Old Castle Rock
Andy Gav K aand Gav F are here...
To discuss everything that's happening on Gorgie Road. It's been a tough start to the season so what has went wrong
Old Castle Rock
Transfer Window This Week
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Andy and Gav look through the squad to discuss the end of the transfer window
Welcome to Old Castle Rock the podcast. It is there to talk about Edinburgh's Europa Conference League team. We're back. It's the last week of the transfer window, and I am joined by Gavin Kennedy, and we are going to discuss what we think um is needed and what we think might happen in the next few the last week of this transfer window and going through it. So first of all, Mr. Kennedy, how are we doing?
SPEAKER_00Friday feeling and all that, you know. Um looking forward to uh we task uh and obviously we've got Saturday, but obviously the big one coming up on Thursday, so that's the one I'm really buzzing for at the moment, eh? So bring it on, mate. Bring it on.
SPEAKER_01Bear in mind, this is we might be recording it before Saturday, but this is going out on on Monday, so the game's already happened. So let's no uh let's not talk about that anymore. So um just obviously what's your thoughts on the draw then?
SPEAKER_00I didn't draw quickly. I'm quite uh happy with that to be honest. Um like some of the teams there like quite quite there'll be challenges, but uh we I think we've got a good chance of like getting the points there and getting up for the table, like uh probably better than what we did the last time when we were in that league. Um and even though we were quite close to even qualifying that time if our worst team had what we got at the moment, obviously. Um some of the teams like budgets, obviously, compared to us, is like quite staggering, eh? But especially like when you look at Monaco, but we're always gonna be richer Ave, especially where you know what I mean, our sort of geography status, but um but I generally quite pleased with it, yourself.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, mate. Um if you go back and listen to our pod that me and Fleming be released on Friday night, but yeah, pretty pretty happy with it, mate, I'll be honest. Um I think that the draw could have been a bit worse. Um I think we've got a not bad pot one team, uh same as the pot two team. I think the Trans Bonus For is a bit of a role one being in pot four with a couple of the players that we do have, but at the end of the day, there's a reason that they are in that pot as well. So um it's also not like Fernabachi and they're not Gala Tassara or somebody like that. So um I think the the name of Mo Salah probably is highlights them a bit higher than you'd probably think. If you know what I mean, I think that we're we're we're maybe a wee bit more worried about them because they have Mo Salah more than like if they if they didn't have him, I don't think we'd be as worried based on but he's one man in a squad, one man in a team. So um I think that I think it's not a bad draw. I think we've some of the waities are okay. And I think that yeah, I'm pretty pretty happy with mate to be honest. Um but yeah, um, so what we're gonna do today is we're gonna go through the squad, we'll we'll look at some of this and we'll think maybe what we what we need or what we think might happen uh um in the next few days, and bear in mind it is something that we have absolutely no interest or no knowledge of, I should say, of any in backstage or knowledge or anything like that. It's just purely what we think we we need and hope we're hoping for for this. So um right. First things first, Mr. Kennedy. Um our squad is absolutely massive. Okay. Um do you think that we're in a position where we are going to do you think there's going to be some movement of players leaving?
SPEAKER_00Um absolutely I do. Um because like you say, it's far too big. And uh the guy um you know Ruther has always said already that he wants a squad of 27, and that's a hell of a lot more than uh 27, isn't it? You know what I mean? So uh there's absolutely room for uh excess, but the tough one for me actually, to be fair, is like who do you get rid of and how do you get rid of them when we're under contracts and stuff like that, you know? Um that's the challenging part, eh? Because you find yourself, oh, easy one, get out of Kabago, you know what I mean? For exactly, he's not playing all game, but what sort of contracts are he on? How much wages like what what teams are going to be looking at him? You know what I mean? So it's like it's a difficult one to manage, eh? Especially when the all first came in, they were getting these good deals and stuff, eh? Uh on the basis that favored progress into his like project players and they just haven't quite lived up to expectations. Same with like a group. I mean, like with his injury prudence and all that, do you keep him in that with the money that we forked in him already, or do you cut our losses and stuff like that? You know what I mean? Um it's uh even like I don't know, like Dada, he's obviously not featuring now again. Um he's obviously seen enough of what he he doesn't think he's gonna be good enough for TV. Um, you know what I mean? We've already got rid of obviously Kazarita say, but um that was always gonna happen now, to be fair. Um but it's looking like it could be Braggab. Then again, there's been no concrete offers that have come in.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know what I mean? And that's what makes you think, is he actually gonna go? Is he actually gonna be able to stay?
SPEAKER_01Well, so let's let's break it down then, right? So, first of all, we have got at the moment we've got four goalkeepers. Yeah. Um Clark Clark still, he's still, I think, maybe technically injured, but he looks like he was training today based on on Friday, as we're writing this, obviously, um prior to coming, obviously coming back as well. So he was he was out training, as was uh other members of the other members of the squad. So I think I mean obviously Kieran writes on a small contract as well, so whether he stays over the next couple of months is going to be something different. But you're talking about squad size, right? Um, but we're talking you you said about how big the squad is. Now we're obviously going to be playing Thursday, Sunday, um, and we're also we're now racking up the injuries because we've got, for example, defended defensive line. So Ken and Borts are the two right backs. Yep, we've got six centre half, we've got five centre halves. If you say six centre halves, maybe uh Hulk, Finlay, McCart, Wolcott, uh, Campton Kemara. Now on my little list, I put Macinty because he's been playing right, he's been playing centre-half, but Mendy obviously can play centre-half as well. And then Macinty switches forward, and both are left backs are injured. So um at this moment time, defensively, none of them can really go and I don't think there's probably uh would have now been an option for one of them to go anyway. Um but and then when you move into the midfield, obviously we know Magnus and Spittle, Mende stroke lacking T Aju, Danda Gwendus and Khartoum. Obviously, Venu is injured, and Aju is coming back from an injury. I mean, nobody's really seen him since February, but again, he's another one that was training. Um so are we thinking then are we obviously at a point, obviously, because there's two there that we would think that we should be probably getting rid of in regards to Danda and Khartoum? And obviously, we do need players to uh sorry, we need teams to take him out. Do you think that there's a it's realistic that these two boys will go um before the window shuts on Thursday?
SPEAKER_00No, uh again, it's one of those ones. If it if his doctor's really been in for him now, is there actually a real chance of it going or we might just hug around or maybe get punted on load again, like we have been last season, eh? Um I can really see that happening to be honest, eh? Because um it's the same with like McClark, once he sort of like maybe comes back, is there room for him as a goalkeeper in the squad when he never got a game pretty much when when Swallow came in after that, even when Gordon was like suspect like there and injured, and even when like you know what I mean, he was he wasn't even like mentioned or talked about Philwood was more than a team, eh? So it's it's such a difficult question to answer, eh? Because you know who would you like you would like up the squad like I've just like listed a few of them, but at the same time, how do you get rid of him when no clubs are coming in for him, eh? That's the hard part.
SPEAKER_01So do you think then should the offer I mean this probably could you could probably extend that to stripers as well because we have six stripers on the books. Um Braga, Wilson, Bassey, Kabori, Williams, who's obviously just in the door, and Kabangu, obviously that with Kabangu as well. Should we be at the point um of maybe offering these boys just a bit of a like uh a like some ideal and offer to say like there's a there's so much of your wages, just go. Should you be taking hat on these players now, do you think?
SPEAKER_00And yeah, I I believe so, especially uh like for the money it would be good for other players if you get VA, it's like you could use some of that to sort of subsidize for those wages if you get pay. Um and it's like a good way of like getting rid of a dead wood that's that's just been almost loitering about in this sort of squad, eh? Um or even like getting padded alone and stuff like that. So we have to think to ourselves, how long do we realistically stay here? Just like hovering about uh records in and all of that, eh? So uh I would say the only one you probably wouldn't want to would be I do, given the money and paid for it, um but at the same time do we keep risking of getting injured over time and have just been almost like a wage fee? So it's it's a tough one, to be fair. Like it's it's a job I'm glad I don't have to be honest, so you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_01One next thing is obviously we'd be are we would we be because of the obviously the injuries that we have and that we're having the worst medical department in Europe, would we be cutting off our nose to spite our face by not by letting these boys go with unless obviously we'll be sh if and if we don't bring anybody else in?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because it's like at the end of the day, we got as you say, we got a big enough squad. I basically we're late, we are struggling because of like a couple of injuries stacking up already, but at the same time they'll be back at some point, and when they do come back, we do have enough satisfied like players to cover the position. So it's like I don't see why we couldn't do that, to be fair. Um you'd rather obviously get something for him in return, but in in this day and age of the real world, eh, sometimes that just doesn't happen, eh? And I think that's what a lot of Attorney Bloom's sort of like logic is, do you guys he take pants on people away and some work out and some don't. And then you know it's just like the races basically, eh?
SPEAKER_01So um yeah, no, that's fair enough, as I said. So um, in your eyes, we should be moving Danda Khartoum, Kibangu, Xander Clark, and the year four that you think will that won't move uh before the transfer window closing or that.
SPEAKER_00I would be surprised if he didn't, even if they don't, we certainly will be getting moved on on load or something like that afterwards. Maybe someone uh in the background or something like that, eh? Uh like particularly Clark, you could easily go down to a championship club and play at loan for air for a UIO, you know what I mean? Like a part of this or something like that, if they came in for him, or something like that. Just using Evans example, not so you will go a part of this, but you get what I'm saying. Um so because like we've got his position as well filled for V like. Um so yeah, that's fine.
SPEAKER_01Um what do you think then? Obviously, we have got look we're looking like we're getting our uh Faroese winger uh coming in, and I'm gonna ask you if you want to pronounce his name for me.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely not.
SPEAKER_01Uh but again, he's coming in, he's only 18, so that's more of a one for the future. Alan Preston was talking last night because Renault could be out for a few a couple of months, and obviously we don't know about Inju um exactly what situation or how good he is going to be when he comes back based on how long he's been out for. Um do you think then we probably probably are gonna have to go and get another centre midfielder?
SPEAKER_00See, I don't think we have to necessarily. I've always like said in the last pod, I think it was, or one before that. Um my biggest issue for us right now is defenders, right? And I know we've got Markety here, but Backerty is not the long-term option for a defender of the whole season. He's not he's not a central defender, really. He you know what I mean. He's he says it himself in like uh sponsorship, like he's a refueler and ever just parts up laughing because they never played their whole season, you know what I mean? But like that is his rightful position. So he should be in there, eh? Um, to be honest if you if you can. And if that's uh a way of like saving money and just waiting for players to come back, and it's like he can cover it because he's got that uh sort of like resilience like of like not being able to do that sort of thing, eh? Um but for me, for Wave style that Booter wants to play, we do need a a really sort of like decent centre back, especially with Halkett not being uh back yet, obviously, because like Bidley and McCart have obviously missed him big time, eh? Yeah, you can you can see that, especially for the way it played last year with the T. So for me it's it's at least one or two defenders for me over the head of a midfielder, to be quite honest.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, okay. Um fair enough. Um it's uh it's one of these is it's I for me, I think that we probably need a I think it's if we're gonna let a couple of these bodies go and for dead, we probably need maybe one uh somebody else to come in. Um just because I think that with the whole Sunday thing, I mean, even today, uh even for the game on Saturday as we're recording this, it feels that we still because of the way that uh Wednesday night went, it feels like we could still be a bit short. Um especially when especially uh centre mid in centre midfield. Obviously, Spittle was limping, uh and obviously Reno was injured. I mean Spittle's could be capped, of course, but they have played most of them have played 120 minutes and things like that. So I don't know whether we probably still need a a body or one or another body there just to try and keep things fresh, if you know what I mean. So it's I think it is quite hard, it's quite difficult in regards to that. Do you think obviously I think it'll be interesting, I think we won't bring somebody else in. It's whether that we're going to shift on, shift a couple of these bodies and boys on is the is the next thing. I think that again that's they've no but they've not had any concrete offers for any of their players that they'd want out the door, such as uh a Khartoum or a Dander. But I think clubs are probably waiting, and hearts are probably waiting as well a little bit to find out how they they would have done in Europe and what size of scored they would have needed some budgets and things. But I wonder if it now that's the last week, um and clubs are maybe going right, we'll we'll chance our luck now and we might get a better deal to get danda or cartoon or uh cabango on loan somewhere else, and hearts are just contribute some of the wages.
SPEAKER_00Yep. No, that's totally.
SPEAKER_01Do you if would you think there's going to be a surprise offer for any other players? Um obviously we've talked about Braga. Um Bragger doesn't want to go, of course. This is the thing, he doesn't want to leave. Um that's good.
SPEAKER_00That's good as long as he he wants to talk about a new deal. You know what I mean? So uh because he can't really be hoping holding on until his contract runs out because well I don't think he I don't think he has, but I don't think at this moment in time he wants to leave.
SPEAKER_01I mean he's only been he has only been there a year. Um so do you think though that do you think that there will be any concrete offers for him come Thursday? Do you think that there's a chance that he he plays Thursday night and then leaves that same night? Obviously the game will be finished before the window's done. Do you think he he doesn't play at all because of the wind because of the um because of the gate, because obviously the game and stuff and he's away. Do you think that this has all just been a lot of bluster and there's probably never been uh any serious offers and on the table?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, I still can't see an offer coming. I mean, it has all literally all been paper talk. It's not even been like a case of hearts are rejected a bid, or you know what I mean? There's been none of that sort of like paper talk, you know. So to me, that just says it actually has been nothing. I know as we said the same, I said the same thing about Kizaridas and I was quite shocked when he got the offer out of the blue for that 2 million euros, you know. Um although at the same time we all sort of like forced it at the end of a season, but it was like nothing for ages, eh? And then that offer just came randomly. I just I just can't see it. If there's not been anything now, you think if we're gonna do it, we would have done it before like he played the conference league game, so that would have like effectively cup tied them if it was a conference league team like chasing them or something like that.
SPEAKER_01That doesn't work like there's no cup ties anymore.
SPEAKER_00Right, oh so not okay, right.
SPEAKER_01For European competitions and canaday cup tied.
SPEAKER_00Right. Uh well then but even then it's like well it's just really been nothing for like offer my Z and it's like and it's like so close to the end that way, and I just I would generally can't see it. Unless something happens Tuesday or Wednesday after this pod, I'd be very shocked if it happens on a game day because hearts know what would that that would do to the team before the derby, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01So do you think then so I will Claudio Braga be a hearts player on the 4th of September?
SPEAKER_00I've got to take a punt and say yes.
SPEAKER_01Yes, it will be. Okay. Do you think there'll be any other moves for anybody else? Do you think that there's a a rogue bid for a for a ocean marking T Fis on here or a a Magnuson or bear in mind that for some of these players now it's gonna need to take like the some of the the top the first team players like a like a magnuson?
SPEAKER_00We we would need I think we've got players already in line, but we'd have to go and sort that deal first before we we'd have to I have I have a funny feeling that Wilson might get something again, it won't be Tottenham like it was the last time. But I feel maybe one of the English clubs would might have been looking at him last year and he might try to get a sneaky bit in.
SPEAKER_01I think the club's team may call it handle.
SPEAKER_00Oh no, I agree. I I would do I'd be devastated if he went. Um because I you know if he'll flourish under uh booter uh uh like style of play and you can see it.
SPEAKER_01I think you can see that already.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely. Um but it's not to say that teams might not be watching him as well, eh? And if you if you're talking about a surprise candidate, there's one that stands up for me and that is Wilson, unfortunately. But I can't even think of anyone else though.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean that's the thing as well, obviously um because obviously there is obviously we've got two we've got two strikers and uh I mean it is probably I don't know. Um I don't know, I generally don't think that there's probably any other outstanding candidates there that you're you're probably gonna decide that someone's gonna out to meet a bid or obviously Wilson, as you said, would be a a loan deal, I think it'd be mental a feel that. Do you think we'll get a right back? I do think he's settled on his on his full back sparing Kingsley and Job um as well when he's out of the move forward missing playing um I think he has uh settled on it to be honest.
SPEAKER_00I mean you look at uh weaver on Thursday. Um I know he brought uh Borshon, but he was like played on the almost to the left like because of uh McCarthy being moved to centre. But it's like back to Visa, it's like he's part of a squad player team, you know what I mean? And it's like uh he'll definitely be there for uh cover, or he would decide to give um Alteta rest like maybe on the Sunday games and stuff, and he might worry about he's got a haggard from the Euro games and that, you know what I mean? So I would say aye, we would be shout out. I can't see them going in for any more right like either aside though, because I think both like generally are quite well covered. If you take a few like equations of injuries away from it, you know what I mean? Um and there's enough there to cover for it, I've won, like you say, with other guys here. So I mean you can even put it back into you there and stuff like that, and they're right and stuff like that as well, right? Um so aye, I think it's well sort of that side. Um I think both wiggers are obviously uh quite well uh got that to the covered now, to be honest with you.
SPEAKER_01Um Corsotto, McMillan and McPake uh in Mattel, isn't it? Really, there's your four. Um really obviously it's nah, you probably are covered there. We we definitely feel a bit more expansive since Kizzy left it down that side. Obviously, two left backs being injured is a bit uh is a bit iffy, but again, watch played left back on against Rapid, and it means it's not the first time that we've actually seen right backs play left on the back. Look at other maybe all the years ago. So it's uh aye, it's certainly I I think personally I would like to see a right back. Um but again, it's again I think that's a good thing.
SPEAKER_00It's funny that we both have different videos of that. I've like the centre half and you're like a right back, too. So it's like it's quite interesting that to be fair, how we see the game.
SPEAKER_01I think we've got so many though. This is the thing. A right back and a centre mid is probably the two that I would think that we need. But if that was me, that's what I would think. But I think we're gonna go and get a centre mid anyway. I think that'll probably come. I'd imagine it'll probably come over Monday to like Monday Tuesday, which is the day this pod will be going out.
SPEAKER_00So um maybe we can get Cavvy Devlin or load, I'm joking, but no.
SPEAKER_01Lauren Shankland on Moon. Aha. Um, it's uh I've certainly been there. Anything else about the transfer window big guy said it's just uh this was just a quick report about uh so anything else?
SPEAKER_00Um nothing wrong to be honest, Dave, if it I won't be fairly like we've already discussed. Um obviously you want uh proper number nine. I still don't think this uh JJ guys have sort of like finished article of it. But it's who's available as a number nine, that's the issue that hearts will have, obviously.
SPEAKER_01Um I think what I think this is it though, isn't it? Because what you're wanting is you're wanting um you're looking for the the fully cooked player, aren't you? The oven-ready one, the one that's ready to go rather than like one that was at the time because at the end of the day you've you've let you've wit the most ready-to-go striker, like you've had to let them go because of the contract, the closing is contract, and you're replacing them with players that are some projects to say the least. So it's uh it's a difficult one. I mean, you I you'd think that if there was to be another striker coming in, then it would be another ready one for Scotland. I mean, this we don't know too much about GD Williams yet. Um obviously, by the time this pod goes out, we'll probably have a better idea because we'll have seen him play. Um and that's the thing is everybody if you look on YouTube, everybody can look amazing. I could probably set myself a highlight deal. Um so it's it's obviously. Um and then obviously we do have five of them, six of them including Kabangu on the books. So yeah, um, squad-wise, I think I'd like to think that we we would never need to trim a couple of the books, but because of the injuries and how bad our medical department is, and the fact we're putting Thursday, Thursday, Sunday is one that's maybe thinking that we could actually do just keeping the squad just that little bit bigger. But again, uh the GM Jones is paid for a read, isn't he? And I think we'll see we'll see over the next couple of days what we what we think uh is going to come along, mate. So I mean that's pro that's it. I mean, again, thanks everybody for taking time on on this Monday to to go through that. Hopefully, um we've had a good weekend for recording this before the game on Saturday, so we don't know how it's gonna go. Um we'll be back straight later on in the week um to discuss the games that are coming up, discuss obviously Saturday's game as well, and again it's Derby week as well, so the excitement of that. So again, um thank you very much for listening, and we will catch you later.
SPEAKER_00There's a body every week, regular to high weed.