Dundee United’s summer signings so far may not have the same glitz and glamour as last year’s captures.
However, they are clear indications of the fatal weakness that Jim Goodwin identified at the end of last season.
A year ago, the Tangerines were chasing Australian World Cup stars, former Scotland No 9s and up-and-coming midfield maestros.
This time it’s clear the targeting model has changed to Championship experience and players who will dig in when things get tough.
It’s also a sign that the budget has changed dramatically, thanks to their drop to the second tier.
But clearly Goodwin saw the type of player the Tangerines were missing and he’s gone out to fill that gap.
Attitude
Ross Docherty, Liam Grimshaw and Kevin Holt are all very experienced in the second tier.
Clearly, though, attitude and character is a vital ingredient for Goodwin’s United.
There is still a long way to go in the summer transfer window but his first moves in the transfer window speak volumes.
All three have a lot of games behind them and have strong characters to add to what is in the squad already.
The second point is really important, too, for the young players coming through and emerging into first-team football.
Because Goodwin’s job isn’t solely to get United out of the Championship but also to build a team that won’t come straight back down in a couple of years’ time.
Realism
The new faces, though, tell us that rebuild will be done with a big dollop of realism by Goodwin.
United’s previous model was unsustainable and they’ve ended up back in the Championship.
With that in mind, I think we can expect a number of existing players to depart.
There are players on big money and they are unlikely to take kindly to being asked to take a pay cut to play in the Championship.
I don’t blame them for that – they agreed a contract with the club.
But that sort of situation usually takes a bit of time to sort out.
It’s just the nature of things, unless there is another offer on the table to move on then they’ll stick around.
Again, I don’t blame them for that.
First impressions
So I expect there may be a lot of late business this summer for Goodwin and United.
That’s not ideal, you want your squad in place nice and early, but the Tangerines won’t have that luxury.
Quite clearly, though, he has moved quickly to fix the main deficiency of his squad.
Three players who know what it takes to win games in the Championship while Holt and Grimshaw have good experience of the top flight, too.
It’ll be good to see United back in action again this weekend with their first friendly of pre-season.
First impressions are important and the new boys will be keen to put on a show.
