How we compare to some other teams ahead of the season

[The Sea-gull]

Now that the league issue has been resolved and we all know where we stand, it looks as though all the teams left are fighting for second spot. As things stand, unless we make some shrewd signings, I think we will be miles off it.

Looking at the squads each team has I would say that Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hearts and Motherwell have the best chances.

If we take Aberdeen and United as example as these are clubs I believe we should be measuring ourselves against.

Aberdeen can now put out the following starting XI:-

GK - Jamie Langfield or Jason Brown

RB - Ryan Jack (highly rated young player)
CB - Russell Anderson (bags of experience and class but fitness issues)
CB - Andrew Considine (experienced solid SPL player)
LB - Clark Robertson (highly rated young player)

RCM - Rob Milson (looks a good player)
CM - Gavin Rae (tons of experience, more than good enough for SPL)
LCM - Stephen Hughes (a great player if fit)

RCF - Niall McGinn (liked him from what I saw at Celtic)
CF - Scott Vernon (solid SPL goalscorer will benefit from better supply)
LCF - Johnny Hayes (always has impressed me)

And Dundee United:-

GK - Radowslaw Cierzniak (no idea what he is like but they have a great track record of signing good Polish goalies)

RB - Sean Dillon or Robbie Neilson (solid established SPL players)
CB - Brian McLean (don't know a lot about him but has SPL experience)
CB - Gavin Gunning (good player)
LB - Barry Douglas (highly rated young player)

RCM - Left blank as I don't know enough about the likes of Ritchie Ryan and Mark Miller
CM - Willo Flood (tidy player on his day)
LCM - John Rankin (has not looked the same player that played for Hibs now he has been given a regular game in a regular position at a team with a solid system)

RCF - Jonny Russell - (he may end up being better than Goodwillie)
CF - John Daly - (in the SPL simply class, not as good a player as G O'C but a better attitude makes him more valuable)
LCF - Gary McKay-Steven (very highly rated young player)

Apart from McPake getting in either team at centre half, maybe Clancy at full back, I honestly don't think anyone we have would get in these teams.

Not going to go through the Hearts team as they almost always finish above us. It really just appears to leave a couple of top 6 spots and maybe Motherwell and St Johnstone won't do as well this year as the financial situation begins to bite.

If we make top 6 next year it would be progress and even if we can just get ourselves to the top of the bottom 6, it would be progress and would probably represent a reasonable job is being done by PF given the climate we are in and the state we are in as a club as we are still a wee bit behind a few teams in the SPL.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Doesnt make us look too good looking at the Dundee Utd and Aberdeen line ups you have shown here.

Got to say I am totally amazed that Utd have managed to hold on to Russell, Daly and McKay - Steven. Would be very surprised if all three are still there at the end of the transfer window ... any one of them would walk into our team.

[HibbyAndy]

Motherwell have let a few players go and Ginger heid McCall sais they cant afford 1 single new player. Aken we are garbage and in total need of a few new fresh faces ( And i believe we will get anar 3/4) Cannae see how Motherwell will be streets ahead of us next season?.

Yes we need major surgery but a few are forgetting teams like Motherwell and Dundee utd have let rakes of players go and not exactly beefed up their squads.

Am taking us for top 4 finish:cb

[Lucius Apuleius]

Motherwell have let a few players go and Ginger heid McCall sais they cant afford 1 single new player. Aken we are garbage and in total need of a few new fresh faces ( And i believe we will get anar 3/4) Cannae see how Motherwell will be streets ahead of us next season?.

Yes we need major surgery but a few are forgetting teams like Motherwell and Dundee utd have let rakes of players go and not exactly beefed up their squads.

Am taking us for top 4 finish:cb

:not worth

:pfgwa

:thumbsup:

Me too!

[The Sea-gull]

Doesnt make us look too good looking at the Dundee Utd and Aberdeen line ups you have shown here.

Got to say I am totally amazed that Utd have managed to hold on to Russell, Daly and McKay - Steven. Would be very surprised if all three are still there at the end of the transfer window ... any one of them would walk into our team.

Yeah, it is a really good front 3. As is Aberdeen's front three now. I remember when we used to always have good front 3s a few years back when you could get a combo out of Riordan, O'Connor, Shiels, Sproule, Fletcher, Killen, Benji etc. And they were always backed up by good midfielders when we could choose from Brown, Thomson, Murray, Boozy, Stewart, Zemmamma, Glass et al.

I think Utd might hold on to Russell and McKay-Steven till at least January unless they start the season like a train. Teams might want to see how they develop before making moves. Daly could be sold though as he is older and most teams who would be interested will know what he is all about now.