What does your team need in the January transfer window?

[microdave]

16 hours ago, Beachcomber said:

Ok for East Fife we need a  left  back  and a central midfielder in the mould of Alex Ferguson.

More importantly we need a  manager who has a game-plan, can motivate and organise the team. Current manager is not upto the task.

 

 

What about a manager in the mould of Alex Ferguson?

[The Moonster]

No thanks to Peter Grant, he made us worse last time. 

[Beachcomber]

14 hours ago, Cambuslang Fifer said:

Think we need a new manager before making any signings first.

Did i not mention that ?

Whoever is in charge we need a left back, haven't had a  decent one since Naysmith.

[1993]

On 28/12/2023 at 10:06, CrispyMelon said:

Elgin could do with improving a few areas:

- A central midfielder

- At least one striker

- (Maybe) a winger

- (Maybe) a centre back

 

One area we ought to improve/deepen our options in is the central midfield. While Russell Dingwall was out, we were usually putting out a three man midfield of Brian Cameron, Rory MacEwan and Ryan MacLeman. This came to be quite an effective trio, but Dingwall’s return to fitness meant changes would happen. All four were accommodated in the home defeat to the Spartans, but MacLeman was shunted out wide where he unfortunately had a poor game. It was a real shame as he’d come on leaps and bounds in the past month or two, but he was dropped for the Stenny game last Saturday. The majority of the time, Cameron and MacEwan are putting in a good shift so to drop any of the three of them upon Dingwall’s return is harsh but to be expected. We only have those four and Kenny MacInnes but with Kenny rarely getting more than ten minutes (and usually being an unused sub) and his contract being up in the summer, we may well let him go before the end of the season, so a new central midfielder in January must be on the list. If any of the four regulars get injured we’ll have serious depth issues for finishing the season.

Our strikers goal tallies speak for themselves. I’ve advocated Barron getting more gametime and although I identified a loan striker we’ve had before that I’d like to join him, a more experienced head is a better idea. If Shane Sutherland is fit to play, I’d like us to sort a short term deal for him.

We don’t have many wingers so I’d expect Hale may have a look at that too. Our formations haven’t really required one this season but with Matt Jamieson only returning to the team this month after being out since July has meant we haven’t really used wingers in the traditional sense as Mitchell Taylor has been playing full back/wing back as he’s done a lot better there, and Liam Harvey is usually up front.  We haven’t really had any choice but to go with no out and out wingers.

The centre back issue. We currently have four (Ross Draper’s best position is there nowadays and he should not be put in midfield), but Jake Dolzanski and Ross Draper both pick up a boat load of bookings and have both missed games this month due to yellow card accumulation. Considering our other two centre backs are (I believe) 18 and 17, leaving the central defence to two players in their first season of SPFL football isn’t ideal (although Connall Ewan has had a good season, and plays like someone far beyond 17 years of age). Blair McKenzie hasn’t overly impressed so far, but I’m willing to partially put that down to the fact that he’s used to playing out from the back and it isn’t something Elgin really do. We attempted it in the early days with Draper but he realised it wasn’t working and over Barry Smith’s time in charge and Draper’s caretaker spell in November we ditched it for a more direct approach. McKenzie himself said in program notes he’d been more used to playing it out from the back in his youth career so it was something different he was going to have to adapt to with Elgin. Connall has had a season in the highland league before this season and looks all the better for it. So another centre back, and one who’s at least a few years into their senior career should be on the list. Though I’m not holding my breath on someone wanting to be mostly a bench player until Ewan’s loan expires in the summer as we shouldn’t be dropping him.

 

 

Difficult to argue with a lot of what you said. I think a left back is essential. The side is so unbalanced without one. A couple of decent wingers/ wide midfielders to give the team a bit of width would greatly help. I think the lack of these type players has a lot to do with the way we play and lack of goals. Up front Jones does a job to an extent but not a finisher. Barron has promise but not ready to be the main man up front. Shane is a no go. He hasn’t played for 19 months. Even if he started back now it would take the rest of the season to get back anywhere near match fit, if that is even possible. What has happened to Wright? I heard he had a serious illness but if he was fit could make a difference.

[Cambuslang Fifer]

2 hours ago, Beachcomber said:

Did i not mention that ?

Whoever is in charge we need a left back, haven't had a  decent one since Naysmith.

Yeah but I can’t see any improvement than promoting youths as a last resort and with so many injuries we will see more on Saturday amongst a poor team and manager out his depth, we are leaving it late for the board to make the call to call it a day until things get messy with Clyde adding players Elgin will do likewise results will improve for them we need a manager in to do business I don’t have faith in greig. So my take I would bring in a management team to get his players in January….that’s if we don’t leave it to late then.

[TAFKAC]

Numbers and players returning from injury. I think, looking at the squad, only James Dolan has been available for each of the 24 games. Craig Ross, Kyle Girvan and Cammy Williamson have all missed games in defence while Sean McIntosh is currently injured. Matty Grant, Grant Gallagher, Dean Hawkshaw, Kyle Fleming, Tom Orr and Ben Armour have all missed big chunks as well. A bit simplistic but everyone fit = good squad. Players unavailable = Stretched squad. It also means players playing out of position/in a position that is not their first choice position.

 

Chris Johnston has already agreed to join. I imagine Josh Walker and Mackenzie Strachan might be heading out and would not be surprised if Olly McDonald is away too. Blair Sneddon as well? Hopefully, some of the injured players will be back sooner rather than later.

 

In terms of new faces, Johnston should add some experience to midfield/further up the park, which has been missing in the absence of Gallagher and others. What I would like brought in? I think we need defensive cover. Kyle Fleming has done not too badly at right back but isn't a right back. Equally, with one/both of Ross and Girvan missing we look stretched. Cammy Williamson was the only left back until Sneddon's arrival. When Williamson missed the Stenhousemuir game at Ochilview it meant Ben Hughes at left back - a position he was not suited to.

[Briggsy's Ghost]

A Euromillions win/miracle.

[Life on Marrs?]

On 27/12/2023 at 23:09, Cambuslang Fifer said:

A new management team first in foremost.

left back

centre back with pace and height

wide midfielder 

2 midfielders in centre of pitch

two strikers to challenge fash and shepherd.

Great, if we can convince Celtic to give us £50,000+ for Johnny Page to replace the injured Carter-Vickers, we might just manage to finance all this.

[theSilverFox]

My club, Forfar Athletic, have no money so won’t be signing anyone. We’re short in most positions. The best we can hope for are loan signings who, just for a change,  might be interested and be capable but I’m not holding my breathe….

Realistically all we can hope for is to stay in above Elgin and/or Clyde and avoid doom, unrealistically we can hope that RM decides to leave and we get a manager who can do something with the squad. We have some duffers but we have some very decent players in there too.

[Cambuslang Fifer]

3 hours ago, Life on Marrs? said:

Great, if we can convince Celtic to give us £50,000+ for Johnny Page to replace the injured Carter-Vickers, we might just manage to finance all this.

I know we lack money at east fife but players we have aren’t going get us anywhere we weren’t good enough last season having made the play offs to get promoted and we requlish down beside Forfar and Clyde, a new manager with fresh ideas needed! We’re in danger of been a team of youth and go down like Cowdenbeath.