James McPake, the manager, discusses the new players he has added to his team and looks forward to Saturday’s home game against Morton.
Even though James’ team has only lost once this season against Morton—twice—he is well aware of the strong results Dougie Imrie’s team has achieved since losing to Partick Thistle and Dunfermline in November. After 12 games in all competitions, the Greenock team is currently unbeaten. James made the following observation:
They have excelled. They were having a very bad run at the time we were down there on Friday night, but I believe they’ve turned things around since then. It’s a testament to Dougie, his team, and the players because it’s not an easy feat, especially in this league.It’s difficult to go and do that in this league, especially because they have won nine league games. I should know because I doubt I’ve ever carried that out!
It’s admirable of them. We anticipate a challenging contest. Even without their form, the games have been extremely difficult, despite the fact that we have defeated them twice.Here, I felt that we played a great game for almost seventy minutes and had enough of opportunities to score more. We had a great start down there, but they never gave up and kept coming back at us, demonstrating their strength of character. It was a difficult way for us to finish the game. Although we are aware of how difficult this will be, we are looking forward to it.
The three new players, Xavier Benjamin, Brad Holmes, and Malachi Fagan (seen below), will immediately join the team. James called the transactions made during the transfer window, which ended on Thursday, February 1st, “productive.”
Considering that Scotland has a loan window that closes at the end of February, it was crucial for us to get the applications we did and to retain Josh Edwards. I’m happy with how we handled it; once again, the club performed a fantastic job. We did not stop trying to assemble the squad as soon as possible.
The manager revealed that the team had shown great intent when they rejected a proposal for Josh Edwards.He believed that the team’s lack of depth at center back could be seen by all, especially in light of the injury list:
Malachi’s arrival has made a difference in that. I knew Malachi, of course, but Xavier was the one we saw film of, and he’s grown and become rather noticeable. Even though he only participated in two FA Cup and Carabao Cup cup games, he stood out among the first team players. Along with the video we were viewing, we conducted some further research and spoke with a few others. All of the results were favorable. It made perfect sense to do it in the end.Xavier looked well throughout his morning workout and will be included in the squad for tomorrow.
Brad Holmes (top photo) joined the team in training on Wednesday after coming in on loan from Blackpool. He and Xavier have both adapted well, with James saying it was not difficult because his team is friendly and a great group to be a part of. James provided updates on the seven players who are currently injured.
“Aaron Comrie is in the final stages of his career; he is progressing pretty well. Aaron performed a good amount of the work at training today. Others are starting to emerge: Matty Todd has resumed running, and Kane (Ritchie-Hosler) has resumed running. While it remains to be seen how soon Kane will resume running, it is encouraging to see him back on the ground. Breeny, Bene, and Jakubiak seem to be racing toward the same goal. Breeny is most likely the one behind that; he is doing early stage trials.
The manager has more alternatives now that the three acquisitions and those guys are getting close to match fitness. He concurred:
“The three new players we signed are good players, but they also give the squad more energy, which I think was especially needed given the injuries we had sustained.” That affected the team, as it would any team in any league. It’s difficult for the remaining players to practice every day, participate in every game, and be asked to do a lot of work when you lose five or six important guys.
“We did state at the beginning of this timeframe that we would make every effort to assist where we could. In terms of numbers, those two spots were actually where we needed it the fastest.
After making his debut last Saturday against Dundee United, Malachi Fagan-Walcott (shown above) allowed the manager to move Chris Hamilton into a midfield position right away.James expressed his admiration for Chris’s effort and pointed out how beneficial it was for both Chris Hamilton and Ewan Otoo to be able to transition from defensive to offensive roles:
“Players who can stand in or play other positions, like Chris and Ewan, are extremely comparable, and I believe those two are really good at both positions.We may try to deploy Hammy as a center back in some games, and we may try to overload the midfield with his presence in others.
“I’m thrilled he can perform at that level. I’m also happy for him because I was a little concerned about how he would feel if he wasn’t successful in his new role and it didn’t work out. Since he was back in the midfield, I believe that he was predisposed to perform well coming into that game. He really was great up there, in my opinion.I believe it’s a testament to him that he can play center back before switching to midfield, and we never seem to notice how young he is. He doesn’t appear youthful.
It’s a testament to Chris (seen above) and his methods of working and training. There aren’t enough hours in the day for him to get in his desired amount of training and work because he constantly works remotely and is now requesting to play extra midfield and center back.It’s a pleasure working with him. Although I won’t do this, he would gladly play as a 10 if I asked him to do so tomorrow. He simply enjoys representing this football team.
The manager said, “It’s tough for me to pick what position they’re best at, because I work with them every day and I understand that players just want to play.” Most players would fill in anywhere the boss asked.
“Again, I believe that depends on your opponents, your home or away location, your game plan, the players you have to choose from, and whether Chris Hamilton or Ewan Otoo fit best for your squad. I believe that both players have demonstrated their importance to this football team when healthy and available.It’s wonderful to have them. Others at the top of the field have the ability to play in several positions. It’s nice to have that because both Aaron and Michael have played in various capacities.
James, however, does not want to depend on playing players out of position, which is why he added striker Brad Holmes and two center backs, Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Xavier Benjamin, during the transfer window.
“We have been considering several options, but if it were our choice, we would like to pursue it once the team’s health improves. Having it available to you as the manager or coach of this team will be enjoyable, especially when you have the entire roster to choose from and there are some excellent players there.Available Now!
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