Over the fast few seasons we have started each season with similar faces and have benefitted from a settled squad that has not had to deal with any major changes in personell. We have been very fortunate enough to retain the core of successful team and have therefore only needed to add the odd face to our squad.

Inevitably though the time has come where other teams have recognised some of our better performers and we have lost or will be losing a couple of first team players in Brown, Dods and possibly Dargo, Hastings, McSwegan(out of contract iirc)

We have been unfortunate with injuries recently however our injury history over the season has been pretty kind to us for a small squad and what we have to remember is that although we have lost two important players it could be worse, just one or two more injuries and we could be in a great deal of trouble. This has shown that we do not have adequate depth to the squad to cope with injuries to a couple of top team players.

IMO i think we are a team now established in the SPL but seem to have reached a peak where the lower end of the table seems to be our status quo therefore it is now the case that we need to look at a serious overhaul of the first team squad. I understand however that its sometimes easy to see the problem but not so easy to remedy it.

It is well documented that ICT do not have the funds to compete with some of the SPL clubs in the top half of the table with regards to transfer fees and wages however there are several other SPL teams in the same boat as us (eg St Mirren, Killie, M'well, Pars) so in theory we should be able to compete.

So is now the time for an overhaul of the first team squad and if it is are we capable of replacing the lost players with players of a similar or better calibre?

I think it's fair to say that several new faces will have to be brought into the 1st team squad over the summer.

By my reckoning at least 7 players will have left us over the course of the season with potentially another 4 going in the summer

LEFT

Brown

Dods

Keogh

Proctor

Parrat

Fox

Smith

MAYBE

Hastings

Dargo

McSwegan

Golly

To offset this we will have brought in

Rankin

Ridgers

Paatelainen

and Cowie

Defence and up front would definitely need strengthening

I agree that defence and up front are the priority areas.

Since typing the original report i have read an article in the Daily Express which has mentioned that "Charlie has already started looking at defensive options and Livingston's James mcPake and Dundee youngster gary mcKenzie are on his radar".

Also It quotes Grassa saying " we have been looking at two or three players from the First division and that is likely to be the road we will be going down"

The article also mentions that Richard Offiong is on our 'wanted list, English striker who's at Hamilton just now supposedly recommended to us by Robbo

Is scouring the First Division for talent going to be enough to keep us in the SPL? I certainly hope so!!

Good to see that moves are afoot to replace players leaving though

Doesn't look as though the club will have much choice in the matter.

This close season is likey to see the most comprehensive change in personel in the club's history. Let's hope that we get it right. Consistency of squad has been our single biggest advantage over our rivals in the bottom half of the table but surely the fact that we are now forced to bring in fresh blood is more of an opportunity than a threat.

James McPake  :010: :010: and I also said Callum Elliot  :011: plus Sean Webb.

What about Liam Buchanan from the Blue Brazil?

Who we do (or don't) bring in this summer could well make or break us over the next couple of seasons.  The club are going to have to dig as deep as they can (dare) into the bank balance to bring in at least one or two "quality" players IMO.  We really could do with some fresh investment at the club, we have unsold shares sitting there gathering dust and I would like to see our Chairman utilise some of the "contacts" he has been on about since joining us in order to encourage someone to take up whats there and get some coffers in the bank.

I'm not a fan of loan deals but if the money isn't there for capital outlay then we may be resigned to going down this route, at least in the short term.

dont know about loans

this club has had well documented financial trouble in the past and we have only in the last few years really settled down. we now arguably have the best finincial balance in the SPL

dont know about loans

this club has had well documented financial trouble in the past and we have only in the last few years really settled down. we now arguably have the best finincial balance in the SPL

I have never been a fan of loan deals, partly because of the lack of sucess we have had with them however after seeing Falkirk making a what turned out to be a dream loan deal in Stokes it has led me to think differently, Stokes has arguably saved Falkirk from possible relegation this year and if one loan player can do that then maybe it is an avenue that should be looked into. Co-incidentally it looks like they have another potential star in the lad Finnegan from Newcastle who scored against rangers at the weekend. The premiership has a huge pool of youngsters trying to force their way into first team contention and i'm sure a lot of clubs would be willing to let players leave for first team experience so both parties clearly benefit.

Kudos to the club for keeping the club financially stable over the seasons however we have been very lucky in that our team has managed to make the step up in quality through the leagues without too much difficulties and we have therefore managed to retain most of the team without too many changes. It certainly appears now that the time may have come where we have no option but to update the squad and hopefully our prudent stance in the past will mean we have the resources to update the squad as necessary.