ST MIRREN manager Gus MacPherson will again spend his summer searching for new talent – but ruefully admits that a scheduled visit to the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland will not play any part in his recruitment drive.
MacPherson will spend a week at the finals as part of his Uefa Pro Coaching Licence which he hopes to complete by September.
The Buddies manager, who has a full team of players coming to the end of their contracts next month, will begin his an
nual search for fresh blood as soon as the present Clydesdale Bank Premier League campaign ends.
However, he accepts that he will not be making offers to any players appearing at the Euro finals.
"I'm going to the European Championships with Jim Fleeting from the SFA," MacPherson said.
"There are two groups of eight on the course, one going the first week and one going the second week. I have been doing the course for a couple of years and this is the last part of it, although it will not finish until September.
"Funnily enough, I won't be looking to scout any players at the European Championships. Those players don't come into our thinking. I don't know what my budget will be. I never ask but I know what I can get in terms of wages.
"It will most likely be players from the First Division in Scotland and lower leagues and even non-league in England.
"The recruitment of players is the hardest part of the job. It doesn't matter if it's the top clubs looking for the top players or not, it's always hard to improve your squad.
"You identify players who you can hopefully entice to the club but sometimes it's not about money and we've found that to be the case in the past."
MacPherson admits that defender David van Zanten is likely to be one player he will have to replace next season.
He said: "There has been a contract on the table since October and it has not been signed. So I am not confident that he will be here next season.
"There has been no further contact with his agent who has obviously advised him not to sign it.
"If you let a contract sit on the table for four or five months, then you are not going to accept it.
MacPherson added: "There are about ten or 11 players out of contract and we will see what happens over the next few games."
The full article contains 423 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
