Coventry Saint

Yeah, I think if you were to nick him from us you could very much count it as a coup. Saints fans will dress it up and say he wasn't great for the latter half of the season - and he wasn't - but the fact is we've been trying to get him to sign a deal since before Xmas and he's been holding out. Suspicion is his agent has been touting him down south, perhaps without much success - so my guess would be he's now trying teams in Scotland who could add an extra K or something to the weekly wage.

Not quite the opening day, but our first home game... is it happening?!

Yeah. At this stage it's mainly about praying you don't turn out to be the team that everyone's looking forward playing.

Second quarter looking tricky too.

Yeah, it's great to be able to take a break from watching a team fail to convert a load of chances in its biggest game for years, to talk about St Mirren for a bit...

I think you need a combo. Ethan and JDH were like a poor man's Lampard and Gerrard; vaguely compatible, but you're not getting the best out of either. One box-to-box player and one spoiler is ideal.

I was just thinking they needed more midfielders. I think it's time we brought Stevie Mallan home.

Difficult but not impossible. We've spent the majority of our history having to deal with losing our best players. I'm sure we'll manage. I was fairly impressed with you after Alexander came in. Can't see you being in any danger as long as you recruit vaguely well this summer.

Isn't this how he ended up being a free agent last autumn? Kid needs fresh advice. If he does sign on, it better be a two year deal. Can't be arsed going through this again.

About time, tbh. I think we've given him as long as he can reasonably expect. In reality, I think the club knows he's away and this 'deadline' is just to show there's an offer there and we're not just twiddling our thumbs while he decides.

I was more saying that McGrath has played as both an 8 and a 10, and possibly sees himself as an 8 in the future. But in Kiltie and, presumably, Hendry, we've got extra cover in both those areas. But yes, as you say, as a direct and immediate replacement for JDH, he fits the bill pretty well based on what I've seen.

If he comes in, that's two players we've signed who fill similar roles to McGrath

I was trying to remember why I'd a point of watching him recently. Was there not a Raith game that was televised recently (not the playoffs) that Jim was in attendance of? I'm sure Hendry seemed like the most logical scouting target. Suggests we may have been watching for a while.

Yeah, it seems like such a small amount. I hope we haggle him upwards.

I'd definitely class that as a coup if we get him. Lafferty? Fuxake. I might have to swallow some of the comments I made about him in the last Killie game.

The f**k?! Has he just sniffed those?

Not a fan of the Hibs top. Too many different ideas on it. I like the simplicity of the stripes on the sleeves but the rest is just so busy.

Some Saints players are given tonnes of patience, but most, frankly, aren't. To be fair, we've rarely been in a position to take time with players. I kinda feel like we may be there now, and if a player such as Henry was brought in with the right billing, then he'd be afforded that understanding. Maybe. We had a fair few players (ie pretty much the whole squad) who looked great in a dynamic Saints team in 17-18 and who simply weren't up to the task in the top flight. Cammy Smith probably the ultimate example. I guess it's something we'd have to take into account. All this being entirely hypothetical, of course: I understand there'd be a fair bit of competition for him.

Dunno... Signing two players from an abject Killie side would be a bold move. Although their issues were largely defensive, admittedly. Also, I can't see us running with four wingers in the squad next season, given that we don't usually play with wingers, so Burke coming in would probably mean Connolly going. Unless Kiltie hasn't been brought in as a wide player and is instead coming in to play McGrath's role, if we're planning on cashing in on him.

I would love a Shuggie or Goodwin style central defensive midfielder. Think it's what we really miss and feel it is a role they tried to get JDH to play, and that's not his style. I would hope Goodwin could spot a Goodwin style player. Yeah. A proper niggly, nasty b*****d. We get done, repeatedly, by teams who have them.

I actually think it looks decent. And I'd never usually knowingly defend anything to do with Hearts.

Is that true? Tanser, 26, Kiltie, 24, Dunne, 28, Main, 28. I do accept that age isn't the only factor at play here, and that Main and Dunne certainly arrive with points to prove, but I think it looks like we're adding the experience of this level that we have previously lacked in certain areas. An experienced CM remains to be added.

f**k winning trophies. Consistently outbidding St Johnstone for players they want to sign: that's the real quiz.

Isn't it the case that we didnt try try hard to keep him? I wouldn't know. But I do know you tried.

Posting a video of your own team getting horsed 6-0 at home to prove a point to yourself about a player you've tried, and failed, to sign is a quite phenomenal self-own.