Ladbrokes Championship season 2015/2016 half-time report

The 4-2 win over Hibernian at the end of last year re-established a three-point gap at the top of the table and ended what was, without question, a most difficult spell for Mark Warburton’s side. The fact they followed that up with their biggest win of the season at Dumbarton suggests the wobble that brought just two wins in six games may now be over.

Warburton has changed much of the ethos around Murray Park, preferring a 4-3-3 system throughout all age groups to the senior team, placing the emphasis on tempo and possession and bringing down the average age of the squad. His reliance on Barrie McKay as part of his front three has been a surprise, but the 21-year-old has responded well.

James Tavernier and Martyn Waghorn have been successful signings with Jason Holt looking more comfortable as the campaign has developed. There are concerns that Rangers can be a little one-dimensional when matches are not going to plan, though, and it seems fair to say that questions remain over the strength of their defence.

What do they need in the January transfer window? Warburton has conceded that he would like more experience and more ‘physicality’. Certainly, a dominant centre-back and/or a midfield enforcer would seem something the team could benefit from. Of course, signings are already arriving in the form of winger Harry Forrester, goalkeeper Maciej Gostomski and Accrington Stanley pair Josh Windass and Matt Crooks.

Falkirk 

What a season Peter Houston and his squad are putting together. The recent introduction of 17-year-old Kevin O’Hara is just all the more reason to salivate over them. He looks a real prospect at a club with a reputation for producing talent.

Craig Sibbald and Peter Grant bring good experience despite their relative youth with Will Vaulks’ form in midfield this season having rightly attracted a number of big clubs. Goalkeeper Danny Rogers, hero in the 2-1 win over Rangers, has extended his loan deal from Aberdeen and signing up Lee Miller until the end of the season is a bonus too.

The amount of youth in Houston’s side means experience is necessary. Mark Kerr is a rock-solid pro in midfield with John Baird having a fine season with 16 goals to his name so far. Do they have the strength-in-depth to keep this up for an entire season?

It is doubtful, but they are sure to make the play-offs and, as they have shown against the likes of Rangers and Hibs, they are capable of beating anyone there.

What do they need in the January transfer window? Additions would be nice, but money does not grow on trees out Falkirk way. Houston would surely be happier holding onto the talent he currently has at his disposal. Vaulks is in demand right now with the likes of Sibbald, still just 20, surely a name on a number of scouts’ lists.

Hibernian 

They were the form team going into the top-of-the-table meeting with Rangers at Ibrox on December 28, but came up short in the end. Following a quite blistering first half, they struggled to match up to Rangers in the second period and deservedly lost.

One match does not make a season, of course. It takes real resilience to go on a run of 15 wins and two draws from 17 fixtures, as Stubbs’ side did. The question now is just how strongly Hibernian will bounce back.

They still have the Ibrox side at Easter Road in March, but will face an extremely stern test in their next league outing at Falkirk on January 17.

Stubbs has, undoubtedly, made progress on his first season at Easter Road, in which his side finished second behind runaway leaders, Hearts. From middle to front, in particular, he has lots of options. Liam Henderson, on loan from Celtic, has looked classy in so many matches with Fraser Fyvie and John McGinn bringing a little more grit in midfield.

Jason Cummings, with 16 goals, has been the stand-out, of course. In terms of his all-round game, he has improved beyond recognition over the past year. He will move on before long. Hibernian cannot afford it to be now.

What do they need in the January transfer window? Stubbs had set his sights on a central defender and a striker and has delivered early with the arrivals of Niklas Gunnarsson and Chris Dagnall. Most important of all, though, is holding onto Cummings. It would take something special to lure him away at this stage of the season, but his stock is definitely rising.

Raith Rovers 

Currently the team in possession of fourth spot in the league, this has been a relatively pleasing campaign for the Stark’s Park side, but the need to sign a striker before this weekend’s William Hill Scottish Cup visit of Hibernian is well-documented.

Jon Daly is about to disappear to Hearts to take up a coaching role while Craig Wighton has been recalled by Dundee following a short-term loan, which, it has to be said, only delivered one solitary goal.

Ray McKinnon, the manager, is working hard behind the scenes to make something happen, but signing strikers in the January window is a difficult business. Certainly, his side could do with rediscovering a degree of impetus following a recent run of one win in eight in the league.

They have been badly hampered by injuries of late, mind you, and should benefit from the return of defensive midfielder Iain Davidson and forward Mark Stewart to training this week. Grant Anderson was also given 20 minutes against Hibs after returning from a hamstring problem, only to be sent-off at the end of the game.

An important time for Rovers. A place in the play-offs is certainly within their grasp, but they must rediscover their form from earlier in the season.

What do they need in the January transfer window? A striker. Simple as that. Without a new face coming in, it is hard to see how Rovers can keep it going.

Queen of the South  

That Queens are still within touching distance of the top four and a play-off position should be satisfactory to manager James Fowler given the large-scale changes in his squad during the summer. The losses of players such as Kevin Holt, Ian McShane, Mark Durnan, Gavin Reilly and Danny Carmichael should not be underestimated.

It was always likely to be a transitional season. Other than Paul Heffernan and Kyle Hutton, there was a lack of experience in many of the replacements with Callum Tapping and Dale Hilson having been injured for most of their time at the club.

Promotion is unlikely, in all fairness, but the team is emerging from a wobbly run. They were pretty solid against Hibernian before losing a late goal to Dominique Malonga and did a decent job in winning 2-0 at Livingston last weekend. They have struggled to string consistent results together this term and will need to find that to close the gap that currently exists between themselves and Raith.

What do they need in the January transfer window? Former Hibs defender Kevin McCann and ex-Hamilton forward Andy Ryan have both been training with the club. Heffernan and Hutton are also out of contract during January. Heffernan’s time at the club has been hampered by injury and there is a general feeling that the side does need a little more firepower.

Morton

A pleasing return to the second tier of Scottish football for the League One champions. It is fair to say that they have exceeded expectations so far, competing for a most unexpected place in the play-offs and enjoying the kudos of being the only side to have taken points from Rangers at Ibrox.

Denny Johnstone has done well up front since arriving on loan from Birmingham City. Loan signings often offer lesser clubs the chance to bring in experience, but manager Jim Duffy took a gamble in bringing in younger individuals in Johnstone, Luca Gasparotto from Rangers and Alex Samuel from Swansea, whose future is yet to be resolved. It has paid off. Their energy and enthusiasm has led to better results than expected.

Johnstone took a while to settle, but Duffy’s insistence that he become more selfish in front of goal has brought dividends. He has nine goals to his name so far, but six of those have come in his last nine appearances.

Others such as Conor Pepper, Bobby Barr and Lee Kilday have maintained standards and, although promotion seems a bridge too far, the foundations are there for a comfortable mid-table position.

What do they need in the January transfer window? Declan McManus has arrived on loan from Fleetwood Town with Morton fans hoping he will replicate last season’s form, scoring 24 goals in all competitions and being named League One Player of the Year. Keeping Gasparotto is a major bonus as well, but ‘Ton aficionados say there may be a need for a specialist holding midfielder to give other players more freedom.

St Mirren

St Mirren had high hopes going into the season. The turnaround in terms of playing staff had, perhaps, been too extreme to hope for a consistent start to the season, but the play-off positions were surely the least they could expect from the campaign.

Ian Murray had just come in from Dumbarton. He knew the league, came with a certain pedigree, would be able to work with what had been assembled from the wreckage of relegation.

Far from it. This has been a car crash of a season for the Paisley club. For all the personnel changes, they still cannot win at home and are now onto their fifth manager in just over 18 months in Alex Rae. A win over Renfrewshire rivals Morton at the weekend should not disguise the amount of work which has to be done.

Murray admitted that turning the ship around was beyond him after losing to Dumbarton. Rae has already suffered a 4-1 thrashing at home from Livingston. He needs to use his contacts to bring in some new blood. They remain perilously close to the play-off place.

What do they need in the January transfer window? Rae has already stated publicly that he is looking to strengthen all areas of the side with the well-travelled Mark Fotheringham currently on trial. Keith Watson has been resigned until the end of the season, but it is the spine of the team that needs reinforced with greater dig and physicality. Mark Ridgers is also returning from loan at Kilmarnock to give Jamie Langfield competition in goal.

Dumbarton

January looks like being an important month for the part-timers with manager Stevie Aitken hoping to keep what is left of his squad together.

His captain Darren Barr, taken off injured during the second half of last weekend’s 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Rangers at home, has a deal that runs until after the meeting with Queen of the South on January 16 along with ex-Motherwell defender Steven Saunders. Aitken hopes to keep both of them at the club having received assurances that Jamie Lindsay can remain on loan from Celtic.

Eamonn Brophy has returned to Hamilton Academical with Scott Brown heading back to St Johnstone, though, and Willie Gibson looks like signing for Stranraer this week.

Conceding goals has been a serious problem for the Sons. They have the worst record in the league alongside Alloa, having let in 39 so far. It is nowhere near good enough and it is where experienced players such as Barr and Frazer Wright must have greater influence in terms of organisation.

Avoiding relegation would be a success at this stage in the game.

What do they need in the January transfer window? First and foremost, they could do with their out-of-contract players signing new deals. Goals have been hard to come by, too, but where is a striker to be found?

Livingston 

Despite winning the Petrofac Training Cup last season and offering real reason for hope despite budget cuts in the summer, Mark Burchill was still removed from his managerial duties last month. Few solid reasons were given.

Sure, it has not been a golden season. The club is second bottom of the league, after all. What is to be expected with the funds that exist at the Tony Macaroni Arena, though? Burchill’s remit was to preserve the club’s Championship status and he had kept them in with more than a fighting chance with Alloa marooned at the foot of the table, although losing to the Wasps probably finished him off.

David Hopkin has been installed as permanent head coach and will, at least, be able to work on some of the organisational strength the team has shown, at times, in matches against the bigger teams in the division. Grinding out results is going to be important.

What do they need in the January transfer window? Hopkin has admitted he has almost nothing to work with in terms of finances. Bodies will have go out before bodies can come in. In truth, Hopkin’s appointment either highlights the lack of money around the club or a lack of ambition. This is all just about staying afloat.

Alloa Athletic 

Jack Ross, still settling into the role of manager after taking over from Danny Lennon, caused something of a rumpus last week when narrowing the pitch at the Indodrill Stadium by around five yards on either side.

When you have taken just one point from 10 games at home, you have to do something. Alloa have scored just one in their last seven matches on their own patch and, that way, relegation inevitably lies.

They are a part-time club. Reducing the size of the park makes some sense as fitter, more talented full-time teams relish the extra space. The performance against Falkirk, when losing 1-0, offers some degree of hope as there was, going by all reports, not too much in the game.

Ross now needs his more experienced players such as captain Dougie Hill and Burton O’Brien to lead by example.

What do they need in the January transfer window? A benevolent oligarch? Teenage defender Scott McKenna has been brought in on loan from Aberdeen and it remains to be seen what will happen with Robbie Crawford, who is due to go back to Rangers. Goals are what Alloa desperately need. They have only managed eight in the league all season, so a loan deal might be the best option.