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PETER HOUSTON has urged the Falkirk board to loosen the purse strings to let him bring in two new signings ahead of Thursday’s transfer deadline.
The Bairns boss has snapped up centre-half Conrad Balatoni on a short-term deal but has targeted another fresh face in a bid to shake off a nightmare start to the Championship campaign.
Houston drafted in striker Rory Loy, winger Alex Harris and back-up keeper David Mitchell this summer and finally re-signed Craig Sibbald after a long wait.
But the former Dundee United manager firmly believes his squad would benefit from the addition of further defensive reinforcements.
Under fire after Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at home to Queen of the South, he said ahead of Balatoni’s arrival: “Hopefully we’ll get some help to get some players in. That’s what we need.
“I’m still waiting to find out if I can do that. I wanted two but at this moment in time I can get one.
“From my perspective, it’s of vital importance, but I’m not the one that makes the decisions with regards the financing of it.
“It’s easy for me to say I want this, that or the next thing, but the board’s got to agree to it.
“If the board agree to it, then I’ve laid a couple of players down, defenders, with the agent’s names and telephone numbers, and told them they’re the two I want and I’ve asked ‘can I have them?’.
“We need to give the place a lift again and I think we need to strengthen the squad, if I’m being 100 per cent honest. That’s what I’m pushing for.”
STRENGTH IN DEPTH
With the likes of David McCracken, Luke Leahy, John Baird, Bob McHugh, Danny Rogers and Fraser Aird all having left at the end of last term, the Falkirk squad now has a youthful look to it beyond the core of first-team regulars.
Houston added: “We brought two outfield players in during the summer but the budget has gone down.
“We lost Luke Leahy and David McCracken but didn’t bring any defenders in.
“If you want to have a go at this league, you need strength in depth.
“We’ve got a lot of young players, and a lot of them aren’t ready to play first-team football.
“Although they’re not playing that way just now, we have good strength in the team, but I think we need a bit more depth.”
