Kirk Broadfoot fits the bill perfectly for what Billy Dodds is looking for at Caley Thistle.
He will be 37 next month, but Broadfoot remains fit as a fiddle and has played regularly throughout his career. He would bring leadership, organisation and, of course, experience to the Inverness team.
That has been the focal point of Doddsy’s recruitment this summer and I’m intrigued to see how it works out.
In Michael Gardyne and Billy Mckay,the Caley Jags manager has added two proven commodities of the highest calibre.
Doddsy’s objective this season is the same one which John Robertson and Neil McCann have faced – getting Inverness back into the Scottish Premiership.
Who are better equipped to lead that charge than Gardyne and Mckay?
They are two players who, despite being in the over-30 club, still have a lot of energy in their legs and you know will give their all.
They know what it takes to win promotion from the Championship and – if Michael will provide the guile – then Billy, as Caley Thistle fans know all too well, will provide the goals.
When I think of Inverness in the second tier, I’ve always viewed them as a side which has been solid defensively but lacked the firepower needed to really push for the title.
Jordan White and Nikolay Todorov both did well in their time at Caledonian Stadium, but neither man is a 20-goal-a-season striker.
Billy is that guy for Caley Thistle.
As we’ve seen in pre-season, however, the new campaign is going to be fraught with Covid challenges.
We must be into double figures in terms of the number of warm-up matches which have been postponed due a positive test or players having to self-isolate and I remain fearful of what it is to come.
Games will be playe,d but the teams with smaller squads will be at a disadvantage if they have players missing matches. That is my biggest concern for Inverness heading into the Premier Sports Cup campaign this weekend.
They have a decent squad on paper and one which should do well, but it’s a trim squad and having players fit and available will be crucial for the new manager’s hopes of leading the team back to the top flight.
Malky right to take his time with recruitment at Ross County
It sounds as if we’re in for a busy week at Ross County if manager Malky Mackay is to be believed.
It has been less of a revolving door and more of a steady exodus from Victoria Park this summer with captain Iain Vigurs and club legend Gardyne leading a queue of 10 players in departing the club and four – Ross Callachan, Dominic Samuel, Jake Vokins and Alexander Robertson – arriving so far.
Midfielder Robertson penned a season-long loan from Manchester City last night.
Malky has been hinting there will be more to come and, while I’m sure he has been inundated with emails from agents offering players, I’m pleased to see him taking his time.
The Staggies boss knows the English market and he has good contacts in the game. I know Vokins is highly rated at Southampton and I’m looking forward to seeing him in action, while Samuel is a big strong lad.
If he plays as he looks then he is going to be a real handful for opposition defences.
It’s a funny time of the season as clubs in England are only now getting ready to return for pre-season training and I expect transfers to be like the property market at the minute with a daisy chain of deals all dependent on others going through.
The domino effect will kick-in eventually and we should remember the leagues don’t start until the last weekend of July, so I am sure managers will get by with what they have for the round-robin matches of the Premier Sports Cup in the next three weeks.
Sorry Tartan Army, England could go all the way
I am sure the Tartan Army footsoldiers will be peering through their fingers this week as England go for Euro 2020 glory, but I have to say Gareth Southgate’s side have a great chance.
I watched them dismantle Ukraine with ease in Italy on Saturday night and it is clear they are going to take some stopping.
Should England overcome Denmark tomorrow, which is by no means a given, then Italy or Spain, who meet in tonight’s other semi-final, will be the final barrier to glory this weekend.
I do feel as if fortune has favoured the Auld Enemy in this tournament, with all but one match in England’s quest for the trophy played at their home at Wembley.
But in their one road trip they’ve romped to a 4-0 win, so let’s not ignore what is staring us in the face here – England have a great chance of winning this.
