Less than 3 weeks to go...

Brighton, Bilbao and then Swansea. Alan Pardew will be pleased with the pre-season games so far, if not with the lack of incoming talent. The 5-0 win at Gibralter will set the side up for a bigger test at Brighton on Saturday and then what should be a very hard game at home to Atletico Bilbao.

We are, at last, being linked with a possible midfield signing, the Brazilian Rinaldi. Sounds more glamourous than it is. He couldn't make the Watford side all last year and his first name is Douglas. Frankly, well short of my expectations, so I hope nothing comes of it. However, we are running out of time and need at least one proven quality ball-winning midfielder (and probably two) or else we will regret it well before the January window opens. We have some decent youth players emerging but it's too much to expect them to lead a promotion-chasing midfield and Matty Holland isn't up to it.

Pards has mentioned a defender and we have been trialling a Bath striker. All-in-all, hardly inspiring and I am convinced late signings are a big mistake as we have found out in previous seasons. Richard Murray was honest enough to say outgoings would outweigh incomings but an effective swop in central defence and an unproven non-league striker are very disappointing. If the Directors have found £15m and we another £5m (£3m having flogged Bent and Iwelumo) to find you have to wonder if that's where the paraschute money is going this year. Maybe all will become clear in the next few weeks but it is looking very much like we are going to make do this year.

I am in Scotland for a couple of weeks, so will miss the Brighton game, although Bilbao is a possibility depending on when I decide to head home. Failing that, I will definately be there along with 3000 Swansea Jacks to see the first game of the season which I think could set the tone for our first ten games. Swansea will be up for it, just as Scunthorpe were last year, but we need to attack them and really go all out for that vital home win to kick-start the season.