The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Done deals, targets and what lies ahead
The ball has started rolling as far as squad rebuilding goes for Dundee United, Dundee and St Johnstone. Taking one club each, our football writers Ian Roache, Neil Robertson and Eric Nicolson assess the business already done and explore what still needs
What do you think of it so far?
IR (United): The Tangerines are the ones with most rebuilding to be done and they have made a decent start. Getting Tam Scobbie from St Johnstone is excellent. James Keatings is bursting with determination to make the striker’s role his own, while Billy King will add some much-needed width to the team.
NR (Dundee): Scott Allan appears to be a genuine signing coup. He certainly gave the impression when I interviewed him last week that he was just desperate to be playing regular football again after two disappointing seasons. Certainly if he can reproduce the form he showed when he was at Hibs, then Neil McCann will be delighted. As for the other new signing, Roarie Deacon, the jury will be out until we see the former Sutton United frontman in action for the Dark Blues. EN (Saints): Scobbie is exactly the type of player United need for their Championship promotion campaign but, even though Tommy Wright wanted to keep him, the Perth boss should be able to recruit an adequate replacement. Stefan Scougall was earmarked as the man to
fill Danny Swanson’s boots and you can see him doing just that. He fits the St Johnstone mould perfectly – excellent pedigree but has lost his way a bit down south. Name the one player who has left that you feel will be the biggest loss.
IR: United will undoubtedly miss the flair of Frenchman Tony Andreu, with Simon Murray running him a close second. Andreu may have seemed, particularly towards the end of the season, that he had more to give to the team but what he did produce was still considerably more than the average Championship player. Getting someone on board who can score a goal like the one he scored against St Mirren in the Irn-Bru Cup final will not be easy.
NR: Apart from some Under-20s lads and Yordi Teijsse, we are still waiting to find out exactly who will be leaving Dundee. McCann has refused to discuss which of the out-of-contract boys will depart or whether the likes of Rory Loy or Nicky Low, who were out on loan last season, will be coming back to see out their deals at the club. No doubt the situation will become clearer when the players return – or don’t – for pre-season tomorrow. EN: It’s been a long time since Saints have struggled to replace anybody, including the likes of Stevie May and Michael O’Halloran. There’s no reason to expect it to be any different this season.
Should fans be anxious or relaxed about how much progress has been made?
IR: The Tangerines do not return until next Wednesday, which is late compared to other clubs. However, the play-off final was the very last fixture of the season and it will be exactly a month between that game and the cones coming back out at St Andrews. Manager Ray McKinnon knows who he wants and has already got three men in so I would say it’s too early for anxiety.
NR: McCann has stressed there will definitely not be wholesale changes this summer and that he has faith in the existing squad despite their welldocumented problems last season. So the manager will no doubt be relaxed about how things stand at the moment.
EN: Very relaxed. Saints are recruiting from a position of strength given all the deals they extended at the back end of last season. Wright can afford to be patient with any pennies he has left to spend.
IR: It’s Scobbie for me. As we all know thanks to the player’s comments earlier this week, Saints boss Tommy Wright wanted to keep him but chairman Steve Brown had other ideas. Scobbie was a regular for the Perth men from last
Who do you see as the stand-out signing thus far?
Christmas onwards. He is also the assertive, no-nonsense type that is required both in the dressing room and on the pitch. NR: Allan. EN: With the greatest respect to young midfielder Kyle McClean (who Wright is very pleased to have picked up) it has to be Scougall.
How many more new faces do you think are needed?
IR: United don’t have money to throw about, as we know, but I would still expect three further new faces at the very least. McKinnon has to make every penny of his budget count and he will be helped by head of football operations Darren Taylor, who has been hitting the road to source potential recruits. I think there will also be a trialist or two at St Andrews next week.
NR: Much will depend on how many go out the door but Dundee need a back-up keeper for Scott Bain and a dominating, no-nonsense centre-half to partner skipper Darren O’Dea. An out-and-out goalscorer would also be on my wish list but, as everyone knows, finding the right man is easier said than done. However, contrary to wild internet rumours, it won’t be former Spurs and Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov. There is more chance of me being offered a playing contract by McCann than that one happening.
EN: I think it will be two. An out and out left-back (Scobbie was more a centrehalf by the end of his time at Perth) and a forward. The return of O’Halloran on a season-long loan would do nicely.
“McKinnon has to make every penny of his budget count