Summer business thus far

[WoodleyRoyal]

So with the outgoings and incomings and the likelihood of more still to come how do you feel this windows business has been?

[Reading4eva]

Bar a left back Clarke has identified the weaknesses in the team and strengthened them tenfold. I'm very confident we can win promotion this season with one or two big additions.

Far happier, as I thought with the gaping holes League One would await

[Kitsondinho]

Thought it would be loads out, none in.....pleasantly surprised!!

[Y21]

Very good, solid signings. Nothing box office (yet) but then we've never really done well with box office.

[RoyalBlue]

Expectations and satisfaction could be two very different things. Probably quite easy to meet the expectations of most people given events at the club over recent years.

[RoyalBlue]

Bar a left back Clarke has identified the weaknesses in the team and strengthened them tenfold. I'm very confident we can win promotion this season with one or two big additions.

Far happier, as I thought with the gaping holes League One would await

Strengthened the goalkeeping position tenfold? You have to be kidding!

[Nameless]

We've not strengthened anything 10 fold, but every signing has strengthened the squad.
We are now stronger in the goal keeping department than we were at the end of the season.
Two more players in and then one or two peripheral players found new clubs and I'll be happy with what we start the season with.
After 10 games we can then assess whether the changes have got a chance of working.

[Royal Ginger]

He's fishing. He knows full well we're still going to be competing in the bottom half.

[Ian Royal]

Seem good signings

GK - weaker No. 1, stronger back up, so about the same
RB - weaker (Kelly going?)
LB - the same
CB - if AF stays fit stronger - otherwise about the same
CM - stronger
RW - weaker (Mackie gone)
ST - stronger

The departing players have been addressed, but on the whole, I would say they weren't the problem last season, though them leaving gave us a new one. We may be a stronger unit now, but for me the weak spots in the team from last season mostly haven't been addressed because we've been sorting out the extra problems caused by Pearce, Federici, Mackie, Chalobah and Karacan no longer being at the club. Whilst we're still saddled with underachievers like Pog, Akpan, Blackman and HRK. Although there's not a lot Clarke can do about that.

If the signings bed in quickly and well, a decent start could see us have a good season in the top half. If they don't gel and the usual suspects continue to flatter to deceive we could still be in a relegation fight. But it's looking much better than a few weeks ago, when I was worried we'd be nailed on for the drop.

[Woodcote Royal]

If the squad Clarke inherited from the tactical pigmy, plus the additions he made to it in those few short months, managed to avoid relegation by 9 points, it's laughable to suggest that what we have now might struggle to match such a lamentable campaign.

[Royalwaster]

One or two more quality signings and getting rid of HRK - and I'd be VERY happy .... at the moment, I'm pretty happy, but not ecstatic.

[Handsome Man]

Expectations were really low as Clarke was the man responsible for signing Yakubu, but I have been pleasantly surprised. the Hull lads and the goalies look solid enough to protect us from a relegation battle. Strikers are a worry, but Sa or Samuel could come good I suppose, or we could play HRK up front for long enough for him to get the hang of playing football in a team environment.

I'm disappointed that we haven't got rid of some of the expensive under-achievers as these will hamper our chances for a while: the owners should be brave and just pay off Pogrebnyak and perhaps we could set up some season long loans where we pay some of the wages for the Akpans and Blackmans.

Hopefully, one or two of our crop of aging academy players will finally flourish this year.

[maffff]

or we could play HRK up front for long enough for him to get the hang of playing football

[Nameless]

What would paying off Pog achieve ?
Same outgoings, no return.

[Coppelled_Streets]

Far exceeded what I expected, and we now look like we should be aiming for the top 6 next season rather than mid-table. We still need two goalscorers and perhaps a left back, then we look pretty decent.

[Albert Moss]

The main source of shock is the transformation of Atticus Finch into a racist. Therefore, devotees of the first book may be disappointed at the development of Harper Lee's much loved character.

[Coppelled_Streets]

The main source of shock is the transformation of Atticus Finch into a racist. Therefore, devotees of the first book may be disappointed at the development of Harper Lee's much loved character.

POTD

[marlowuk]

Seem good signings
GK - weaker No. 1, stronger back up, so about the same
RB - weaker (Kelly going?)
LB - the same
CB - if AF stays fit stronger - otherwise about the same
CM - stronger
RW - weaker (Mackie gone)
ST - stronger

Surprised you make no mention of LW, Ian? Unless you are happy with HRK? Do we have another natural left-sided player apart from Obita who seems pretty set at LB?

[LWJ]

Seem good signings
GK - weaker No. 1, stronger back up, so about the same
RB - weaker (Kelly going?)
LB - the same
CB - if AF stays fit stronger - otherwise about the same
CM - stronger
RW - weaker (Mackie gone)
ST - stronger

Surprised you make no mention of LW, Ian? Unless you are happy with HRK? Do we have another natural left-sided player apart from Obita who seems pretty set at LB?

What's my dad got to do with it?

[Ian Royal]

Seem good signings
GK - weaker No. 1, stronger back up, so about the same
RB - weaker (Kelly going?)
LB - the same
CB - if AF stays fit stronger - otherwise about the same
CM - stronger
RW - weaker (Mackie gone)
ST - stronger

Surprised you make no mention of LW, Ian? Unless you are happy with HRK? Do we have another natural left-sided player apart from Obita who seems pretty set at LB?

erm.. forgot it.

LW - the same. Which isn't what I'd call particularly positive.