January business

Right, the transfer window opens next week.  What business will your side get up to?

Feel free to correct me, in abusive fashion, if I'm hopelessly wrong...

ABERDEEN
What they need to do: Kidnap Michael Hector and refuse to give him back to Reading.  The English defender has got better and better as the season's gone on, but his loan finishes imminently and his parent club want him back.  With Andrew Considine having torn his calf and Clark Robertson out till February, the Dons are now very stretched defensively, especially given that Russell Anderson really does look past it.  Other than that, Derek McInnes is probably happy with what he has got.

Potential departures: Aside from Hector, there's unlikely to be many exits.  Some of the youngsters, such as Lawrence Shankland and Craig Storie, will probably head out on loan.  Nicky Weaver is out of contract, so a new keeper will be needed if he leaves.


CELTIC
What they need to do: Resist the temptation to spend unnecessarily.  With the title a formality and the European campaign over, there's not really much need for new faces, unless they can find a bargain - which is unlikely as the January transfer window tends to lead to inflated prices rather than knockdown ones.  There are rumours that Partick's Aaron Taylor-Sinclair is on his way for a £75,000 fee.  It would be in the club's long-term interests to take the opportunity to get some of the younger players some extended game time in the second half of the campaign.

Potential departures: I think it's safe to say that, if Joe Ledley and Georgios Samaras haven't signed new contracts by now, then they've made up their minds that they're leaving in the summer when their current deals run out.  Might Neil Lennon choose to cash in on whatever he can get for them?  It would probably be the smart thing to do.  Tom Rogic needs first team football if he's to make Australia's World Cup squad.  Dylan McGeouch apparently declined a loan move in August; given he's seen bugger all action this season, he may be reconsidering that decision.


DUNDEE UNITED
What they need to do: Unplug all the phones so no-one can make a bid for one of their starlets that they can't refuse.  Other clubs are bound to be sniffing all over Ryan Gauld et al.  United probably won't bring anyone in unless someone leaves.

Potential departures: David Goodwillie's loan spell is up in January, and such has been his mediocrity that few tears will be shed if he returns to Blackburn.  Mark Wilson's short term deal runs out soon as well, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him stay. 


HEARTS
What they need to do: Act as if the transfer window never opened - the Jambos won't come out of administration until the spring, and so their transfer embargo still stands.

Potential departures: The squad is already so thin that Gary Locke is probably on the brink of getting his boots out; he certainly can't afford anyone to leave.  Perhaps a Championship club might come in again for Jason Holt though?


HIBERNIAN
What they need to do: Hope Steve Marsella has scouted a few decent wingers; Hibs' new goalkeeping coach and chief scout needs to come up with a few gems to compare with the players he found for Caley Thistle.  On top of that, installing a revolving door in Easter Road might be useful, as there's bound to be plenty of comings and goings - don't believe Terry Butcher for a second when he says he's pleased with the quality of the squad.  But, given the compensation cost of the new coaching staff, there's unlikely to be any money in the kitty, and certainly not enough for Butcher to sign all the ICT players he'd like.

Potential departures: The problem will be convincing players who are under contract to leave, given that few of them will have suitors.  Tom Taiwo and Rowan Vine certainly don't seem to be in the manager's plans.


INVERNESS CT
What they need to do: Find another central midfield player, given that Richie Foran has joined Jamie Vincent on the casualty list.  The worry is that Yogi Hughes will revert to type and insist on signing Kevin McBride and Patrick Cregg, like he has done for so many other clubs.  Goalkeeper Dean Brill has already made his loan move from Luton permanent.

Potential departures: If Billy McKay is lured away during the window, I think it would be best if someone took my ties and shoelaces from me.  Striker Curtis Allen terminated his contract after failing to make a first team appearance this season, but hopefully Toby Agdestein will stay beyond the end of his short term deal.  If either McKay or Agdestein depart, then another forward will be required.


KILMARNOCK
What they need to do: Rip it all up and start again.  Kilmarnock have already used 28 players this season, yet it appears that, aside from Craig Samson in goal and Fat Kris Boyd up front, Allan Johnston is still not happy with the quality of his first team.  Killie have brought in several trialists, but one has to hope they are rather superior to the ones who turned up in the summer and were inexplicably offered contracts...

Potential departures: ...I'm looking at you, Kyle Jacobs and Mark Stewart, players who have never previously looked better than Scottish Championship material and who proved woefully out of their depth.  Their short-term deals will not be extended.  Barry Nicholson is a more likely candidate to have his deal extended.  Johnston will also probably try to extend the loan deal of Celtic's Jackson Irvine, but another loanee, Dundee United's Michael Gardyne, has gone off the boil recently.  I wonder if Kenny Shiels may return to his old club to try and sign some youngsters on loan, or maybe even veteran James Fowler, who is out of favour at Rugby Park.


MOTHERWELL
What they need to do: Convince Stephen McManus and James McFadden that it's January 2008, not January 2014, in the hope that they start playing as well as they did six years ago.  Failing that, another wide player would be useful even if loan player Lionel Ainsworth sticks around.  Stuart McCall will be desperate to keep Henri Anier till the end of the season.

Potential departures: The squad is small enough that they won't be looking to get rid of anyone.  Bob McHugh has gone stale and will be a candidate for a loan move when he returns from injury.  Goalkeeper Dan Twardzik's emergency loan won't be extended as long as Lee Hollis or Gunnar Nielsen are fit again.


PARTICK THISTLE
What they need to do: Find a few more Premiership-quality players.  Too few of their summer signings were up to the job, and there is zero depth beyond the first XI.  A new left-back will be a necessity if Aaron Taylor-Sinclair signs for Celtic.  Another central defender would be lovely too, so Alan Archibald doesn't have to turn to the hapless Gabriel Piccolo whenever his first choice pair are hurt.  Kris Doolan's good form has reduced the need for another striker, but I'm sure Archibald would jump at the opportunity to sign a good one.

Potential departures: Liverpool loan striker Henoc Mukendi will probably go, given he hasn't made a first team appearance.  Other than him, there probably won't be too many exits.


ROSS COUNTY
What they need to do: Replace their January 2014 squad with their January 2013 squad.  County's spirit appears to have been sapped.  They need better defenders, a striker who can score goals, and a defensive midfielder so that Richard Brittain can be pushed further up the park.  The latter problem might be solved by Cardiff's Filip Kiss, who has been on trial in Dingwall.  It will not have gone unnoticed that left-back Evangelos Oikonomou, outstanding last season, has been released by his club in Greece and is available.

Potential departures: It will be a surprise if Swiss forward Orhan Mustafi stays, given that he's been a waste of space.  Ivan Sproule has already returned to Northern Ireland for family reasons.  Derek Adams hasn't been shy in the past about punting players who aren't in his plans, even those who have been around for a while.


ST JOHNSTONE
What they need to do: With Steven Maclean still out, they could do with another striker.  Attacking midfielder Lee Croft has already returned for a second spell at the club and is building up his fitness.  Other than that, their main aim to be to prevent English Championship sides from sniffing around Stevie May again. 

Potential departures: Tommy Wright seems to have a soft spot for winger Gwion Edwards, but the player's loan from Swansea expires in January and he's not really done enough to justify extending it.  Midfielder David Robertson will definitely go after an injury-hit year.  Sanel Jahic will also be a free agent, and may be surplus to requirements when Steven Anderson is fit again.  If Wright has any sense, he'll try to convince Rory Fallon to leave, as the New Zealander is a waste of a wage.


ST MIRREN
What they need to do: Sign some decent players, rather than the dross they picked up in the summer.  I'd say that not a single one of the seven signings made in the summer would be in Danny Lennon's first choice XI right now (Marian Kello was signed in October, so he doesn't count, and neither does Conor Newton, who was here last year).  If they can convince Newton to stay for the rest of the season, that would be a big boost; it seems more likely that he will return to Newcastle and be replaced by young forward Adam Campbell, who would take some of the load off Steven Thompson.

Potential departures: Stephane Bahoken's loan from Nice has already been terminated; he was absolutely useless.  David Cornell started the season as first choice keeper and is now third choice, so he's off back to Swansea.  Hopefully, for the Buddies' sake, Paul McGowan's off-field antics don't lead to a loan move for a few months to Barlinnie Prison F.C.

L.