Paul Wotton's signing is a reflection of the times. Signed on a free after spending his whole career at Plymouth, he may not be the international midfielders we have been used to in Viafara and Safri, but he is reliable and versatile. Certainly one or both will be going after his arrival.
Primarily a defensive central midfielder he can also cover in defence, a vital attribute in what will be a small squad. He adds experience at 30 to the youthful squad.
He boasts a surprisingly good record from set pieces both in terms of delivery and goals with 54 goals in 359 league starts, not bad at all for a defensive midfielder cum defender. His set piece delivery will be important with Idiakez almost certain to be one of the players released.
It is something of a surprise that he was released by Plymouth after so many years of great service, but much of this is due to his slow comeback from serious knee injuries last season.
Speaking of knee injuries, surely the most heart-warming story of the summer is the potential return of Michael 'Killer' Svensson who came through pre-season fitness tests with no reported problems.
Of course it could be another false dawn after four years of problems, but the club deserve praise for offering him a new deal if he can prove his fitness. He represents an all too welcome link with our more illustrious past after the retirement of the long serving Claus Lundekvam, our last link with the Premiership squad.
Indeed both players are expected to partner up, albeit briefly, for Claus' testimonial against Celtic, a chance to look back on happier times and hope that better times may be ahead with a dream return for the immensely popular Svensson. Now that would be a Killer signing...