Reasons not to be over-cheerful

Andy Munro on happenings at St Andrews.

I’ve come round to the view that Aitor Karanka is probably a good appointment, and his first signing, of the influential left-back George Friend from Middlesbrough, despite his age, is to be commended. Particularly as it hasn’t cost us a transfer fee.

However, the almost exclusive and manic pursuit of keeper Karl Darlow from Newcastle is a concern. There are even rumours that his wife has been spotted shopping in the city centre. Let’s hope it was in Poundland.

There are plenty of other good keepers around and available but it seems to me the usual story of a new manager predictably going back to his old hunting grounds with, in this case, Darlow being an ex-Nottingham Forest player. This is a strategy that to me smacks of laziness, or in our case probably a poor scouting network, and signing a player in such circumstances will always lead to a charge of favouritism where he’s concerned.

Furthermore, with our squad already threadbare , the rumoured departure of Wes Harding seems premature, if not verging on the foolhardy. Wes is never going to make the England team but he is an energetic, versatile and dependable back-up. Let’s hope that I’m being over pessimistic.