Dunfermline Athletic boss James McPake insists he would rather sign nobody in January if he cannot find a new recruit with the ‘wow’ factor.
McPake was involved in a recruitment meeting with the East End Park hierarchy last week as they piece together plans for the forthcoming transfer window.
The Pars boss has identified areas of his squad that could be strengthened.
And he also has targets in mind that would boost the Fifers for the second half of the Championship campaign.
But he is convinced that, with the likes of skipper Kyle Benedictus on his way back and Rhys Breen having made his comeback from injury in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Arbroath, the current squad can be successful without any additions.
He said: “We have had our recruitment meeting. It was a good call and there are still targets.
“But I would not want massive changes – and that might not be the answer fans want to hear, because everybody gets excited by signings.
“We would rather bring in nobody than bring in somebody who isn’t going to come in and have that impact where you’d go ‘wow’.
“First and foremost, I agree [with chairman David Cook] that if that squad is fully fit then it’s a great squad to work with, to develop and to keep working together.
“You always do look for that wee [extra] bit. That is what we are doing just now – trying to identify players that we can bring in.
“We have targets probably all over the pitch for the winter and the summer.
“But it certainly needs to be somebody who comes in and makes us a lot better. I know they can’t guarantee that but that’s why you are bringing them in.
“The wee 0-0s and they win us the game or getting beat 1-0 and they get the equaliser or they stop us conceding.”
Breen shook off a hamstring injury to return for the first time in two months against Arbroath.
Benedictus has been absent for the same length of time with a thigh problem that he picked up on his comeback from a broken foot.
With Kane Ritchie-Hosler expected to be side-lined until March after surgery on his shoulder – his third operation of the season – injuries will play a part in McPake’s thinking on fresh faces.
He added: “In certain games, we feel that the injured players would have made a difference.
‘Good squad if everybody is fit’
“Then, on the other side, if Bene [Benedictus] or Breeny [Breen] were to break down again, then a central defender is certainly something that we would look at.
“At any point you are an injury away from, ‘do we need a midfielder?’. Or, if Josh Edwards gets injured, we need a left midfielder/left wing-back/left-back.
“I am being honest, I’m happy with the squad. I think that it’s a good squad if everybody is fit.
“The problem is you never get that in football and the injuries we have had have been tough to take.
“Benedictus, Matty Todd, Kane, Deniz [Mehmet] – those are four that probably every Dunfermline fan would have in their team.
“It has been tough but we will see what we can do.”
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