but calderwood does not expect ‘a hive of transfer activity’ at pittodrie in transfer window
By Paul Third
Published: 25/11/2008
Jimmy Calderwood and his coaching staff have started scouting matches in England as they ponder strengthening the Aberdeen squad but the Dons manager does not expect the new year to bring a hive of activity at Pittodrie.
Calderwood has dismissed reports linking him with a move for Newcastle goalkeeper Fraser Foster after watching him in action last week but confirmed he did watch the Magpies in action.
He said: “I was at the Ever-ton and Newcastle reserve game while Jimmy Nicholl was at the Liverpool reserve game against Wigan. We both went to another game the following night. We were not watching anyone in particular. We were just having a look to see who is out there.
“I would be amazed if we get another goalkeeper in during the next year and a half. We have three good goalkeepers here and another very promising one coming through.â€
Contract discussions with the players who will be out of contract in the summer are set to begin and, while Calderwood wants to retain his players, he believes it is prudent to assess the market in the event one moves on.
He said: “We got Sone Aluko and Josh Walker in last year and they both added strength and depth to the squad. If the opportunity is there to do something in January then we will look at it but I don’t expect anything more than one or two moves happening here.
“We have contract discussions to come and we have to do our homework in case some of the players here want to leave. I don’t expect that to happen and I don’t want anyone to leave but if a player decides he wants to go we will be prepared.â€
The watching briefs may be under way once more but the more pressing matter for the manager is eradicating the poor defending which has resurfaced recently.
Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Rangers was another frustrating afternoon for Calderwood, who watched his players dominate for long spells at Ibrox only to concede soft goals at set-pieces.
He said: “Our football is starting to come back into our game but that’s four goals from corners we have lost in the last two games and it has cost us five points.
“We have the tallest team I have had at Aberdeen but we lost two scrappy goals despite dominating Rangers for 55 minutes.
“We hammered them in terms of possession but you have to make it count when you are on top and we didn’t do that.â€
The Aberdeen manager is also looking for his side to carry a bigger goal threat in games. With just 18 goals scored in the 15 games in the SPL so far, Calderwood knows more goals are required.
He said: “You don’t get too many chances at Ibrox but we created a lot at Hibs the previous week and didn’t take them.
“We played Sone in the hole behind Lee Miller and it caused Rangers massive problems but he is not the easiest player to catch in our own team and we didn’t support as well as we could have. We need to do better in those situations.â€
It would be no surprise if we were looking at a keeper as what are we going to do if Langfield gets injured, I would rather see young Bateman than Bossu.
It would be no surprise if we were looking at a keeper as what are we going to do if Langfield gets injured, I would rather see young Bateman than Bossu.