Clubs look for cherry on deadline day cake Managers will take stock of squads before midnight tonight

The summer transfer window is likely to slam shut (always slams, never just closes) with very little last day activity in this part of the world. Courier Sport looks at the business done by St Johnstone, Dundee and Dundee United so far and if Jim White had a magic wand, rather than a yellow tie, who would be the cherry on the deadline day cake for messrs Wright, McCann and McKinnon?

ST JOHNSTONE

Not many managers can say that they got their top two targets. Tommy Wright can though.

The fact that Danny Swanson signed a pre-contract agreement with Hibs gave the Northern Irishman a head-start on sourcing his replacement and Stefan Scougall was recruited in time for Saints’ European games. Scougall isn’t yet fully up to speed but has shown enough in patches to support Wright’s judgment.

Top target number two was Michael O’Halloran and the phrase ‘hit the ground running’ was made for the returning fans’ favourite. O’Halloran has been in stunning form in the first month of his half-year loan from Rangers, with four goals in four games contributing to an equally stunning team points total of 10 out of 12.

We’ve yet to see if Denny Johnstone will be Premiership class but his recent history of losing his way in the English lower leagues after catching the eye in Scotland is a CV that shouts out St Johnstone.

Scott Tanser appears to be a capable left-back back-up to Brian Easton, while youngsters Kyle McClean and Callum Hendry will be given time to make their mark. Hendry, in particular, has already suggested he could be first team-ready ahead of schedule.

Wright seems happy with his lot and quite right too. But it won’t have escaped his attention that there’s another prodigal son who is struggling for gametime at Easter Road. Yes, it’s very, very early days but already it’s starting to look as if Hibs and Danny Swanson may not be the match made in Leith heaven that the boyhood Hibee would have hoped.

Eight minutes off the bench at Ibrox and 56 minutes before being hooked in the defeat to Hamilton have been as good as it gets so far. He wasn’t even on the bench at Dens on Sunday.

Much like O’Halloran, Swanson is a player who needs to feel the love and to play regularly and – as was the case at Hearts – when he doesn’t get that love and those games, it can quickly become clear that player and club aren’t a great fit.

Swanson joked that Wright said he wouldn’t come back in for him a third time. By January he might be wishing that he does.

DUNDEE

Neil McCann has overseen a big recruitment drive this summer bolstering his first-team squad with nine new additions.

Everyone knew exactly what he was getting from Scott Allan but the likes of relative unknowns such as Roarie Deacon, Jack Hendry and Glen Kamara in particular have really stepped up to the mark.

Lewis Spence was always going to be a work in progress, Josh Meekings is still battling his way back to full fitness, while Randy Wolters has struggled to get going fully because of injury niggles.

Elliott Parish was brought in to be back-up to first-choice keeper Scott Bain and is still waiting for his chance to show what he is capable of.

Sofien Moussa was snapped up last month and made an immediate impact scoring five goals in his first three games.

However, the big Tunisian striker suffered a knee injury against Ross County in the Dark Blues’ first league game with McCann then dealt another big blow when Marcus Haber was ruled out after picking up a serious thigh injury at Aberdeen.

The Dundee manager was forced to press midfielder Paul McGowan into service up front against Hibs last weekend and he will be keeping his fingers crossed that Moussa will be fit to make the trip to Ibrox a week on Saturday.

If he isn’t, then McCann will no doubt continue to sift through the CVs of free agents and look to the loan market in a bid to find a hidden striking gem.

No Dundee fan will need reminding that their side have struggled to hit the back of the net ever since the departure of Kane Hemmings and Greg Stewart.

If McCann can find a 10 or 15-goals a season striker either before or after the window closes, then he really will have shown he has the Midas touch.

DUNDEE UNITED

Like their neighbours up the road, there has been a steady stream of new arrivals coming through the doors at Tannadice this summer.

There were no less than seven of the recruits in the starting XI that suffered a disappointing defeat at St Mirren – goalie Harry Lewis, defender Paul Quinn, midfielders Sam Stanton and Fraser Fyvie, wide men Paul McMullan and Billy King as well as striker Scott McDonald.

There were another three of the new

men on the bench in the shape of Patrick N’Koyi, Deniz Mehmet and Archie Thomas, while Tam Scobbie, Jordie Briels and James Keatings missed out through injury.

The likes of McDonald and Fyvie, along with United regulars such as Willo Flood, are still trying to get fully up to speed having had little or no pre-season.

United boss Ray McKinnon is confident once everyone is firing on all cylinders, the team will click into gear.

However, like Dundee, the Tangerines are probably still short of a striker. McDonald will undoubtedly get better once he is fitter but the Australian is now 34.

Tellingly, nearly all his 11 goals last season for Motherwell were scored when he had big Louis Moult for company up front.

McKinnon has indicated his transfer business is over but if some unexpected windfall was to come his way, then a Moult-type striker would no doubt be top of his shopping list.

The Tangerines also lack a real physical presence in midfield. Briels may supply that when he is fit but a Ross Draper type would not go amiss especially when the going really gets tough in the Championship this winter. Clockwise from top left: Michael O’Halloran, Scott Allan, Scott McDonald and Paul McMullan.