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With many Bulls fans wondering why Torquay appear to have financially outgunned the Bulls for Ian Morris, is the Simon Davey legacy leaving Jamie Pitman with little room to manoevure?
So far, Pitman has largely signed direct replacements for the players he axed in May. For Ryan Valentine read Joe Heath, Harry Pell replaces Sam Gwynne, first year pro Aidan Thomas becomes Kyle McCarthy, Delroy Facey replaces Adrian Patulea, and Stefan Stam is the new Richard Rose. Sort of.
That leaves only Daniel Stratford and Sam Malsom to replace of the 20 contracted players that ended last season. A backup midfielder/winger and a young striker, the positions potentially filled by Danny Williams and the unnamed trialist on the current Spanish trip. There is also the left midfield position, previously filled by loanee Steven Leslie, but a loan signing would usually be a late addition in pre-season if one is indeed in Pitman's plans.
So, if we're in about the same position squad-wise as last year, why does it not feel like we've done much in pre-season?
Firstly, Pitman did a lot of his business during the second half of the season. The arrivals of Featherstone, Purdie, Heath, Stam and Pell have not felt like new signings. All five arrived on loan and later signed permanent deals with only Facey a 'new' addition.
Secondly, Simon Davey's eagerness to issue two year deals last summer have limited Pitman's scope in the market. The Independent's often-quoted survey into player wages, now five years old, says the average League Two footballer earned around £1,000 a week with strikers earning nearly 50% more.
Having Sean Canham - signed as a first choice striker - and Janos Kovacs - the former team captain - on the transfer list is likely to be a very expensive problem. Should the pair be earning wages in line with the Independent's findings, and they are considered by many to be some of the higher earners at the club, they could well be taking 15% of Pitman's budget.
That budget will have also been reduced in the summer after the Football League voted a reduction from 60% to 55% in the wage capping rules at the AGM in June - after most of the current squad had already been signed. Suddenly seeing what is likely to be £800 a week ripped from your budget is likely to cause headaches to any manager after their plans had been drawn up.
Aside from the existing trialists, Bulls fans would appear to be unlikely to see significant new additions until Canham and Kovacs move on to pastures new.
