The appointment of Neil Harris gave us all hope, but ultimately safety was a step too far even with such a monumental turn of fortune. The reality was the bunch of players he had under his charge were simply not League one standard or even match fit for that matter.

Now fast forward to now and with a fan base divided than any can ever remember, Harris faces the task of recruiting 15+ players to lead the charge into what we all hope to be a promotion chasing season. This of course will not be easy as the EFL as a whole has grown stronger over the last ten years as the money of the Premier league has flowed further and further down the pyramid. If you look at the sheer size of clubs like Sunderland, Wigan and Ipswich who have all enjoyed success in the top tier of English football they have been part of the EFL and the lower end of the EFL for some time.

With that in mind it should be no surprise that next season in League two will not exactly be a walk in the park. Over 12 years have passed since League two football was played at Priestfield stadium and whilst the drop for any club is not what any fan wants, Neil Harris brings a semblance of hope and change.

Of course the divisive Paul Scally remains, but with marmite manager Steve Evans no longer at the club many fans are more likely to return to matches. This has been reflected in the positive uptake in season ticket purchases and whilst some will be loyal fans whose two year deal has come to an end now, it still represents hope that the future of the club doesn’t have to be as bleak as we all thought no more than 6 months ago.

Following the final game of the season defeat to Rotherham it was clear to all that Harris was not a man to sit back and accept 2nd best. A passionate speech followed the defeat on skysports and nothing was held back, the standards at the club overall need improving along with the quality of the squad and Harris was very clear that he was the man to bring this change about.

So how has this early change gone so far?

It does seem that this years transfer market has been somewhat of a slow burner across all of the leagues. As highlighted by one of Neil Harris recent video updates – right now the marketplace is one which favours the players and their agents so movement has stalled whilst unrealistic demands are made and stuck to. Even with that we have managed to get three new players through the door;

All 3 signings we have made so far are promising and if nothing else, feel like the right types of signings.

Jefferies arrives with rave reviews from fans of Brentford and Newport and could prove to be a diamond of a capture come the end of the season if those fans are proven to be correct. A real box to box midfielder, the engine of the midfield looks like it will be powered by Jefferies legs, an exciting capture.

Williams arrives with a wealth of experience and a natural ball playing midfielder, another huge benefit is his close relationship to Harris. If he still has enough left in his legs he could bring a sense of calm and genuine leadership to a team which was lacking of both last season.

Will Wright arrives as the swiss knife defensive player that will allow Harris flexibility to change formations quickly without the need to necessarily switch personnel. Add in his well documented dead ball threat, he could prove to be invaluable at both ends of the pitch.

Who do we have on the books as of now?

Well ‘Gills in the Blood’ Matt, beautifully illustrated our current predicament the other night with this starting 11 image:

Now I know that the season is still a little way of but with pre-season approaching at a frightening speed, it is clear to see that even without any more departures, of which a few more are all but certain, we still need a lot more players and preferably at least one of them will be a goalkeeper!

Are there any free agents I would like to see at Priestfield come the 30th July? Here are 3 which I feel could improve us as a team and fit in immediately.

1) Mark Beevers – 32 years old – An experienced solid centre half who would do an excellent job at League two.

2) Dion Conroy – 26 years old – The Swindon captain was a shock release from the club and would make a fine addition to the squad, could well be out of our wage budget.

3) John Marquis – 30 years old – Never go back they say, but for Marquis I would throw that motto out the window as I feel the striker would prove to be a inspired signing.

Prediction

First and foremost, Harris has impressed me. There are of course fans out there who want change at the very top but I feel that credit needs to be given to Scally for managing to get Harris through the door when if we are all being realistic, none of us ever believed we could or would get someone of Harris calibre, especially factoring in the absolute state we were in as a club on and off the pitch at the time of Evans departure.

I feel more hopeful with how we will fare this season even after suffering a relegation and having hardly any players on the books. That is down to Harris and the confidence and honesty in which he speaks whenever interviewed. I also think trying to keep the fans engaged and part of the day to day life at the club can only be beneficial and smash down that wall of division which has only grown in the last few years.

Where can I see us finishing? That is obviously not an easy thing to predict with barely half of the squad in place but I do have genuine belief in what Harris is looking to build and feel that a play-off challenge should be expected. I am hopeful and looking forward to the return of football, so lets get behind the team, whoever that may turn out to be and cheer them into a promotion charge. UTG!

Predicted finish – 5th (Promoted)