Here is Stand-Free's take on the comings and goings at Pittodrie in January.
In:
Richie Byrne
From: Dunfermline
Contracted till 2008
Fee: £50 000
This is the closest thing to a ‘big' transfer Aberdeen made during the window, as Jimmy Calderwood's courtship with Byrne was finally consummated. As the stories linking Byrne to the Dons have surfaced and resurfaced since Jimmy's arrival at the club, added to the fact that we paid a fee for him, Byrne has a lot to live up to in the eyes of the fans. There can be no doubt that we are light on the left-hand side of the pitch, with only Scott Morrison and Scott Muirhead natural left-footers with first-team experience. Neither of the Scotts are defenders, and Morrison is not favoured by the management team while Muirhead is disliked by the support as well. Byrne has yet to kick a ball in Red, as he currently has an injury and will presumably be well short of match practise as he has not been playing for Dunfermline. Aberdeen fans will have to trust Jimmy on this one, which will not be the formality it was near the start of the season with the more unrealistic element of the support already sharpening the knives after our recent poor run.
Thorirann Kristjansson
6-month contract
Free
It is probably unfair to judge ‘Thor' on the basis of appearances against the Old Firm and Hearts away that do not even total 90 minutes. However, the initial gut feeling is that he does not cut the mustard. It will be interesting to see how the Iceman fares in notionally less testing games against the likes of ICT, Livingston and Dunfermline, but to these eyes it is eyebrow-raising to see Kristjansson on the field while Fernando Pasquinelli sits motionless on the bench. We have to give him a chance though, and it is clearly not putting the club out of pocket to do that.
Markus Paatelainen, Mikko Paatelainen
6-month contracts
Free
Bracketed together just as on the day of their signing, the Paatelainen brothers come across as more of a novelty act than a sign of Aberdeen's progression in the transfer market. This is slightly unfair, as neither have yet kicked a ball in anger for the Dons. However, there is no doubt that very few Aberdeen fans will see the signing of these two as a season-defining moment in the same way that signing, say, Nicholson would. It will be interesting, no more, no less, to see how these two play and while there are no great hopes for them this does mean they have the chance to surprise and delight us all by playing above our expectations. That said, there will be no disappointment either if they both pack their bags at the end of their ‘extended trial' contracts.
Jamie Winter
From: Leeds
Contracted till 2007
Free
An interesting while not spectacular signing at the time, Winter has gone on to impress the fans and prove the management right in a string of solid performances against the top players in the Premierleague. With Scott Severin sidelined with injury and Steve Tosh sold (see below), Winter has been thrown in at the deep end and has floated without walking on water perhaps but neither needing armbands. He has a good touch and could teach every member of our squad a thing or two about composure on the ball. Leeds have a good reputation for treating young players correctly, and hopefully this will spread through the club. It can clearly be seen why the Jimmies decided on a lengthier contract for Jamie after his trial period, and the only problem could be the fact that he has not had time to settle at the club before becoming a regular in the first team. If he is to be one for the future, it is important that he takes one step at a time, which unfortunately will not be allowed him due to the crippling lack of midfield cover at Pittodrie.
Out:
Steve Tosh
To: Gretna
Fee: £40 000
A shock, and not a pleasant one, for two different reasons. The first is the desperate heart-sinking feeling of helplessness when Gretna announced their interest and ability to offer a longer contract and higher salary than we could afford. Not that we were prepared to offer, but that we could afford. These are changed days indeed from Aberdeen using their Premier League superiority and flexing their financial muscle to obtain players over lower league clubs. Aberdeen (and for that matter every team in the SPL outside the Old Firm) offer virtually nothing more to players than any other club in Scotland. Admittedly Gretna are a wealthy exception in the Bell's divisions, but this does not make it any easier to take when the only player that Aberdeen have that can turn a game on his own turns down a contract offer to drop down three divisions.
The second of course is that he will be missed on the field. ‘Tosher' may not be a candidate for the wall in the Dons' Legends Lounge, but as well as being a talented footballer who was prepared to attack opposition players, try the odd trick or two, and score vital and often spectacular goals, he appealed to many fans by looking like he was enjoying himself, giving his all for the shirt and having something of the devil in him. In a time when Aberdeen had not had a tricky midfielder since Eoin Jess departed, Tosh was a breath of fresh air - nowhere near the talent of Jess, but making up for it in other ways. And while his goals were infrequent, they were memorable, from his goal at Ibrox to the winner against the Arabs this season. Good luck in the future Steve.
Overall, the squad has been increased during the transfer window, but has it been improved? Time will tell. It is important to mention that the squad has been increased against the wishes of the management team, as it is common knowledge that Phil McGuire is transfer listed, Markus Heikkinen is allowed to leave, Morrison and Muirhead can go, and presumably Pasquinelli could have left during the window given Noel Whelan's extended first-team run. It seems however that nobody wants them, which is either a damning indictment of our current first-team squad or proof that Jimmy is right to try and rid the club of these players.
More striking than this, the lack of midfield cover and variety is the biggest problem at the club, and Winter in Tosh out does not help this one jot. With the ‘will he? won't he?‘ Nicholson tug-of-war and Burton O'Brien being mentioned in connection with the club, it seems clear that Jimmy is after a player of quality for midfield rather than being prepared to accept an average but cheaper option. This is laudable, but one wonders if Calderwood is being realistic, particularly at the level of money the club are prepared to spend. Something will have to give it seems: either the board dig deeper and put the club in more financial jeopardy or Jimmy lowers his sights and tries to find quality on a budget, perhaps from Europe. It may be that summer is where we will see the real deals, and due to the quiet January transfer window down at Pittodrie the summer signings will now be crucial to Aberdeen and the Jimmies futures.