StarkMallard

Oh no @PON_News, League Two again? And there I was thinking we'd escaped it 😞 Joking aside, I'm very curious to see what side we put out and how the new signings look in serious competitive games. It's a bit weird to start with our League Cup run, but at least it gives us competitive match practice before the season proper begins. We might even win! Not expecting us to progress, but I hope to see a good, competitive performance, a narrow scoreline and a goal for us.

I suppose you could argue that promotion came too soon for us - ideally you should already have a squad capable of being competitive in the division above and be able to add extra quality and depth on top of that. This time, only seven members of our promotion-winning team are still with us, a couple of those are injured or possibly on the way out, and we don't have a proven goalscorer, so it feels like MP has a job on to make us competitive. I felt more confident in our ability to compete after our last two promotions into L1 than I am now. However, squad fluctuation is generally greater now so maybe this is just the way of things. I like the sound of most of our signings individually, but we'll just have to wait and see whether they can cope with what is for most of them a step up. I think the owners and RM are largely sticking with their guns this summer. They've been proven successful so far, but I have the feeling that they're plugging gaps rather than complementing what we've already got.

Sounds like a good signing. Many of his Championship appearances were from the bench, so he'll be hoping for more minutes with us. Is this someone who can play in the number 10 position?

Now this is a thread. Thanks for posting this @Alex, despite your slander of German beer! I'm very partial to an English real ale from a local brewery like Magpie, and they generally don't travel. You never quite know what you're going to get, and that's part of the fun. I'm lucky enough to live near a beer supermarket so I can stay stocked up with Sam Smith's Nut Brown Ale and oatmeal stout, and I'm partial to an Old Speckled Hen or nearly anything from St Peter's too. German beer is excellent (but I'd love to know where you're finding this cheap beer! Although it might appear cheap if you went to France and the Netherlands first...). It's generally less full-bodied than English beer so is easier to drink despite being a bit stronger. A Pils or helles is nice in the summer, but if you find that a bit meh you can try a cloudy beer (turn the bottle before pouring), a Landbier, a Bock or a Märzen. Special mention for Schlenkerla smoky Märzen, which you can sometimes find in the UK. If you were in Cologne you probably had Kölsch. That's something for the lager drinkers but is nice enough when fresh and served in small glasses. Kölsch in a pint glass is nope. In my limited experience, beer in France comes in small glasses and is crazy expensive. It's cheaper to drink wine. And the Netherlands is dominated by Belgian beer to the extent that it's difficult to find one of their own. I experienced Hungarian beer this year and much of it was vile. There's a reason they sell Czech beer everywhere.

Off the top of my head, we started last season with four season-long loans. Aljofree and Iorpenda were there pretty much for all pre-season, with Hall and Luker arriving later on. I definitely expect something to happen in the next week or two, maybe an attacking midfielder and a quick centre forward among them. O'Reilly seems to fit in well there. Having four long-term injuries before a ball is kicked is less than ideal. And I hope there's nothing in the Palmer talk above, he's one of our players with L1 experience (he was a regular in a side that won promotion from this level). Him, Jones and Jatta were part of the core of our promotion-winning team, and replacing them all while they're under contract is an unnecessary risk.

You might be right there @Graham, Jones' absence is odd and it's starting to feel like another Jatta situation. We're rumoured to be in for Harry Boyes, who plays in his position. Is he intended to be competition or a replacement? He's blown hot and cold over the last couple of seasons, but we know he can unlock a defence for us. He deserves a stab at League One and I'm in no doubt that he's good enough for it.

They may be in the third division, but Hansa make a fantastic atmosphere even by German standards and this was their big day out. They'd never been to England before, and London is pretty simple to get to - next season, their closest away trip will be over 200 miles away! A few years back they brought 3000 to Mannheim, a 1000-mile, 24-hour round trip. Of course there are some idiots among them, but they're far from being the worst offenders. The t shirts look a bit familiar too!

I kind of realised this was coming when I read Smythe's profile - he sounded like a Jatta replacement rather than someone who would complement him. And so it's turned out. AJ may be a bit raw, he isn't good in the air and his first touch can be a bit suspect. Some of the reported sums clubs were ready to pay for him overvalued him IMO. However, he consistently scored for us, every second game during his time with us. If he can replicate that in Portugal's top flight, he'll really be in the shop window and some very big clubs will notice him. It's a short career, so I hope he does well. The biggest unknown for us now is where the goals will come from. Smythe sounds promising but is unproven, and Ndlovu and Aquaman don't have great scoring records so far. It'll be interesting to see what permanent and loan signings are still in store.

We know he's highly rated when his old club makes a farewell video compilation. Another player making a step up, but also another leader and by the sound of it a Norburn replacement. Sounds promising. Our losses column was too high last season, so hopefully he'll make us harder to beat. But now I want to see some attacking signings as we don't have enough goals in us at present and we shouldn't put all our balls in the Roberts basket. Eggs! I meant eggs. You put eggs in baskets. Putting your balls in a basket will get you arrested.

He was a bit of a super sub for Darmstadt @menzinho. I imagine he joined us hoping for more minutes, but we also found him more effective coming off the bench. He's a strange one. He's got the talent to step up, but he could have done with a run of games and yet he never really justified a starting place for us. He could be an asset to Ingolstadt, but if he only performs in fits and bursts he'll end up warming the bench again

Keanan Bennetts has returned to Germany and has joined FC Ingolstadt in the third division. He's got the talent, but will he hold down a first team spot there?

He's a free agent then? There are a few familiar names on that list, albeit approaching the end of their careers.

This sounds like one of those silly rumours from clickbait social media pages. Even if we were willing to sell him, he would command a significant six-figure fee - there's no way Bromley could afford him. Jones is one of the few players we absolutely must hold on to. I'd be devastated if we sold him to a rival.

Lucky @Fan of Big Tone and @Chris. When I was 14 we hadn't even qualified!

He seems to be more our cup of tea than Flint, hope it comes off. Either way, I'm glad he's kicked on after leaving Blue Peter.