Four more please...

News late yesterday that versatile Fulham defender, Steve Sessegnon has joined on a season long loan helps address the shortage of a left-back since Ben Purrington departed. The perceived wisdom is that Sessegnon is a decent addition based upon the fact that he joins from newly relegated Fulham who have extended his contract and, less impressively, because he is the twin of the highly rated Ryan Sessegnon. 

I am happy that he isn't another League 2 player, although he remains relatively inexperienced with only 49 league appearances spread across Fulham, Bristol City and Plymouth. As a right footed full-back I do wonder if we won't see another left-back joining us before the season starts? 

Sessegnon is the fifth Summer addition, but I think we need another four if we are to have any serious ambitions of challenging for promotion this season. We simply have to bring in two strikers to boost our goals for tally and I think we are taking a big risk if the supply from the wings is left to Kirk, Blackett-Taylor and Jaiyesimi, all of whom had big question-marks over them for long spells last season. A left-sided wing-back would provide defensive and attacking cover and we need competition for Jaiyesimi.

The big question is whether or not Sandguard will invest in more firepower. He was adamant that we would be strengthening the squad for a promotion effort this coming season and as things stand I don't think we have yet accounted fully for what we have lost. We didn't score nearly enough goals last year and we are actually worse off since then having let Washington go. There might be better supply through the middle with the return of Forster-Caskey and a rejuvenated Fraser but we need a pacey finisher to capitalise fully on that. 

There is a view that he is looking to do it on the cheap. The first team budget has been cut and we haven't spent any money so far on fees despite recouping a couple of million in sell-on fees. We also freed-up some bigger earners and are still probably well under last season's run-rate. Garner and his sidekick won't have broken the bank either, given the savings from Jackson and Euell. 

If you add to that the ongoing cost-cutting of back-room staff, you can see where the negativity is coming from. Sacking Brian Jokat and his newly recruited sales-team was one thing but letting go several other back-room roles to cut posts or reduce salaries in what are already poorly paid jobs begins to look a little desperate and begs yet more questions. 

I can see us bringing in one more striker - Stockley and Aneke are too similar to play together and Davison isn't up to it - but suspect Sandgaard may draw the line at that and might also hope to do it with a loanee. If we fail to start the season with a stronger squad than last season, we can't complain that we weren't warned - the alarm bells were ringing for much of last year.