There's a very good article here about how we are now suffering from leftover players signed by previous managers. Plus also the furore WE all made about signing Sakho.

[Link]

Would anyone genuinely think that any other chairman (Jordan/Goldberg anyone?) would be a better option than Steve Parish?

Steve is learning on the job but I have 100% confidence in what they are all doing.

This should always be our number 1 ambition...and is so easy to achieve

I disagree and would hate to be like those pathetic Bolton supporters who were cheerful after being relegated because they had achieved the highlight of their season by beating their big enemy Manchester United

We could do with a couple of good signings, but if that doesn’t happen (and we don’t sell anyone crucial of course….) let’s remember that we will be going into the season with a very settled side which just achieved another 11th place finish, with a very comfortable top-10 points-per-game ratio once Roy had come in and got them organised.

With no new faces we’d have a team who know each other, and Roy’s system, inside out already. This is a squad who have all been available for training ground work from day one of pre-season as none of them went to the World Cup (Luka aside, but he returned fairly early and a little underused).

Unlike some, our players haven’t got to spend three or four weeks desperately trying to incorporate new signings who know nothing about their new team, league or Country. Ours haven’t been flogging themselves on the far side of the world in a high-humidity jetlag-fest which leaves little or no time for training. One little trip to Sweden, and otherwise they have been home with their families, going to work on the training ground every day, with the same manager they did so well with last year doing the same work that they already believe in.

Compare this settled environment to our opponents over August and September: Fulham have brought in 4 new 1st team players who may all make their debut together against us. They have lost two of last season’s first choice players too, so half their team may change.

Liverpool are plainly very strong, but they’ve had to leave a number of World Cup internationals out of pre-season and are already saying that they may not have them available until closer to September, so again, half a new team with a good few missing when we play them.

Watford, as usual, are churn-central, with six new fist team players in and seven out (three of which at least were first choice last year). At Southampton its 4 new ones in with a massive 13 out, at least 4 of which were first teamers, whilst at Huddersfield it’s a whopping 7 new faces in.

The lack of numbers will bite us if we get injuries of course, but with three league fixtures per month in August and September the games hardly come thick and fast, and Roy greatly prefers a settled team anyway. Our squad may not be great, but our team is proven, and a good start goes an awfully long way.

We might just have more of a head start than we appreciate.