That's all for now folks!

Thomas Sandgaard has previously acknowledged the mistakes of last season began in the Summer with late and inadequate transfer dealings. We started the season short in certain positions and, as it proved, in firepower. He also told us they (he) had learned the lesson and that this season we would be ready to mount a more serious promotion challenge.

Hugely disappointing then to see him taking the opportunity after the 6-1 win at Dartford on Saturday to inform us that there will likely be no further transfer activity until the last knockings of the transfer window, a month after the season begins. Very hard to argue that we simply aren't just repeating the sins of last year. 

The facts are we let circa a dozen players leave and have recruited only five, including a goalkeeper who looks surplus to requirements as things stand. I won't judge the new players until I see them for myself in league action, but I am not unhappy per se with what we appear to have brought in - young, experienced, typically former Captains and Players-of-the-season at their last clubs. The trouble is, we are still short of a promotion-threatening squad, let alone a first eleven. 

As it stands, it looks like Garner will favour a 4-3-3 but will be largely relying in midfield and attack on last year's players who could only muster 54 goals, 11 of which came from the now departed Conor Washington. Sandgaard's rationale that it's tricky to get players between now and the window closing simply doesn't hold up - other clubs will - just watch them. What he is really saying is he won't be buying anyone and he wants to get bargains for the players he does bring in, so prefers the end-of-window panic when there might be better value. I know I have been banging on about the shortage of serious attacking threat for a couple of seasons now but it really is glaringly obvious, as displayed against a more competitive side like Kilmarnock.

I am hoping and praying that Garner can lift the side and get more than the sum of it's parts, at least until we bring in another striker who has to have goals in him. We still need another left-sided defensive player and cover for both wings. My guess is we won't get all four. 

I have never wanted an owner to simply throw money around - it's as risky long-term as insufficient spending is short term. However, Sandgaard promised more than just maintaining the status quo and had the money to get us out of League One, if not perhaps the Championship. ("Premiership/Europe in five years" and "blowing the league apart" last season). It really does look like we are trying to do it on the cheap and bully for us if we can. However, money talks and rivals are demonstrably shortening their odds around us by buying better players. There is also mounting evidence around the club that corners are being cut - budgets, positions, job-sharing etc. Raelynn appears to be running stuff she seems lightly qualified for and I am hearing the staff now have to ring a bell when they get a sale and, presumably, whoop-it-up! I worked in a UK-US environment for years and hardly any of these US management tactics translate well here. Although I suppose you could say that selling season tickets at this stage is as hard as flogging Time-Share vacations.

Resting our hopes on Kirk, Blackett-Taylor, Jaiyesimi, Davison and Stockley/Chuks is, I think, asking for trouble. I also note that we have signed Sessegnon and McGrandles and neither were fit enough to play on Saturday, still carrying knocks from last season - ten weeks ago! Let's hope this isn't another lesson we haven't learned either. If they aren't ready for 30th August we really are asking for trouble.