It is obviously a huge loss not to have European football to look anticipate this coming year. While missing out through the cup final did hurt, it was not the crushing blow it would have been had we not had three recent European campaigns to remember. However, the difference in pre-season is huge – no longer are we closing in on exciting trips abroad and no longer is there a need to pour over maps of Europe looking for potential routes to Azerbaijan.
Instead of Europa qualifiers we have only uninspiring friendlies to whet the appetite and even they are not especially brilliant this year. Dumbarton is hardly an epic away day in the making and unless you’re one of the ‘Well fans who holds a torch for Leeds, taking on a lower league English side is hardly a glamour fixture these days.
We do not have much excitement in the current squad either. There are almost no ‘will they stay, will they go?’ issues to be resolved with only Jennings coming into that category. Even then his slight form slump towards the end of the season and the lingering mud thrown by the betting issue may make him slightly less attractive to clubs in England.
In terms of newcomers, Michael Higdon was a pleasing addition but just one of a few which are needed. The club may deserve credit for doing business in private but there are frustratingly few juicy rumours in the media to give us hints of what we can expect – and with modern football being what it is, even the names we’re linked with struggle to cause excitement when plying their trade in the English lower leagues.
The one consolation is that times like this don’t last so long – we’re a month away from the season opener against Inverness already!