Recruitment is arguably the most important ingredient for success in football.
Getting the right team on the pitch is half the battle and gives a manager the platform to go and put them in a shape to get results, win leagues and cups etc.
Get it wrong and you can be staring into the abyss, just ask Hearts and Hibs currently.
Premiership clubs are often criticised for their recruitment – perhaps not imaginative enough and then when they do go further afield they maybe don’t get it right.
Although we have seen our clubs look at different markets in more recent years, particularly the Edinburgh clubs and the likes of Aberdeen, Dundee United and Motherwell.
The Dons did it very well for this campaign and are reaping the rewards, but who hasn’t?
Here, Not the Old Firm looks at some of the signings from the summer window on whom the jury remains out.
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Peter Ambrose – Aberdeen
The Dons have pretty much had hits in the transfer market. But the big striker, while far from a failure, is one yet to properly prove himself. Has mostly appeared from the bench so far and has one goal.
Jort van der Sande – Dundee United
There is definitely a player in there. The big striker can lead the line with his physicality and United fans liked what they saw at the start of the season. But still doesn’t have a goal to his name and is now in and out of the side.
Musa Drammeh – Hearts
Hearts fans have ben baffled by the young forward’s lack of action given their dearth of options. Did okay in a cameo against Celtic but wasn’t seen again until a recent sub appearance against Rangers. Recently scored a double in a bounce game against Dundee so we may see more of him.
Gerald Taylor – Hearts
May have been able to answer this already if he didn’t pick up a cruciate injury. Right-back Taylor looked an absolute gem of a find when he starred for the Jambos against Rangers on the opening day. But he followed that up with a disaster in Dundee and some other questionable displays.
Andres Salazar – Hearts
One appearance. That’s all we have to judge the Colombia-capped left-back since his loan move to Hearts. And it wasn’t a particularly good one against Motherwell.
Marvin Ekpiteta – Hibs
The big centre half has done enough in recent games to begin to answer this. But there was also enough about his early Hibs displays to keep him on the jury’s out list. There were plenty of errors and while he has improved he didn’t cover himself in glory in the recent defeat to St Mirren.
Josef Bursik – Hibs
The Hibees’ loan goalkeeper from Club Brugge has found himself heavily criticised and his part in the late capitulation against Dundee United was the biggest example of that. Doesn’t look like a keeper they can rely on this season.
Charlie Telfer – Ross County
A talented young player in his early days, few would have predicted him to largely go on to play in the lower leagues. Signed by County from Airdrie this season, Telfer looks to be struggling with the step up. Has came off the bench three times, his action totalling eight minutes, and was sent off in one of them.