McGhee: 'Looking To Improve'

Bristol Rovers manager Mark McGhee's message to Gasheads today is that recruitment is likely to take place soon but is not a process that can be rushed.

McGhee hopes to have some signings in place for pre-season training which begins on July 5, but stressed that not all squad strengthening will be completed until nearer our first competitive match against Ipswich Town on August 14.

He's adopting the quality over quantity approach and for the first time in a long time I'm confident we have a manager that can successfully carry that out. He told the official site that 'the thing I remain determined about is the quality of the players we bring in and where they are going to take us'. It's refreshing for this to be the mindset of McGhee, because last year seemed like a case of taking the first players that became available. He'll be very canny in his negotiations and won't be taken for a ride by any player or agent, so you can be sure that anybody who does sign for us will do so because they want to be a part of what is being built here.

Loan deals to bring back Cian Bolger and Tom Parkes from Leicester City, and Matt Lund from Stoke City, seem nearer to being completed than they did this time last week. There had been whispers that perhaps Leicester would make a bid for Mustapha Carayol that included permanent deals for Bolger and Parkes, but that appears not to be the case. McGhee hinted that whilst he hoped some signings will be completed by the time the squad returns for training, the recruitment which fans will consider 'significant' may not take place until later in the summer. Read in to that what you will.

I'd hazard a guess that this hints at certain players being under contract but that was neither confirmed nor denied in the interview.

I'm intrigued to discover who will be a part of the squad by next Thursday and who are being targeted as the 'significant' signings. It's all going to transpire soon enough!