Jim McIntyre accepts strengthening the Cove Rangers squad may require him looking a bit further afield.
The signing of striker Gerry McDonagh this week represented a change in direction for Cove, as he is the first player they have brought in from outside Scotland since they joined the SPFL in 2019.
McIntyre’s contacts helped bring the deal about, with Martin Woods, who he worked with at Ross County, recommending McDonagh after he played alongside him at Halifax Town.
The market for lower-league clubs has proved challenging this summer, with a shortage of players available early on in the window. The situation may ease up in the coming weeks, as players looking for full-time offers may have to accept a step down if those deals do not materialise.
But broadening their horizons will be no bad thing for Cove, as they seek to bolster their squad for life in the Championship.
“I think that was very clear from my opening week in the job,” said McIntyre. “We had a lot of discussions about would players be interested in coming here.
“A lot of players still want to remain full-time and aren’t willing to take that drop. You’ve then got another batch of players who will because they want to get into the working world, as they’re coming to the latter stages of their career.
“There’s a balance to be struck but it’s important we don’t pigeon-hole ourselves into any one area. I’ve got to say the chairman has been brilliant in terms of supporting me looking a bit further afield and making this sort of deal happen.”
McDonagh represents the first piece of business since McIntyre was appointed a fortnight ago, with the 50-year-old adding: “It’s very slow at the moment. There’s no doubt we need to add – we’ve spoken about that from the day I’ve come in the door. But we need to be patient.”
Their new signing hails from Nottingham, where he came through the academy at Forest alongside Matty Cash and Oli Burke.
He had loan spells at Wrexham, Cambridge and Aldershot, before moving on to Barnsley, Tamworth, Kettering and Halifax.
The fact McDonagh has chosen to step out of his comfort zone impressed McIntyre, as he looks to kick-start his career.
“His pedigree isn’t in doubt. He’s looking to come here and put a marker down, get a run of games in the team,” said McIntyre.
“Hopefully we can help each other, with me being a former striker and helping him get in the positions he needs to get in to, then him showing the desire to come up here looking for a fresh start.
“We’ve only had a couple of sessions so far but we like what we see. He’s fitted in with the lads as well.”
Cove play their second pre-season game this afternoon, with Lowland League side Gala Fairydean coming to the Balmoral Stadium. Gala are managed by Martin “Jimmy” Scott, who had a spell with Cove in 2019.
“We’re going into the game hopefully with 14 outfield players, which will help us make some substitutions which we didn’t really have the option to do last Saturday,” added McIntyre.
“We’re still going to have to have seven play the full game but that’s all beneficial for fitness levels. We’ve had a couple of really good sessions and we’ll take that into another game before the St Johnstone game.”