters a chance to one where our kids have to go elsewhere on loan to get game game.I would rather see Newberry/McGinn rather than McGowan/Hendrie for example.

Jake Davidson and Ben Williamson are decent players but not game changers.The Jake Hastie of 4 years ago would have been but again swapping him and Zanatta looks like a case of shuffling bodies and a like for like…akin to Rankin’s substitutions.

Bottom line here is the only change that was needed was in the dugout and xamount of signings/squad fillers won’t change that.

[AccieDownUnder]

You’ve absolutely nailed it. Great post. I felt this window we really did have to produce something special. I don’t think any of our new players would break into the Falkirk starting 11 (or ours if everyone was fully fit). A defeat away to Grangemouth would end our league title hopes and I fear it could send the squad/support into destruction which is a horrible place to be going into the very winnable playoffs. Rankin at that point has to be relieved from his duties to give us a fighting chance.

Recruitment this window HAD to be people who will come in and start. I’m not convinced any of them apart from Williamson does that. Davidson and Barjo probably fight out one space?


My main concern is where is the long term strategy for the club? We are currently a revolving door with players at the moment with no vision or direction. Signing good players and just lumping them into a starting 11 is not enough. Our club supremo should be identifying talent required for the system and characters to push on this group.

If we fail in promotion (which is looking likely under Rankin as he won’t have the bottle to go for someone’s throat) then I start to fear for our future. Seref seems a good guy but if he decides to back away what next?