At least, we have a natural replacement for Glenn Loovens in Darren Purse who I thought was, by some distance, our best player during the long winless run around the turn of the year. Replacing Ricky Scimeca is not going to be as easy - although Simon Walton has his critics I don't think he has done that badly so far and our record in games he has played in is pretty good. Let's not forget, Darcy Blake either, he certainly did not let the side down when called upon at Leicester and West Brom. However, I don't think either can fully replace Scimeca whose covering and tracking back when we lose the ball or others move forward seems to come from the experience he has gained in twelve seasons of playing in the top two divisions of the domestic game.
The real problem though is that we have lost the player who has scored nearly 40% of our league goals and replacing him looks close to impossible. What makes Michael Chopra's absence all the harder to bear at such an important time in the season is that none of the back up strikers at the club have so far shown that they can come remotely close to replacing him. Whilst I would argue that between them, Campbell, Glombard, Redan, Byrne, Green and Ferretti are not costing us a fortune in transfer fees and wages, the fact of the matter is that, unlike in other areas of the pitch, it cannot be claimed that lack of numbers is holding us back - I am afraid that it is lack of quality when it comes to the striking positions.
To be fair to Matt Green, I would say that he is probably developing ahead of schedule with good performances as well as goals at reserve team level and promising contributions from the bench for the first team, but, what sort of signal does yesterday's signing of Warren Feeney send out to the other six players I listed - in particular, what does it say about the other two strikers we signed in January? At least Jason Byrne has done what the other six have failed to do and that is score a goal - it should also be remembered that he joined the club at an awkward time for him with the Irish season having finished a couple of months earlier and without him having the opportunity of getting any "pre season training" in before he played for us, so, hopefully, there may be more to come from him next season. However, to come on as sub last week and then be replaced just over half an hour later says it all really about his current level of performance for us.
As for Iwan Redan, I reckon the circumstances behind his arrival at Ninian Park always made his signing something of a gamble - there is always a doubt as to whether a foreign player will adapt to the British game when he comes here, but, in Redan's case, there was also the controversial nature of his departure from Willem II. There was always the chance that Redan would see his spell here as just a way of letting the dust settle in Holland before making a return to his homeland in the summer and, judging by what we have seen of him so far, that seems to be what has happened.
Whilst I certainly have misgivings at the sort of thinking that rewards a player with his recent scoring record with a three year contract, the signing of Warren Feeney reminds me a lot of when we got Michael Ricketts in eighteen months ago. After weeks of speculation linking us with the likes of Kris Boyd and Derek Riordan, the arrival of Ricketts left me feeling distinctly underwhelmed and I must say I feel the same way about Feeney. However, whilst I thought Ricketts was showing exactly why his career had panned out the way it had by the time he came to the end of his loan spell with us, it is very easy to forget the initial impact he had on the side, Ricketts scored four times in his first nine matches for us (two of them being match winners) and we picked up fourteen points from the first seven matches in which he played - a return which would almost certainly get us in the play off if repeated in our remaining seven games.
I mentioned the words "initial impact" earlier and I reckon that is what is so important with Feeney. Any player going to a new club usually tries to make a good early impression and, in Feeney's case, that should be particularly true. Let's face it, a player with his scoring record over the last year or so should be very grateful that a club like City would step in to sign him and give him the chance of playing Premiership football next season - I reckon Feeney owes Peter Ridsdale, Dave Jones and Cardiff City for giving him a chance that his career stats, frankly, don't deserve and you would like to think that he would respond in the coming weeks with an effort and hunger which would benefit the team.
As for what signals Feeney's signing sends out about our financial situation and the current ambitions of the board, I reckon the irony of us talking about signing Luton's main man back in January and ending up with the player who was, probably their fourth choice striker a couple of months later says it all! However, trying to look at it from the board's perspective, I think they could quite reasonably point out the contrast between what has happened since this January in the transfer market with what happened last season when we were also well in the running for a Play Off spot at the turn of the year.
Last season we bought in Thompson, Scimeca and Ndumbu-Nsungu in January for a total cost of £250,000 and that was it for the season - no complaints from me about the first two of those players who I reckon have turned out to be good signings for us, but let's not forget that Thompson's transfer fee was paid for largely through money received for Alan Lee and Tony Warner. Come March and the transfer deadline, we were still in the running for the Play Offs, but, while rivals brought players in, we did nothing. By contrast, we have received nothing in transfer revenue this season and yet, if we go by reported transfer fees, we have spent over half a million pounds since January with £50,000 more to be spent if we go up.
For some, myself included, the new board have not delivered what big talk about bids for Rowan Vine promised. However, there are always two sides to an argument and they can say that when we crying out for a striker this week, they came up with one - it will not be long at all before we know whether Feeney will be able to live up to the faith that Messrs Ridsdale and Jones have shown in him.