The pre-season is now upon us, and thank God that means games coming. We are in good shape, but we’re not yet in great shape. The marquee signing hasn’t been made yet and whilst there is no rush here there are one or two issues which need fixing.
The news that Carter Vickers is going to Portugal is good; he might well be fit for the start of the season, but if not Brendan needs to think about who his central partner is going to be.
What will be the composition of the midfield? The forward line? Are we going with two men upfront or are we still with the tried and the true?
It would have been good if we had gone over there with some more signings locked down.
That’s just what it is, that’s just where we are. We have time, and plenty of it, around seven or eight weeks of it before the window closes … still, fans do want to see that we’re moving in a very specific direction and that the team is taking shape.
This is the time to strike, this week, this month, so that we’re as prepared as we can be when the season starts for real. This is the time to get the signings in. We all appreciate that some signings take time, but it would be good to get this stuff settled.
One of the mistakes we made with Ange Postecoglou was getting his signings in place too late; that cost us crucial points at the start of his first season, and whilst we’re in better shape now than we were then we have to be careful.
Last week was a good one for the club. We probably anticipated signings; what we got might prove to have been even better with Kyogo and Maeda signing new deals and showing the world that there is general confidence in the management and the direction of the club. It is outstanding that we’ve got these men on extended contracts.
Still, we hope for signings. This coming week.
Without putting pressure on the club, we’re hurtling towards the season now and there’s still a lot to do. Stay busy guys.