Opening Doors

Transfer activity should be over until at least after the Bournemouth game today possibly! Four signings in the space of forty eight hours is a lot to keep up with, but I can't see any of them making the starting eleven today, although I expect at least three of them to be on the bench. Martin is the latest to arrive, a £1.5m Ipswich purchase from Manchester United only a year ago, and now on the transfer list. Quite has gone wrong for him at Ipswich isn't immediately obvious so hopefully a footballing difference of opinion with Roy Keane rather than anything else. To paraphrase a certain beer commercial, he's good, but he's not a striker, his more natural positioning being right side or central midfield. He has however, played as a supporting striker, so again Parkinson has remained true to his mantra of versatility, but I am not convinced he is the answer to our lack of firepower. He should be a class above the vast majority in the third division if he can stay fit, but that is a big if, given his injury record to date.

So, here we go again, the first game of the season is upon us, and I know I should be excited, but I feel curiously flat about this one. Our squad is still in the making, and although it is capable of achieving mid table mediocrity, it does not look like a side capable of automatic promotion. Time will tell of course, but I hope Parkinson still has a "surprise" for us, and I hope it is a genuine out and out striker. A win today against a more unified Bournemouth team would be no mean feat, but I suspect a draw may well be a more realistic outcome. So, it is on with the Woolwich shirt again, take a deep breath, and hope that the Addicks don't squeeze my enjoyment out of the season too quickly. Good luck to the boys, and all of us.

Contract End 2011

Dailly
Jackson (Contract length not known)
Llera
Racon
Reid (Contract length not known)
Semedo
Sodje A
Solly
Stavrinou
Worner (Contract length not known)
Youga

Contract End 2012

Abbott
Doherty
Elliott
Francis
McCormack
Wagstaff

Loan

Fry (Jan 4th 2011)
Martin (May 31st 2011)

Non Contract

Smart

First Pro Contract

Davisson
Jenkinson
Mambo
Perkins
Tuna