Where to stregthen?

I like your shopping list Jacko, but you have failed to notice one element!

We are a League One club not a Premier/top end Championship Club!

We would all love to see those players, but lets get a sense of reality here!

Don't see why you say that.
Bournemouth had some good ball playing players and they got them when they were in 2nd Division. Brighton and to some degree Southampton had too, although I know S'ton bought previously. Rochdale have a couple of good players who can pass it around, orient had a couple as far as I can recall.
Some of these lads have come out of non league, we haven't dabbled since Novak. Also, there are some good french and spanish players in 2nd divisions..It doesn't mean we have to pay millions, Jon Stead only cost bristol city £300k...
We just don't seem to have the scouts in the right places. Where did makail smith and boyd come from ? Boyd looked a good player...didn't cost millions.

lee clark is on talk sport show from 10am. exact time ubknown yet.

Let us know what is said Tez! Stuck in an office, so cant listen to it!

Jacko, dont get me wrong I want your wish list, but we have to have a manager who wants to play that way first! Millwall got out of this division with the sort of football we played last season. Not pretty, but getting results. Brighton played with flair to get out of this division, so who has the best way if they both got promoted? Me personally would get rid of the players who don't want to stay and move on as quickly as is possible! Only problem there is if we sell players for good money, other clubs up their prices thinking we have money to spend.

All these fine lines in football

First you have to look at the current squad:

Goalkeepers - Smithies, Bennett, Colgan
Defenders - Peltier, Hunt, Woods, Naysmith, Ridelagh, Clarke, McCombe, Kay
Midfielders - Arfield, Gobern, Joey, Atkinson, Roberts, Pilkington
Strikers - Rhodes, Novak, Lee, Cham

Then you have to look at who could be going:

Smithies, Peltier, Pilkington, Roberts and Rhodes are those to have been linked with moves elsewhere.

So where do we need to strengthen?

Well it depends on who leaves doesn't it, as if some of our star players leave they have to be replaced with quality rather than potential - no point replacing someone who's your best player now with someone who could be in a few years time.

However, presuming we keep our star players the first thing that screams out to me is our lack of cover for the wide men. We suffered when Pilks and Roberts picked up injuries last season and eventually got Ward in to cover the void. Hunt isn't a winger and looks poor when placed there so I don't count him. Therefore my first priority would be a young pacey winger who can push Roberts and Pilks for their places, as Roberts in particular was poor towards the end of last season and will only improve if he has to earn his place.

Secondly we badly need a goalscorer who can actually play week in week out. It's okay having Rhodes who can score but only plays 60 minutes at a time and can't play away from home, but that's not a goalscorer who will get you promoted. We need someone to be the focal point of our attack week in week out and add another 20 plus goals to what Rhodes will get when he's mincing about.

Then a real creative midfield player such as Drinkwater would do me nicely, as would an experienced defender who can run the back line effectively.

Finally, utilise the loan market again. We picked up some good signings on loan last year in Johnson, Afobe and Ward, who all had a good impact while at the club. Therefore I'd look to do the same again this season - look specifically at people like McDermott and McDonald who were out on loan last season and looked great. Then see if we can get any of the aforementioned 3 back, or if Arsenal could lend us another good young player.

Like I said, most of our transfer activity depends on who will leave, but we don't know who will leave yet, so as the squad stands now that would be where I think we need to strengthen.

terrier1987...got to agree with most of that.
Would be good of we kept our best players, but the most important thing for me is to address the midfield problem, so we can play a passing game again.
A bit of quality in there would help both defence and attack. I lost count of how many times our centre backs gave the ballback to peterbro' whereas theirs always seemed to find a man.
Similarly, patient skillfull midfield which delivers the right ball at the right time to the stikers becasue in Rhodes, Novak and Lee we have enough ability if only they got a half decent pass and not just a ball lobbed into the box.
It doesn't need major surgery, just tweaking in the right places in my mind. Maybe then we can play 4-4-2 home and away with a settled pair of strikers and let the oppostion worry about us. Brighton and S'ton played pretty much the same home and away all season..it must be better to do that instead of changing tactics every game ?

Sound much like 12 months ago, need midfielders to pass the ball, need a defender (OK last term was LB)

Stop the hoof ball, pass to you own players, PASS AND MOVE!!!!

Another year same old story, still in Lg1, few more local games now though, starting to look a bit more of a north (ish) league

I generally agree with most of the comments. Yes, we are crying out for some strength and quality in midfield. I'd still play Jack Hunt on the right of midfield. Defence needs a total makeover, bar Peter Clarke.

Attack wise, we need to play at least two forwards, as mentioned before by 'jacko', playing them at home and away. Play to our strengths, don't worry too much about the oppostion Mr Clark.

In need of a new manager? Probably! Who is available who can actually get us out of this division?

We need a new manager then let him decide where we need strengthening I can see Smithies going along with Pilkington and get rid of Joey !

WWE.

Worst...
Wum...
Ever.