Fuctifano Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Dowds started off really well last year and had 7 goals by the middle of November which was decent considering he was mainly a sub. More worrying is that he then finished the season with no more goals and was clearly 3rd choice and out of confidence by the end of the season. Still think he's worth persisting with for this season anyway. It would be better if teams could play a limited number of trialists in the LC group stage, having games that mean something so early means teams have to rush signings to get a team on the pitch by mid July. It's at least an extra £27.5k if you get out the groups with another £27k on top of that if you get televised in the last 16 (plus more if you end up at Ibrox or Celtic Park). I think we're at least 6 players short, maybe more if some of the young players go out on loan, but like Doolan alluded to in his interview I wouldn't want us to have all 6 in by Saturday as then you're losing out on players that might become available later in the window. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 15 hours ago, JagsCG said: Is Stevie May particularly out of favour at St Johnstone? Seemed to play most weeks last season. I think he’d be a good option to have, but don’t really see it as a likely signing. Hes our only fit striker at the moment, signed a deal until 2025 6 months ago, and hit double figures for us last season with a further 7 assists. Theres no chance hes leaving. Chris Kane is more realistic as hes been injured for about 2 years and only has a contract until January, but even then he rejected deals at other clubs this Summer to sign that 6 month deal so he wont be going. Nicky Clark contracted until 2025 and you couldnt get near his wages. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuctifano Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 1 minute ago, RandomGuy. said: Hes our only fit striker at the moment, signed a deal until 2025 6 months ago, and hit double figures for us last season with a further 7 assists. Theres no chance hes leaving. Chris Kane is more realistic as hes been injured for about 2 years and only has a contract until January, but even then he rejected deals at other clubs this Summer to sign that 6 month deal so he wont be going. Nicky Clark contracted until 2025 and you couldnt get near his wages. Think the guy who posted it on the FB page has now admitted it was a wind up which shows how desperate fans are for rumours (even though 95% didn't buy it as likely) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagfox Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said: Hes our only fit striker at the moment, signed a deal until 2025 6 months ago, and hit double figures for us last season with a further 7 assists. Theres no chance hes leaving. Chris Kane is more realistic as hes been injured for about 2 years and only has a contract until January, but even then he rejected deals at other clubs this Summer to sign that 6 month deal so he wont be going. Nicky Clark contracted until 2025 and you couldnt get near his wages. I don't think we'd be looking at a #9, probably a wide player. Ferguson getting loaned out? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mediocre Pundit Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 This is a big season for Dowds - can maybe give him some leeway last season for transition to new team / style and bit part role given form of Graham. There seemed to be something there at points last season, but it was clear Doolan didn’t trust him in the playoff games when you’d like to think he’d be a good option for fresh legs. either way, on our budget I can’t see us bringing in another #9 unless we let him go. A winger to cover Lawless / Fitz, and maybe another attacking midfielder (unless that role goes to Mackenzie) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaggy McJagface Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 7 minutes ago, Mediocre Pundit said: This is a big season for Dowds - can maybe give him some leeway last season for transition to new team / style and bit part role given form of Graham. There seemed to be something there at points last season, but it was clear Doolan didn’t trust him in the playoff games when you’d like to think he’d be a good option for fresh legs. either way, on our budget I can’t see us bringing in another #9 unless we let him go. A winger to cover Lawless / Fitz, and maybe another attacking midfielder (unless that role goes to Mackenzie) This is why I doubt the Rudden rumours unless Dowds is getting moved on. If we are continuing with the 4-2-3-1 then I can’t see the point of having 3 senior strikers on starting wages. I also think that we need at least one winger. With Tiff gone, we’ve only really got Fitzpatrick with real pace so I’d like to see a quick player signed for cover on the wing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagfox Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 McKenzie has been playing wide in the matches I've seen so far. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raithie Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 12 hours ago, clashcityrocker said: Ben Williamson is a top notch player - he is a battler and will fight for every ball in midfield. Would be delighted to have him back at Gayfield - would be a great signing for Thistle ( still a very young player too). Just goes to show some players are suited at certain clubs, Ben Williamson when on loan at us (after Arbroath) looked fairly meh overall. From memory his one decent game was in an end of season nothing at stake game against Hamilton where he got a couple of goals but apart from that was fairly anonymous. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneteaminglasgow Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 15 minutes ago, Jaggy McJagface said: This is why I doubt the Rudden rumours unless Dowds is getting moved on. If we are continuing with the 4-2-3-1 then I can’t see the point of having 3 senior strikers on starting wages The problem with that approach is that it leaves us without any options from the bench. Graham is great, but he will inevitably miss games and need to be replaced in others due to his age (and disciplinary record). Only having Dowds, who’s looked poor for over half a season now, as an option to cover isn’t ideal. Just reminds me of when we had Graham and Rudden starting and then MacIver was all we could use to change things and he was fucking hopeless. It also means that we’ve only really got one type of striker - I think Dowds is, essentially, a worse version of Graham, but for all that Mullen often wasn’t very good, he was a different type of player to the other two and that again gives us options. In short, whoever it is, I think we need at least one other striker who’s more than just a young boy providing cover. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuctifano Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 10 minutes ago, jagfox said: McKenzie has been playing wide in the matches I've seen so far. Think he's played right back, centre mid and left wing so far. Be interesting to see what Doolan sees his main position as. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagfox Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Just now, Fuctifano said: Think he's played right back, centre mid and left wing so far. Be interesting to see what Doolan sees his main position as. Yeah, t will be. I feel it is better for younger players to get a run in one position. Nothing scientific to back that up. Could be a counter that getting games under his belt is more beneficial. I suppose most players will fill in where required, if they are getting a game. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clashcityrocker Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 1 hour ago, Raithie said: goes to show some players are suited at certain clubs He was highly rated by most Dundee fans when he played there last season - he was actually sent off when Dundee were pumped 2-4 from Arbroath at Dens - I guess it also depends on the formation the manger prefers and also if a player can gel with the other players etc. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R&Y99 Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Full back Kieran Ngwenya is apparently joining us on loan from Aberdeen. Would imagine this would be a cover signing. 25 appearances for Raith Rovers last season. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raith Against The Machine Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 2 minutes ago, R&Y99 said: Full back Kieran Ngwenya is apparently joining us on loan from Aberdeen. Would imagine this would be a cover signing. 25 appearances for Raith Rovers last season. Perfectly adequate left back at this level. Didn't set the heather alight, but didn't look out of place either. I wondered if we might've gone back for him as cover once the loan market really started rolling. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JagsCG Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Hopefully we get a couple of these boys in ahead of the Peterhead game then, or at least the Dundee United one. Williamson is probably the only one who’d go straight into the First XI, but Ngwenya and Kerr should be decent enough squad players. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneteaminglasgow Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 16 minutes ago, Raith Against The Machine said: Perfectly adequate left back at this level. Didn't set the heather alight, but didn't look out of place either. I wondered if we might've gone back for him as cover once the loan market really started rolling. Can he cover anywhere else, or is he solely a left back? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raith1974 Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 2 minutes ago, oneteaminglasgow said: Can he cover anywhere else, or is he solely a left back? We tried him at left midfield and he looked lost. To be far he was fairly average and only played 25 games due to us having a very small squad with numerous injuries. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuctifano Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 We'd be more likely to need him to cover centre back as he won't play if Milne is fit (and not sold) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raith Against The Machine Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 He doesn't look like a centre half, and we never used him there, despite 60% of our squad having to fill in at one point or another. As above, he got a couple of brief goes at left wing, but never made any sort of impression. I don't think you could reasonably expect to get much mileage out of him anywhere other than left back. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broken Algorithms Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 (edited) He's a classic case of a player who is a 6 out of 10 pretty much every week. At no point did he ever t do anything out of the ordinary, but by the same token wasn't a liability. Edited July 12, 2023 by Broken Algorithms 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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