Dundee manager Gary Bowyer wants to be a busy man between now and Friday morning.
How many new players he wants to sign for the Dark Blues before tomorrow’s midnight deadline he won’t say.
But, reading between the lines, I’d say he’d like four or five.
Whether he will have the chance to actually do that, we’ll have to wait and see. The market isn’t exactly jumping this summer.
And considering he’s only made four signings over the summer and three of them were loans, that would be quite the acceleration.
There could, though, be quite a lot of movement at Dens Park.
Or Gardyne Campus – wherever they do their wheeling and dealing these days.
Friday’s defeat at Ayr United set the alarm bells ringing for Bowyer.
He was clear about that in his press conference ahead of last night’s clash with Falkirk.
What he’s looking for, he also keeps close to his chest.
But anybody watching the Dark Blues this season can hazard an educated guess.
So, where will Dundee be looking to strengthen before the Queen’s Park clash on Saturday?
Frontman
Another striker wouldn’t be any sort of surprise.
Somerset Park was a clear lesson in what is missing.
Zak Rudden is a player I like and he will score goals in the Championship but he’s no target man.
Dundee need a physical presence up front.
Dipo Akinyemi bullied the Dundee defence on Friday and their answer was to throw central defender Lee Ashcroft up front.
That’s not sustainable.
So, something a bit different to what they have already in the forward areas is certainly on the shopping list.
Zach Robinson did a good job last night against Falkirk but he’s still pretty raw and, with Rudden injured, there’s no back-up option right now.
Creator
For me, Dundee are also missing a bit of guile, some creativity in the forward areas.
They have lots of good, willing runners but the one player who can add that touch of class, a bit of finesse, is the oldest outfield player in the squad – Paul McGowan.
Lyall Cameron’s Man of the Match display against Falkirk showed he’s got the potential to fill that void in the Dark Blues squad.
On top of his well-taken goal, his dribbling and passing ability were impressive. Can he step up and take on Championship level yet, though?
Defence
The backline needs a bit of help as well.
Ashcroft, Ryan Sweeney and Tyler French are good options at this level for central defence but another one in there wouldn’t go amiss.
Having cover or competition for Jordan Marshall at left-back has been a problem for years now.
Joe Grayson has played there in the past but he looks like the choice for defensive midfield.
Cammy Kerr stepped in to cover last night while Jordan McGhee has also done that but having a right-footer there affects the balance of the team and should only be a last resort.
Gamble
Judging by his four signings already this summer, Bowyer has used his contacts down south to bring players up.
That’s a risk.
For one, you need to entice them up with decent contracts.
They also don’t know the Scottish league and will take time to adjust.
Every signing is a gamble, even at the highest level.
How many times Bowyer wants to roll the dice this week will be interesting.
How many of the current squad have to head out before new players come in will also be telling.
It promises to be a big deadline day at Dens Park.
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