Turmoil continuing...

After the furore following the dismal defeat at MK Dons in the week, the club had to steady the ship. I think we needed a statement from Thomas Sandgaard about our recruitment strategy to try to restore some confidence that we will be more competitive after month-end. I half-expected them to announce one of the remaining loan deals we are all expecting of an experienced professional from a higher division who would be an automatic first-team choice. 

Instead, we got an unconvincing piece from Nigel Adkins via Rich Cawley. He reiterated what he has previously said and tried to say that recruitment was a committee decision (Roddy/Sandgaard/Gallen and Adkins). His words acknowledged that Roddy "oversees recruitment" and that Gallen negotiates with Agents. On the basis that Sandgaard is de facto CEO and money-man, his role must be limited to agreeing spend. That doesn't really help Roddy who is taking a hammering from fans for our failure to recruit the numbers we need and, as looks more likely now, the quality of players required. The fact that his son was awarded a contract but hasn't yet impressed doesn't help either.

The spiel from all of them has been that we need to be patient and that they were focusing on bringing in the right players, rather than focusing on quality and speed. The elephant in the room is that quality hasn't been evident in the first four games and we look woefully short.

Cue today's late announcement that we have taken Corey Blackett-Taylor on loan for four months. I will say now that I have never heard of CBT before this week. He was being described as "the former Aston Vila winger" which is initially comforting until you realise he only made a single appearance for them. Since then, ten for Walsall and 44 for Tranmere over the last three years. 

Tranmere fans have been less than complimentary describing him as a flash-in-the-pan player (expect an early goal - he's only managed three in his career), someone who goes missing and who has a bad attitude. Like every new player we need to wait and see before we judge but he isn't the sort of signing I thought we would be waiting until 20th August to make. We have had far too many players with similar CV's over the last few years and they have pretty much all proven to be disappointments. Josh Parker and Omar Bogle immediately spring to mind. You have to wonder if he's been handed a four month contract to try to quell the disquiet whilst they struggle to finalise a few more deals? Two or three more Blackett-Taylor's aren't going to pass muster and this season is going to be a mini-disaster for Thomas Sandgaard if Adkins doesn't start getting some results.

The bigger question now raising it's head is 'does Sandgaard have the money and ambition?' It seems churlish to even be thinking this after what he did to end the ownership nightmare a year ago but it's hard to avoid when we know he didn't acquire the major assets and when this Summer's recruitment looks undercooked to support a serious promotion challenge. 

The immediate issue is getting an attacking team performance and winning our first game of the season. We then need to see the promised players arriving and find some form in short order. Supporter confidence is surprisingly low. I put that down to over-ambitious expectation setting - "Premier League in five years" and "blowing the league out of the water" from the wealthy owner has so far manifested itself in three defeats and a draw. Macgillivray, Dobson and Clare have under-performed thus far and today we sign someone who looks like a panic decision. The atmosphere tomorrow could get toxic if we fail to take the game properly to Wigan. Ironically, Adkins told us this week that they had beaten us to two signings he wanted to make - another defeat and he might need his positive morning walk more than ever.