McGhee: Squad too small to compete

Aug 20 2008 by Chris Black, Wishaw Press

MOTHERWELL manager Mark McGhee has spoken of his worry that the transfer window may slam shut at the end of this month without any new arrivals at Fir Park.

While other SPL sides have gone on a shopping spree to bring in new faces ahead of the August 31 deadline, McGhee has enjoyed little success in the transfer market.

Although midfielder Bob Malcolm, who spent the second half of last season at ’Well, signed a new one-year deal fans have been left unimpressed by the absence of new signings.

They were given a glimmer of hope last week when long-time target Jim O’Brien finally made his switch from Celtic permanent and he was joined by Icelandic ’keeper Gunnar Nielsen from Blackburn Rovers, who signed a six-month loan deal.

But the fear shared by the Fir Park faithful and manager McGhee is that ’Well’s small squad will be unable to cope with the pressures of competing in the SPL and UEFA Cup.

He said: “Of course it’s a concern that the transfer deadline comes and goes before we can get anybody else in. Our squad is too small to handle the season we have ahead of us and that is a huge concern to me.

“Today (Monday) at training I had to do without Mark Reynolds who has taken a wee knock. Stephen Hughes is suffering from a hamstring problem and that forced him to pull out of the Scotland squad for this week.”

The difficulty of the position the manager finds himself in was shown this week when Rangers’ defender Andy Webster agreed to a six-month loan deal at English Championship side Bristol Rovers.

McGhee had publicly coveted the former Hearts and Wigan centre-half in recent weeks and even spoke of his desire to have him playing in claret and amber before September during our interview.

He said: “Andy Webster is just one of a number of players that I am looking at, but we would definitely like to have him here.

“I think it was one of those deals which will have to wait right up until the deadline though. If a Championship side from down south were to come in for him and offer to pay all his wages there is no way we could compete with that.”

The fact that his words proved to be so prophetic will be of scant consolation to McGhee, whose ’Well side desperately need a solid centre half to shore up a fragile defence.

The Steelmen’s inability to shut out the opposition at set-pieces last season was well documented and although ’Well went on to finish third, that weak defence may well cost them dear during the coming campaign.

It was cruelly exploited by Aberdeen on Saturday when the Dons escaped back north with all three points thanks to an 86th minute Charlie Mulgrew free kick.

But McGhee insists it isn’t time to panic just yet.

He said: “Last season we didn’t lose many goals from open play but that is what we did against Hearts. Although I still think it is too early for people to say that we are not defending as well as last season just because of one game. If we continue to lose goals and games from open play than we’ll start to worry.”

’Well can’t afford to be slack at the back this Saturday when the visitors to Fir Park are Dundee United. The Tannadice outfit bounced back from a 3-1 opening night defeat against Hamilton with an impressive 1-1 draw with Celtic on Sunday.

Games between Motherwell and United proved to be among the league’s most entertaining clashes last season and fans of both sides should be in for yet another treat at Saturday’s 3pm kick-off.