Barry Robson admits Raith Rovers are desperate for attacking reinforcements – but does not expect a new striker to be signed before Sunday’s Scottish Cup clash with Falkirk.
The Stark’s Park outfit this week announced the departure of three players, with defender Fankaty Dabo joined by forwards Lewis Jamieson and Cody David in leaving the club.
With Callum Smith out for the rest of the season following knee surgery and Lewis Vaughan still on his way back from a hamstring operation, Robson’s options up front are seriously limited.
In addition, Jack Hamilton has been sidelined for the past month and picked up ‘a knock’ in training on Thursday as he closes in on his comeback.
Given the glaringly obvious gap in the squad, recruiting new signings in attack has been the focus of Robson and technical director John Potter this week.
However, it seems unlikely there will be any fresh faces arriving in time for the trip to face Falkirk.
“Obviously, we do need to sign a player up the top end of the pitch,” Robson admitted to Courier Sport.
“The boys who have left were all really good guys, they were really good at the football club.
“But our focus now is just trying to search for and find some replacements.
January transfer window frustrations
“I wouldn’t imagine that happening before Sunday.
“It’s a notoriously difficult window and we’re not top of the food chain either.
“We need to wait for some other things to happen at other places before we can go and do some stuff.
“So, yes, we are short at the top end of the pitch. But fingers crossed we can get a couple of players in before the window closes.”
Robson is not alone in speaking of the frustrations of the January transfer window.
So, whilst he is determined to build a squad capable of delivering success for Raith in the long-term, he accepts that short-term loan signings are likely this month.
“It’s really difficult to build for the long term right now, in January,” he added. “Our aim is to build for the long term in the summer.
“I need to sit down and go through the whole thing, what exactly we are looking for in the summer and try and help the team and structure the team a bit better.
“Just now it is about players that can come in and maybe try and help us in the short-term.
‘No snap decisions’
“That’s what we’re looking for, so it takes a bit of time.
“It’s not always easy. You know what you’re trying to get, but you can’t sometimes get it.
“But we won’t make snap decisions or wrong decisions.”
Meanwhile, skipper Scott Brown is back in training following a problematic calf injury and defensive duo Paul Hanlon and Liam Dick are also in consideration after picking up hip problems at Somerset Park for Robson’s debut defeat to Ayr United.
Shaun Byrne is out for two months with ankle ligament damage.
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