The League Two season is just over two weeks away and Swindon Town need to build on their early transfer momentum to keep the excitement going.

Swindon have looked strong across their five pre-season matches so far, winning four and only being beaten by Swansea City, with clear signs that the players are taking on Mark Kennedy’s instructions. His desired attacking and defensive philosophy has been on display and has been fun to watch when things come together.

Kennedy has got the team playing his more vertical style that Town fans saw last year, still not kick and rush, but a measured approach about when to play long and short. His focus on using wing-backs for width also looks like it could be fruitful as Rosaire Longelo, Tunmise Sobowale, and Joel McGregor have all looked exciting in these games, creating chances with their direct thrust up both sides. I have also enjoyed the experiments with different partnerships in attacking areas as Paul Glatzel, Harry Smith, Aaron Drinan, Jake Cain, and to a lesser extent Sean McGurk have been mixed and matched like a footballing test kitchen, with Kennedy looking for the right blend of the Colonel’s 11 herbs and spices.

The only issue is there has been a familiar theme in each game and that is the centre of the pitch has tended to be clogged up. Glatzel has shone as the one who can make things happen and Ollie Clarke has had moments of final third dynamism, but you do get the feeling of being a player short. I don’t think this is something that would surprise Kennedy as he has yet to field Saidou Khan and Nnamdi Ofoborh at the same time in any game, so he doesn’t seem to be planning for them to play together, leaving room for a more creative presence in what looks to be a midfield three.

Jamie Russell and the Town recruitment staff have done a very solid job this summer. Following a few seasons of having a team too committed to football purity for its own good, we have seen them go down a different route. Instead of again opting for the classic Football Manager transfer policy of signing every exciting-looking 18-year-old with 17 flair, gorging on the sugary, fun options, vegetables have been being eaten. Some grizzled pros have rocked up and already you can see what Smith, Clarke, and Will Wright can offer in terms of leadership to those who looked lost at sea last season on top of their quality on the pitch. The business has been good, but I think we should take another wander down the biscuit aisle because pudding is looking especially bland right now.

Hall and Dylan Mitchell have been the only ones to arrive since the start of July and from the outside it has felt like things have slowed down when they need to speed up, even though, obviously, transfer dealings are never as simple as they appear peeking through the window. This squad has some nice-looking foundations, but it is time to splash out on a fountain or a stone sculpture of a lion to live on the garden wall. In my opinion, we have ten players who I would have no problem starting every game of the season in the building already, but that 11th player has to take some weight off the shoulders of Glatzel and the wide-men to make things happen.

Spending ten days at the Euros this summer, the words of Phil Foden’s chant are etched into my brain. You can’t start a fire without a spark. Who is going to set this team alight?