At first glance this feels like a signing for comfort rather than improvement. Bringing a player back because he 'knows the club and the league' might settle some nerves, but it doesn't necessarily solve the real problems we've had for years.

Let’s be honest — squad depth has been the issue. We’ve been crying out for two starters for every position so the team doesn’t drop off when someone is injured or needs a rest. Signing another player who was deemed not top-quality previously doesn't address that. If McCrorie is purely a squad option, fine — but I’d sooner see a young lad from our own set-up given a go and tested in the first team than bring in another familiar name who looks like cover.

I get the McInnes angle; managers often bring in people they know and trust. But patterns like that can become predictable. We can't keep recycling the same pool of Scottish Championship and Championship-adjacent players and expect forward momentum. There are plenty of leagues and markets we barely touch — not every useful signing has to come from the same handful of places.

Also, selection for international squads doesn’t automatically prove anything. Players get picked for different reasons and at different times in their careers. The point here is squad planning: we need competition for places, clear upgrade paths and genuine rotation options. If a signing provides that, brilliant. If it’s just more familiarity, I’m sceptical.

To be fair, I’m not against Scottish players or the Championship as a whole. I just want the recruitment to feel ambitious and coherent. Give youth a real chance when appropriate and broaden the scouting map when we can. That’s how you build a squad that can cope with a long season and push us on, rather than tread water.

Written by DJB_Ranger: 5 July 2026

Tags: transfers squad injury