Are there similarities between the two raw, ungainly teenage strikers?

Although he was performing in a lower league, Bavidge seemed to have better pace, control and finishing. And yet he didn't quite make the grade as a pro.

This makes me worry for Rory.

rory macalistar is a good player...but i think we need to loan him out to a lowere league team because the only goal he has scored came against ayr united and it mite help improve as a player

Rory McAllister has just turned 18 and has only started four matches for us. He has made a number of sub appearences and has scored one goal. He has scored regularly for the reserves (does anyone have any stats for him at this level?) and has been given international recognition at Under 19 level. Martin Bavidge had a pretty similar record at the same age, but at a much lower level in the game.

I have seen Rory play a few times for the reserves and he has looked far better in those games than when he's played in the first team. He shows better touch and control than he has so far in the first team. I think he often looks nervous and anxious when he gets a game for the firsts and thus makes silly mistakes. He also needs to work on retaining possession, holding the ball up. At this level it's unforgivable to have the ball come back time and again, hopefully he can work on this. Brewster saw something in him and hopefully Rory managed to pick up striing tips from Brew while he was here - say what you like about our ex-boss but he was as good a teacher for Rory as you could ask for.

I do have hopes for Rory and I really hope he's given a fair crack of the whip by our sometimes fickle fans.

Edited to say that I also think it's a bit early to judge him, he hasn't had much of a chance to impress. Here are the details of how much he's played this season:

v Alloa - 25 minutes

v Dundee Utd - 85 minutes*

v Celtic - 3 minutes

v DUnfermline - 20 minutes

v Livingston - 11 minutes

v Hibs - 20 minutes

v Aberdeen - 80 minutes*

v Ayr Utd - 90 minutes*

v Livingston - 21 minutes

v Ayr Utd - 5 minutes

v Celtic - 11 minutes

v Aberdeen - 4 minutes

v Livingston - 11 minutes

v Motherwell - 8 minutes

v Dundee Utd - 9 minutes

v Livingston - 7 minutes

v Falkirk - 26 minutes

v Dunfermline - 77 minutes*

* - start

That's only an average of 28 minutes per appearance and it's difficult to make an impression snatching appearences here and there from the bench.

I agree that Rory should go out on loan as IMHO he is far from a SPL player at the moment. A spell at a lower league team would do him good, it certainly worked a few years ago for the Ginger Whinger (Forfar I think)

The game that epitomises Rory for me was the 0-0 draw at Pittodrie on hogmany when you could see thathe was full of running and enthusiasm but hopelessly naive, even playing alongside Brewster, against much more wily defenders.

The boy has potential, the next two seasons will show whether he has the talent.

His first touch is what lets him down at times I feel. Robson did indeed go to Forfar maybe something like that might suit him? Peterhead perhaps if Linn leaves them or even Ross County (all part of a deal to get Rankin of course!). I don't think his confidence will have been helped when Rosscoe gave him grief at a misplaced pass down at Motherwell!!!

Bavidge did have the chance to stay with us but it was during the time of uncertainty for a lot of clubs financially and we were turning full-time. He decided he wanted to stay part time so he could finish his (I think) geology degree in Aberdeen so he would have something to fall back on if football didn't work out. I thought Bavidge would have become a great player for us if he stayed.

At times Bavidge couldn't hit the wide side of a barn, but he was important in the progress of the club and did score some important goals... as Morgan Spice said he chose not to go full time because he was studying for a geology degree

Give McCallister a chance before condeming the boy... IMO he has the physique which is half the battle in the scottish game and the chances he's had on the park he's given his all... he just needs to get the break of the ball and get a bit of luck

Once he gets the ball in the back of the net for the first time I'm sure he has all the potential to carry on that form

I think Bav did have one full-time season with us after his degree, but didn't improve and decided to get a proper job in oil instead. It didn't look like he was ever going to be any better than a fringe player on a poor salary. Right career decision IMO.

Rory has a lot of potential, we probably haven't had a young player with so much to offer in our history.

That said, I don't think he is ready for the SPL. He is only 18 and is practically our 3rd choice striker. I think if Brewster had stayed then Rory may well have spent the 2nd half of season out on loan. We need to get another striker in over the summer, someone who can push Denzil and Dargo for their places (which Bayne isn't) and allow Rory to go to someone in Division 1 for a season and gain the experience of how to 'mix-it'. The enthusiasm and ability (remember his dribble and shot from the corner flag against...? !!) are there, he just eeds the experience to back it up.

I think it is probably better to compare Rory with Barry Robson than Martin Bavidge ...

Although they dont play in the same position, the similarities are closer ... Barry was a raw youngster with bags of potential who needed regular games at a decent level to progress .... this sounds very like Rory.

Barry was not amused when sent to Forfar but sometimes you need to take a step back to go two steps forward and I definitely think this loan spell did him the world of good and he became a better player because of it. We all know that on his day he can be one of the best wingers in the SPL but whether CB gets the best out of him, or sees the moody and petulant side of him will be another question ....

In Rory's case, he has been touted as a really hot prospect and he has certainly shown skill when on the park. However, he is not a first-team SPL player yet and treating him as such might actually make him go backwards. If he fails to score regularly or misses chances and the fans get on his back his head may go down. As he is an Aberdeen boy, a full season loan to the likes of Peterhead, who have ICT goalscoring legend Iain Stewart in charge may actually do the boy some good .... ?????

If we bring in another SPL standard striker to complement/challenge Dargo and Wyness, then a loan like that would seem a great move for everyone concerned.

nother experienced forward is very much a priority.