Too Much Change In One Area

To be fair, the spine of the team needs thought. Tearing up the midfield and bringing in a raft of similar players risks a slow start — they need time to gel and form those little on-pitch relationships. Other than Dahl, most of the names we've heard about don't read as genuinely forward-thinking midfielders, and that worries me.

Midfield chemistry will take time

We all know midfield isn't just about numbers on paper. It’s about timing, reading each other, and the instinctive movement that only comes with minutes together. Changing one whole sector is risky. If the new recruits are variations of what we already have rather than clear upgrades in profile, the net gain could be marginal until they click — and that can cost you early points.

Full-back situation: thin and uncertain

Going into a season with McCrorie and Sterling as the only obvious right-back options feels light. Depth matters across a long campaign; form dips, niggles come up, suspensions arrive. We shouldn't be cavalier about that area. If Skoglund was genuinely off the table and we signed McCrorie straight after, you can see where the logic came from, but I still think another reliable option would calm the nerves.

Right wing shortage and Watt doubts

Watt is a name because we lack genuine right-wing alternatives, not necessarily because he transforms us. One good season doesn’t make a consistent upgrade, and there are question marks over how his profile fits the style that will be played here. If similar players to Lennon Miller didn’t excite the club, why spend big on a 26/27-year-old who offers the same? The right wing is still the glaring need, arguably as much as another centre-back or two.

At the end of the day, recruitment should be about complementary pieces — players who add something different and solve clear problems. Bringing in like-for-like options en masse just piles on the risk. I’m hopeful we see a couple of decisive signings to steady those weak spots.

Written by DJB_Ranger: 30 July 2026