If the philosophy is that the best time to strengthen a football team is when you are playing well, the transfer window couldn't have come at a better time for Aberdeen this season. Granted, we are a long way off being a good side, and we have a tough trip to St Mirren to negotiate - provided their car park isn't frozen - but recent wins over Dundee United and Hearts have given us more than a little bit of optimism back.
The manner of these wins was also noted, as we have started to look like a side playing Mark McGhee football. With the likes of Marshall, Fyvie and Pawlett in midfield, we now have pace to burn in the centre of the park. This was all too apparent against Hearts, who were undone by the speed at which our midfield countered. Both goals were a result of quick thinking and quicker feet, and set us up with a trip to Airdrie or Kirkcaldy in the next round.
We haven't covered ourselves in glory in recent Scottish Cup outings - not least against lower league sides - but if we keep improving on recent performances we have a very good chance of progressing.
Will there be any new faces by the time we visit Stark’s Park or New Broomfield? One player who may make the switch to Pittodrie is Scotland international Darren Barr. The Falkirk captain is suspended for their cup tie against Kilmarnock and, provided his club can read the SFA rules on missing games a little better than Dunfermline can, he wouldn't be cup tied for the next round.
McGhee may see Barr as an option in the centre of defence, or more likely as a potential right-back replacement for the China-bound Maurice Ross. Either way, Barr has a good pedigree and needs a move to further his career. Eddie May might not see it that way, but with the player out of contract in the summer and his agent free to speak to any club about a move, McGhee has certainly not breached any etiquette laws by declaring an interest. A deal may yet be some way off, as we must compete with Hibs for the defender's signature, and consider whether Chris Maguire wishes to spend a few months on loan at Falkirk.
Moves for either Stephen - not Scott - Dobbie or Steven MacLean are also possible. MacLean might well prefer a permanent move, but with Hearts unwilling or unable to put together a deal for the Plymouth striker, we may yet convince him his short term future lies at Pittodrie. Maclean may not have hit the heights at Home Park, but his record at Scunthorpe and Sheffield Wednesday made for impressive reading. A spell in the SPL could be mutually beneficial for both parties.
Depending on which version of events you believe, Stephen Dobbie is either very interested in the prospect of signing for Aberdeen, or fully committed to Swansea. Although the striker only signed for the Welsh side in the summer, he was unfortunate to find his new boss, Roberto Martinez, spirited away by the lure of Premiership money. Since then he has not found favour with Paolo Sousa, despite scoring three goals in his six appearances.
The reports coming out of South Wales suggest that Dobbie wants to "fight for his place" - speaking in footballer's cliche, of course - while our own local press have suggested the former Queen of the South striker would relish a move. Dobbie's goals to game ratio in the past few seasons looks very impressive, and he too would offer something different to the existing strikers we have.
Whether we have any new faces in the squad for the trip to Paisley is doubtful, but we may yet have fresh blood by the time we face St Johnstone in Perth on Saturday. Wins in these games could suddenly put us within touching distance of Dundee United.
