Liam Lindsay to the Gas?

"He is a ‘modern-day’ centre-back: self-assuredness, poise, technique, tall, powerful, good in the air, good on the deck, and he can score goals - seven so far this season. He has been a key component, whether in a back four or back three, of Thistle’s breakthrough into the top six and their highest finish since 1981. A striker eyeing him up may see easy-meat. They soon find out they are wrong. He is quick and strong, he possesses a tremendous leap and an intelligence which suggests he has more than 250 games under his belt."

"It would be understandable, for a defender of his age, to be prone to bouts of recklessness or the odd blunder. Not for Lindsay. The future is bright."

www.scotsman.com/sport/football/competitions/premiership/the-12-best-centre-backs-in-scottish-football-right-now-1-4431172/amp

I've only seen a few clips of him, but he does look good. A left footer too. Everything I've read suggests he'll go on to play for Scotland one day.

Are you the poster, formerly known as GasheadWes?

I hear this a lot, not just from you. Can DC's recruitment really have been so poor in relation to his budget over the last two seasons given we have leapt up from League 2 newcomers to League 1 top half in that time? If our core players have been so strong and in the main, got us there, does that not mean that DC hasn't needed to have brought in first team regulars? He has brought in people like Hartley, Moore, Montano and James Clarke, who haven't busted the bank and haven't rocked the boat. Their contributions as bit-part players have helped us. The loanees like JCS, Boateng and Colkett have similarly made contributions without holding down regular places. They haven't needed to. Then on the minus side you might have Roos who was poor, and arguably James (though it would be churlish to say he didn't make a contribution) but on the plus side you have Gaffney and certainly Bodin. Clearly Sweeney and Lumley were good signings too. His signings have pretty much all served a purpose (too early to know about Burn and Partington), which is what they should have done. That is not to say that we don't have important business to do now if we want to push on. I just have more confidence in his ability to do this business than you seem to as I feel he has demonstrated that he knows what types of player and character he needs and has also shown how to balance a squad and budget well over the last three years.

Not sure DC wants or needs another right footed CB though so I doubt it's us.

Personally I think one of our strengths over the past couple of seasons is the relative continuity and consistency of the squad, both from a playing perspective and from a team spirit perspective. DC has previously adopted an evolutionary not revolutionary approach.

Last year we weren't too far away, especially as it was our first season back in L1. Had we had a decent keeper and centre half from the outset and/or not lost our main striker I think we would have certainly made the playoffs (at least).

Whilst some were excited by the relatively wholesale changes announced in early January I was nervous, whilst individually you could make an argument to support each decision seldom does making so many changes in one go work. I also hear it was handled badly by DC and the club and this angered and disappointed some senior squad members and left many feeling that colleagues had been treated unfairly.

Just my view but I think this is a sign of immaturity in the manager rather than the much celebrated ruthlessness others have felt. DC still has my full support but, based on activity thus far in the summer I am nervous with rumours about a 'possible' Bodin exit I am starting to get twitchy.

The club will report back for preseason in a week or so, the next month will be a critical period for the club, I hope DC can pull the 10 or so signings out of the bag, that they are of sufficient quality to make the top 6 and that we are able to keep the team spirit and togetherness that is so important.