Great pre-season signings and looks like City can finally mount a serious challenge to get back to where they belong!

Strangely, although the other close season signings (albeit with minor concerns about their ages) have been very well received, the signing of Michael boulding - who everybody at our level and above was chasing, was not !

The fans I’ve spoken to aren’t too happy…. so far no one seems too pleased. In the main, the reasons why fall into the following general criticisms:

1. We should’nt have fallen for “take me, take my brother”. The younger boulding takes up a berth that could - and should - have been occupied that other striker Stuart had been talking about “one, perhaps two more strikers”. said the manager.

2. We were supposed to be looking for Barry Conlon with goals: A target man who would not only knock the ball down for Thorne but would weigh in with around 15 goals next season himself.

3. At 32 years old he’s just had one great season at relegated mansfield. Prior to that his record is pretty much one goal every 3 games. can we be sure which Michael Boulding we’re going to get? was last season the exception to the normal 1 in 3 rule.

All in all the fans remain to be convinced and are concerned that Stuart may have made a rod for his own back.

Here is to 2 weeks hard work to get ready for the season. Ultimately if elder Boulding gets us the goals to get out of Legaue 2, then no one will care. Look at our squad and the squad of a mid table League 1 side such as Northampton. There isnt much difference between the 2.

McCall is a tough character - I really believe he knows what he needs to get out of the league. Everyone who knows me knows last season I was shouting for height and presence in the middle of the park - he has signed McLaren for that (albeit Bullock started this off). I also felt that we needed a real leader at the back - he signed Lee, who often proved City’s foil when playing for Donny (apart from Tom Kearney’s only goal in his entire life - maybe).

I cant see him allowing player power to take over. How would that unsettle the squad he has assembled?

I think we have got a very good attacking line up now with a solid base. A lot can be learnt from the Dutch group games in Euro 2008 - De Jong and Engelaar holding centrally and using wide attacking midfielders with fluid up front movement. Now there is no comparison in the quality of players there, but this is how City need to adapt their style.

The big question for me is how Bullock and McLaren work together. One has to sit. Otherwise we are looking at another Schuey/Bridgey situation.

I think BfB has hit the nail on the head here. Is a striker who scores 25 goals in a relegated team merely unlucky to be playing with poor team-mates, or did he get 25 goals by not passing to those team-mates all season? Only time will tell how he plays with Thorne, Barry et al. However I’m impressed with the quality of City’s pre-season signings and, looking at the balance of the squad that Stuart has, it’s going to be attacking football all the way.

Can’t bloody wait.

In fact tracking back was more difficult than quantum physics for that lad. But McCall says Michael Boulding offers something different, pace and ability to get behind defences and unlike our other quick boy in the form of Omar Daley he can hit the onion bag on a regular basis.

Let’s see shall we?