Having just read that Hearts have got rid of Jamie Hamill, Ryan Stevenson and Jamie McDonald, does anyone think any of these three would be a good addition to the squad? I think Stevenson would be good. I would defiantly go for McDonald if we didn't already have Brill.

I've been told and repeatedly asked and told again by a player that Howarth has been released, don't know why the club have kept in the dark about it, he had a 2 year deal but it was terminated, this is most likely why Baptie has been brought in, pretty sure Kane Hull is a bit young to be getting regular U20 games anyway

Kane Hull is a great name!

 

Also, is Hayden Hollinger still with us?  Sounds like someone who should be one of Justin Bieber's back-up dancers!

I don't think so, think he would of been in the U20s by now

Ryan Baptie has not yet signed for us. he is still awaiting clearance from SFA.

Another left back? Worrying, if you ask me: either Shinnie is moving to midfield or Hughes is taking out insurance. Hopefully not the second option! Let's wait and see when this is confirmed.....

I've been told and repeatedly asked and told again by a player that Howarth has been released, don't know why the club have kept in the dark about it, he had a 2 year deal but it was terminated, this is most likely why Baptie has been brought in, pretty sure Kane Hull is a bit young to be getting regular U20 games anyway

 

The club haven't kept anyone in the dark over anything.  Howarth was, and still is, under contract with ICT.  Details of those who made a step up to the U20's and those who didn't get new contracts was posted on the official website on 15th May - http://ictfc.com/news/team-news/1292-eightsome-reel

I've been told and repeatedly asked and told again by a player that Howarth has been released, don't know why the club have kept in the dark about it, he had a 2 year deal but it was terminated, this is most likely why Baptie has been brought in, pretty sure Kane Hull is a bit young to be getting regular U20 games anyway

The club haven't kept anyone in the dark over anything. Howarth was, and still is, under contract with ICT. Details of those who made a step up to the U20's and those who didn't get new contracts was posted on the official website on 15th May - http://ictfc.com/news/team-news/1292-eightsome-reel He was under contract and was released according to 3 different U20 players that I have spoken to, I highly doubt they made that up so he must of later been told he can stay if he is still with, however it kinda points against that that we have now signed Baptie

ETA: I'll try and find out by tonight whether he has or not

Edited July 5, 201411 yr by Rival

*Puts Club Hat On*

 

Howarth is still contracted to ICT

 

*Takes Club Hat Off*

Howarth was playing at Fort William today.

Any more info on Ayina, is he being signed or is John taking a further look at him before making a decision?

Tbh, its been a quiet transfer window altogether, not many teams are signing many players, even Celtic have only signed Craig Gordon.

Completely puzzled beyond belief, looks like Howarth is still at the club, but one of the players told me he wasnt playing vs Fort, and one saying he is released. Someone is telling stories for what seems to be no apparent reason

Samaras is touted to be back in Glasgow this coming season . Well , well, well, Sometimes the grass is greener over the fence after all.

 

I guess if you are a top player you can get stir crazy once in a while.

An article in todays P&J reporting that Hughes is looking to strengthen the following areas - right back, centre half and up front dependant on who is available.

 

Good to see he has identified up front as an area needing strengthened. Will be interesting to see if he can get new faces in quickly. The sooner the better IMO in order to let them settle into the squad before the season starts

RB and up front fair enough but there's not much point spending wages on another CB when Meekings and Warren have been so consistent there and we also have the very capable Devine waiting in the wings.

What happened to not bringing anyone in. 

To be honest, I feel that we don't need a right back and certainly don't need a centre half. I know we only have one proven right back in Raven but Shinnie was perfectly capable of filling in at right back in Raven's absence. I know you could argue that Shinnie being at right back did run it's course after a while but also not forgetting Josh Meekings started at ICT as a right back so you could place him there too. I could understand if Yogi is looking for established right back to challenge Raven but I feel we are well covered unless Shinnie was leaving ICT.

Same case for a centre half. Gary Warren and Josh Meekings first team starters - no question about it. We have a perfectly capable replacement in Danny Devine. Graeme Shinnie's versatile enough to fill in at centre half and so is Carl Tremarco. We also have Jason Brown in the U20s that can fill in at centre half too. So again, yogi could be looking for a bit more competition but I wouldn't be sad if we didn't get one.

To me a second striker should and probably is our main priority. We can get so much benefits out of having a second striker if we played a 4-4-2 and kept the opposition on their toes because they would be expecting us to play the usual 4-2-3-1. I do feel that we need this second striker incase Mckay gets injured or suspended however you could counter that by how many goals have come from midfield/defence when Mckay was off the boil. We have Calum Ferguson at our disposal already but I think he should be kept for the future and let him keep developing in the U20 and possibly another loan spell at either the Championship or League 1. As Yogi pointed out in an interview in May you're stuck between a rock and a hard place when you get a second striker because they will be expecting to play week in week out but as I said if we altered the tactics then it shouldn't be a problem.

I wouldn't say Meekings and especially Warren can play from the back.  Warren especially is a no-nonsense defender, more Terry Butcher than Alan Hansen.  If we are going to go down the road of playing it from the back, I can't see how one or both central defenders fit in.  It's square pegs for round holes with that system as was shown up in the last few months.  Preferably we'd ditch that system and play to our strengths but if not, then I don't see how Warren can be 'educated' into being the new Beckenbauer, when he's more like the old Yogi.  After all, Hughes never managed to convert to a ball-playing centre-half.

I wonder if the plan is to go a back three.  At the last game of the season, Hughes seemed to take a leaf out of the Guardiola/Bielsa book and put Draper at the back as a kind of ball playing centre-back.  I'm can't remember where I read it, but I'm sure I read somewhere once that it's easier to retain possession with three at the back than with four.  As we've seen at the world cup, a back three or a back five with wing-backs seems to be coming back into style (Chile, Argentina, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Mexico have all done it at some point as well as probably others).

 

As others have said though, we don't need another centre-back.  Warren, Meekings, Devine are all strong capable centre-backs and Meekings is a good distributor in my opinion.  Tremarco also played well there in one game and Raven, Draper and even Foran could all fill in there if needed, as could Jason Brown.  Shinnie could probably do a job in there as well.  A new right back would be nice, but by no means essential.  Raven is obviously the first choice and Meekings and Shinnie are capable in there as well.  Warren can also play there and Devine could get away with it if we really needed to (he did have a shocker there against St Johnstone in the 4-0 game though).  Seemingly, James Vincent can also fill in there in emergencies and Tremarco could probably get away with it as well.  If we can, we should use whatever funds we have to bring in another striker - I think everyone's in agreement on that and after that, using it to retain members of the current squad.  A right back would be nice, but not essential and a new centre-back is not needed at all, though if Hughes can get one for little money on loan, then that's not so bad.

Edited July 7, 201411 yr by Renegade

Billy's lack of competition up front will not have done him any good at all. We should buy three strikers and forget the other positions

The prospect of signing Ayina isn't dead in the water after all.

 

http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/Sport/Football/Ayina-a-target-for-clubs-in-both-Scotland-and-England-07072014.htm

Never believe everything an agent says, he might just be saying that so more clubs look at him that will give him more money 

Let's hope that he is more consistent and dynamic than Lionel D'jebi-Zade who was more of a warhorse, I

think, than a front running gazelle. Maybe this lad will be able to cut the mustard and thrive and a couple of rasping goals early on will help that to happen. Yes!

Reckon Shinnie might be moving further up field to a midfield position with the acquisition of Baptiste perhaps. I wouldn't be too unhappy with that to be honest. If he could improve his shooting he'd potentially be one of the most dangerous players in the league.

Ayina sounds as good a prospect as any. Only doubts seem to be about his current fitness. (according to Hughes post match interview v Clach) but that's something a good pre season can sort out I'd have thought.

 

Ayina supposedly is holding out for more money than we can really offer, I would be inclined to have conditions appended to his contract to make bonus payments for assists and goals rather than submit to his demands until he proves himself to be worth what he is asking.

Being unfit at this stage so close to the season start makes me think he could be a ''lazy'' player and we have experienced that to our detriment before.

If Aynia is holding out for more money then I'd be less inclined to give it to him. Money would be better spent elsewhere IMO.