Four weeks Saturday and we kick-off!

Thomas Sandgaard and his recruitment machine need to get their skates on if we are not to repeat the mistakes of last year. He has already said we are likely to wait on loan players but you had to think his stated intention not to repeat last season meant having our permanents ready well ahead of 30th July. The three defensive additions of Wollacott, Egbo and O'Connell (we are still short at left back) do nothing to add to the attacking threat which Ben Garner and Thomas Sandgaard have been trumpeting. 

Last season we managed only 54 goals, worse than all but six other sides, four of whom went down. Our goal difference was a relatively healthy -4 which tells you just how important more goals would have been to us in terms of points.

I have said for the last two seasons that if we have serious ambitions to be promoted, we have to have a central striker who can be relied on to bang in 20-plus and is assisted by a couple of others who both get into double figures. We have failed to find that 20-plus striker and as things stand we are still well short. Stockley and Aneke have never done it and they both miss too many games a season to have any realistic chance of doing so. As things stand, Josh Davison may still be lurking around the starting eleven given he found his feet in League Two with Garner. That would look like an obvious mistake if it's their plan.

In midfield we appear to have bodies to cover the centre and you would like to think Dobson can make it work with Fraser or Forster-Caskey with Morgan and Gilbey as options from the bench, although I don't see either of them as consistent enough performers for a promotion push. Ideally we need another strong central midfield. 

Our real problem is the wings. Cory Blackett-Taylor finished the season well but he has also proven that he blows hot and cold. Hot when his contract is running out and cold at other times. I hope I am wrong because he has the talent. Speaking of which, some people are convincing themselves that Kirk will suddenly become a world-beater playing 'Garner-ball.' Again, we would all love to see it but during his spell with us last season he seemed to be unable to do any of the basics, let alone provide a threat from the wing. On the other side, we are really light with only Jaiyesimi to choose. I think there is a great player in him but he has much to work on and like Blackett-Taylor, Gilbey and Morgan, we can't be carrying players who don't contribute enough on too many occasions. 

My other observation is that last season's side lacked winners. Far too often, for long periods we looked content to run the clock down when we were drawing games or lacked the fire to fightback quickly when behind. These are the times in matches where you need your larger characters to step up and rally those around them. I am hoping O'Connell may provide that in defence but we still look well short elsewhere.

It's not all about money but what you spend is indicative and so far it looks very much like Sandgaard is being too conservative again. I believe he has set a target to trim the playing bill which effectively means hoping to throw a double-six looking at the squad we currently have. 

The Garner factor could also make a significant difference but this is a guy who has had only two seasons as a head coach, both in League 2, a poor season at Bristol Rovers and a decent one last year with Swindon. Promotion from League One is a lot to expect, especially with the squad he currently has. 

Elsewhere, still no official news on Brian Jokat's departure. The rumours are he didn't see eye-to-eye with Sandgaard's partner and that was him out, although others who know him from his time at CACT aren't too surprised. The club also managed a very clumsy sacking of Jokat's relatively new sales team, recruited to 'fill the Valley.' That suggests a change of tack - it's a hard cold sell when your team is performing as poorly as ours did last season and when there is nothing yet to shout about. Even so, I would have thought they would have been better managing them out over a longer period of time based upon non-performance rather than create a negative story all of their own making? They also sacked the Supporter's Liaison Officer who appeared to have made himself very popular with many of those he had come into contact with in a relatively short run in the job. I understand that's a position every Football League club has to have, so I assume they have plans to share that role or get someone to do on a voluntary basis.

Finally, on a more positive note, it was great to see Jason Euell snapped up as Assistant Coach at Championship Bristol City. I am sure Jason would have been disappointed to have been shown the door but new managers have a habit of wanting their back-room team around them, so not a huge shock to Euelly.