Assistant manager Dave Mackay is requesting everyone shares his patience when it comes to new signings. He acknowledges that additions are needed to the squad and he is hoping to be able to report on new signings as soon as possible. On being asked the question that is asked every time he is interviewed Dave replied:-
“We hope so. I wouldn’t put a time frame on it but we are talking to a couple of players, we are hopeful but nothing imminent. We are trying our best and even talking to the guys at St Johnstone, they agree that it has been tough to get the right ones in. There are ones that you are competing for but getting out done in terms of finances. We will keep working at it and hopefully get the right ones in.”
When it comes to particular areas that are targeted, Dave explained the thinking:-
“It is more in the forward areas that we are looking at. Obviously we lost Nikolay Todorov and Kevin O’Hara so we are two players short there and ideally we would want another striker in and another attacking player to go with that. But again we need to identify the right sort of players, if we have to be patient then so be it. It is not ideal, we would rather get them in quicker but we have to make sure they are the right ones and not just jumping in for the sake of it.”
Asked if Paul McGowan is a target, the answer centred on mutual benefit:-
“He is just coming in for a base for him to come and train and play. He is keeping up to fitness whether he signs here or elsewhere, I don’t know what will happen there. It is just convenient for both of us at the minute. He is getting minutes, he is training as hard as ever and obviously we are getting the use of an extra player there. He is a good quality player who drives the standards.”
Pre-season training has allowed the management to take a closer look at the club’s academy graduates with seventeen year olds Andrew Tod, Sam Young, Taylor Sutherland and sixteen year old Liam Hoggan earning places on the bench in the friendlies. Andrew has had more game time than the others and Dave commented:-
“He was good when he came on against St Pauli he did really well in the short spell he was on. In the first half up at Cove he did himself no harm too and again he was impressive against St Johnstone. He is someone who has really improved. Towards the end of last season I thought in the last two or three months of the season he really started growing into it.
“Physically as well, he is a decent size but he was very slight. You can see physically now he does a lot of gym work and his legs and upper body are starting to grow into his body. He has always had the talent there and it is an important season for him now to kick on whether he is involved with us in the first team or whether we try and get him out on loan. We will assess that as the season goes on but he has looked really good since he started back.”
