| General Sport - 10 May 2006 |
| Football: Blether with Brown > Touchline |
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| Nothing Brewing |
| With the season barely finished and speculation running high, Dundee United boss Craig Brewster today distanced himself from reports linking him with imminent moves for a clutch of players (writes Graeme Finnan). |
| Bob Malcolm became the latest name associated with the Tangerines and, while Craig is an admirer of the versatile Rangers man, any plans to bring the 25-year-old to Tannadice will have to wait until new Ibrox gaffer Paul Le Guen has assessed his squad.
Celtic keeper David Marshall and Dunfermline pair Greg Shields and Noel Hunt are other possible close-season targets. However, Craig was keeping his cards close to his chest today as to just who is on his summer shopping list.
And, with United currently trying to offload several high earners at the club, it could be that one or two of them will have to move on first before any deals for new players can be struck.
“As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing doing on the signing front as yet,” said Craig. “It’s always the same at this time of year — everybody starts getting linked with everybody else.
“Regarding the goalkeeping situation, we need another keeper. We have two or three on the list, but it all depends on who is available.
“As for the lads we are prepared to let go, they are still talking to the chairman. We’ll need to wait and see what happens there, so my hands are slightly tied at the moment.” |
| McDonald in for Dens post |
| Former PSV Eindhoven and Newcastle United player Rob McDonald has emerged as a surprise candidate for the managerial vacancy at Dundee. |
| McDonald spent six years as a head coach of clubs in the Netherlands and the South African Premiership and he was chosen to run Ajax’s Cape Town youth academy in 2000.
The Englishman presented a dossier on the Dundee side to the club’s board after watching them face Queen of the South in their final game of the season.
Former boss Jocky Scott, Tommy McLean, Paul Lambert and Miksu Paatelainen have all been linked with the post vacated by Alan Kernaghan.
The development club have an open meeting at Dens tomorrow in the Andy Penman Lounge (7.30).
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| ‘Peaso’ ok for pre-season |
| St Johnstone boss Owen Coyle has revealed that striker Peter MacDonald, who missed almost the whole of last season due to a knee injury, will be ready for pre-season training (writes James Masson). |
| Owen has a high regard for ‘Peaso’, who he rates as one of, if not the best, striker in the First Division.
“I have no doubt whatsoever that, had ‘Peaso’ been fit last season, he would’ve been one of the top-scoring forwards in the First Division,” Owen said.
Fellow-striker Stephen Dobbie, underwent hernia surgery today, but he, too, is expected to be OK to resume training when pre-season begins.
Jason Scotland and former Dundee United team-mate Collin Samuel are in the Trinidad & Tobago squad for tonight’s World Cup warm-up match at home to Peru.
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| Shaw appointed Forfar boss |
| Forfar Athletic have solved their managerial crisis after its board of directors opted to elevate assistant gaffer George Shaw to the top job (writes Gary Cooper). |
| It is the third time in 20 years that the club has promoted from within as it wrestled with replacing Ray Farningham, who last week departed to take up a scouting role with Gretna.
Officials are hopeful it will bring leadership stability to Forfar after being rocked by the loss of a clutch of managers in the last four years.
George takes over the reins as part of a package which involves Loons striker Paul Tosh stepping into the assistant manager’s post, while still retaining a playing role.
As part of the negotiations, Paul has signed a two-year playing contract to stay with the Sky Blues.
The appointments, made late last night, were revealed today by club chairman David McGregor who said, “The board was unanimous in its conclusion that the best way forward for the club was to appoint from within.”
Shaw’s playing career has seen him pull on the colours of Forfar, Partick Thistle, Dundee, Dunfermline, Ross County, Clydebank, Stranraer and Stenhousemuir. |
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