PAUL Sturrock has identified the calibre of players he wants to buy this summer - experienced Premiership talent or top-class foreign imports.
The Saints boss, pictured above, has had a prolonged spell to examine his squad and has already decided he needs to trim numbers, while still bringing in fresh faces for what he describes as 'three or four key areas'.
But rather than investing in promising youngsters or taking a gamble on lower league players, Sturrock wants the kind of player that can walk into the side and instantly improve the team.
He said: "I'm very excited about the potential we have at the football club.
"We've taken players from Nationwide teams and modest French teams - Folly's a very exciting player and they tell me the boy Griffit did very well earlier in the season. Fitz Hall's got a lot to learn and has the ingredients to become a top player but we need to do a lot of work on his defensive duties because the lad was a centre forward before he converted to a centre half.
"What we've got to do is put one or two regular players in our team in areas that I think would benefit us.
"I think we've gone down that road of having the exciting youngster - we've got that.
"If we can get signings, if that's possible, it will be coming from course and distance people who you know are going to go in and do the business for you.
"We have to develop that now because we have what you would call an exciting fringe, but we need a strong XI."
Sturrock continued: "You want quality players that have played regular Premiership football.
"Now sometimes that can be difficult because the prices in the Premiership can be a touch dearer than taking a foreign player, so you've got to be guarded in your approach in seeing what you can get in the Premiership. But I would like course and distance players.
"If not Premiership, then very experienced foreign players."
Brett Ormerod will get his chance to impress after being told by Sturrock he will play the final two games of the season.
Sturrock added: "I think now we have to paint a picture for every player. I've near enough had a look at every player - there's one or two still in development that I might leave to next season but Brett is going to play."
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