There may be a few more!
As Hibs unveil their latest signing, Bobby Williamson hints that there could be another two or three to come...

BOBBY WILLIAMSON HAS BEEN PATIENT IN HIS SEARCHES for the right players to supplement his massively depleted squad.  That patience was rewarded yesterday with the signing of Northern Ireland Internationalist Colin Murdock on a two year deal from, ironically Hibs opponents on Saturday, Preston North End.  The tracking of Colin Murdock seemed to have only been going on for a few months but the Hibs boss revealed a much longer time frame on things to Hibs.net yesterday afternoon.

"We've been well aware of Colin's talents for a while now.  I remember he came up with Preston a few years back and played against us at Rugby Park in a closed doors match and he stood out then.  I've kept an eye on his progress and there was an opportunity to get him to Easter Road and I'm delighted to have taken it."  While he may have been a target for the strengthening of the Kilmarnock backline at first, there's no doubt that Williamson sees the 28 year old as a key to the problems suffered throughout last season. "(He's got) stability, assurance at the back and obviously he can communicate with the defenders and organise it, he's certainly got leadership qualities."

While having someone on board that can help alleviate some of the frailties of last season, Williamson believes that Murdock will also add an element that a lot of Hibs fans have aired grievances with, particularly since the playing retirement of Franck Sauzee, the ability to play football from the back.  "That's a bonus!  He's got other strengths but he can play.  Everybody loves to see a football player and he falls into that category.  As I've said, we're pleased to have acquired his services." 

Bobby Williamson and Colin Murdock - a long term target (hibs.net)

Through the period of his management at Easter Road, Bobby Williamson has refused to call the teams to date as not his own.  Even with the addition of three new players in the last week, he is not prepared to claim that this season's team will be a 'Williamson team'.  "At the end of the day the team that performed last year was our team and it's our team again this year.  I'm just glad the board have given us the go ahead to get players in to strengthen it.  We needed to change things around, players had to move on for reasons that we all know and we need to get other players in.  We wanted to replace the players that were going out with quality and I think we're starting to do that.  Hyldgaard, Murdock and Glass have got that quality."  While everyone remembers the players that have been brought into the first team squad, and most of those who have been invited to leave as well as not had contract renewed, Williamson was at pains to point out that it's not just the experienced player that he's been looking at.  "Everybody seems to have forgotten about Stephen Dobie being added to the squad as well.  He's a young striker with potential and hopefully we can do a bit more business before the season starts."

With the realisation over the financial plights of clubs being seen again this week with Coventry and Sunderland both suffering from crippling debt problems, much has been said of the power starting to swing back to the clubs when it comes to contract negotiations.  However, the fact that Hibs still have three players on their books that they cannot afford to support still shows that there is some resistance to the new way of things in the world of football.  And it isn't just with regards to existing players either!  "It's not any easier because players find it hard to believe that that is the situation that football's in and they're shopping about and a lot of clubs don't know how high to be going but we do.  We've got a structure to work to and we're trying to work to that so we're offering players the best contracts we can and hopefully they see it as a challenge to come to Easter Road."

Whist there has been talk of Hibs signing Andy McLaren over the last couple of weeks, Williamson and Managing Director Rod Petrie have kept the wheels in motion with regards to other potential additions to the squad.  Although not willing, or able, to put a number on it, it's clear that there is still some restructuring work to be done with the first team, all dependant on the famous 'squad limit' that has been talked about since the end of last season.  "We're working to a total squad of 24 and I don't know how far off that is because as players leave it may free up an opening but whether it's 24 financial or 24 bodies, I'll be guided by the board.  But I'll be striving and cajoling and pushing as best I can to get the quality players in to be successful this year."  In his clearest statement yet over the extent to which he's working to change things round at Easter Road, the Hibs boss said, "I'm in talks with quite few players and so is Rod, he speaks to their agents and if we can manage to work it out financially then it'll be done.  As I said, that's our aim, to try and get the best team on the park for our fans and try and give them every encouragement to come along and support us."

Kitted out but he won't be on Saturday (hibs.net)

Getting a proven Internationalist at a time of restricted budgets is no easy task but the fact that Murdock has chosen to come to Edinburgh is something that Bobby Williamson is quite rightly pleased about. "He's been with the Irish squad for the past few years now and I don't think he's missed many games in recent times.  He's a very a confident lad, very capable and to get a proven Internationalist at the club is great."  Proven or not, Murdock will not simply walk into the squad right away and will not feature in this Saturday's game at Deepdale.  Alongside Stephen Glass, the new signing may make the trip down but will be forced to watch the game from the stand as neither have yet been able to prove themselves fit enough to take part although the 1,500 or so expected Hibs fans will get their first chance to see Danish keeper Morten Hyldgaard in action.

"None of these guys will be featuring as they've not done enough training yet, it would be wrong of us just to through them in and they want to do themselves justice and they know that.  Big Hyldgaard may play a half against Preston but that's about it.  Colin's not kicked a ball for us yet and neither has Stephen Glass and we've got to work at shaping the team and getting us geared up for the season ahead."    The season ahead will soon be upon us and with many Hibs fans remembering the disastrous start to last season's campaign, Williamson knows that getting the shape sorted out is key to bringing the success to Easter Road that Hibs fans crave.  "As I said, I hope it gels quickly but if it takes a bit of playing them so be it.  I'm sure we have got a good squad of players at this club to be doing a bit of that."

On a final note, Williamson singled out the Hibs fans that have put their hands in their pockets (or on their Credit Cards!) for praise ahead of the journey down to Preston on Saturday although he did have his suspicions as to what may have helped sway some of those that are going!  "I think it helps because Blackpool's not too far away from it!  Fans like to get away on these trips and we like to get away as well.  And they'll do us proud and make a lot of noise and they'll behave themselves and be a credit to the club. It's good for them and it's good for them to be getting back into seeing football again."  With the Preston North End fans actually being registered with the English Football League as the club's number 12 player (as can be seen here), we can only hope that the new signings will help to gain that sort of encouragement both Home and Away.