Super Addicks go ballistic on the last day of the transfer window

Yesterday was unlike any last day of the transfer window I can remember. We signed 3 (three) players. None were met with immediate derision on social media and none were signed in desperation with two minutes to go.

Having recently added midfielder Elliott Lee, we also signed Harry Arter, Jonathan Leko and Morecombe centre-half, Sam Lavelle. Numbers-wise I think we have matched-up and Lee, Arter and Leko will all offer decent competition, although all are on loan. Lavelle is only 24 but we are reported to have paid three days of Ronaldo's wages to acquire him. He was Morecombe's captain and player of the season last year.

The wailing and gnashing of teeth on social media has changed and we are back to 'pissing the league' and innocent youths wetting themselves over killer line-ups and formations. Personally, I am pleasantly surprised with who we have added but still have two major grumbles which I fear may yet challenge us this season.

First, we haven't replaced Chuks Anneke from last year, when I thought we were ten goals short from our strike-force to have threatened the automatic places. I think we are obviously light upfront and in the absence of Stockley, we have no natural lead striker. Washington can play in a two but is less convincing on his own. Josh Davison is a prospect and rattled a brace last night against Crawley Town in the EFL Trophy but he is not going to come on from the bench and score 15 goals this season. Converting a winger (like Leko) is also an option but it's sub-optimal. We aren't a club that should be sub-optimal - not with our owner.

Secondly, we missed out on the play-offs on goal difference last season. I do wonder if our late recruitment plan this season which has seen us start the first four league games poorly, might costs us again come May. If we had been prepared to spend a bit more money, we might have been able to conclude our business before the season started and may have reasonably expected to be four or five points better off than where we find ourselves. Of course we could still skate to promotion or finish comfortably in the play-offs but if we come up a few points short of either...

Finally, it was gratifying and timely to see our B-team hit six at the Valley last night. Pleasing too to see three full debutants finding the net. Blackett-Taylor, Lee and young Mason Burstow all managed that and Josh Davison's brace put us out of sight. Encouraging too, to see Nathan Harness pull off a couple of top quality saves and more first team game time for Barker, Elerewe and Clayden. It's a pity we aren't going ahead with our match at Gillingham this weekend due to the international weekend but perhaps we should be patient and wait until we can field our best eleven.