The start of the season has revealed two things, that defensively a good side will rip us apart on the break, but that going forward we are a potent force, if Ralph hasenhuttl can make two signings this week we could seriously challenge the top 10 this season.
The win at Burnley showed that we can battle against the more physical sides, but we should not let Sean Dyche's lack of tactical awareness gloss over the fact that we still have our deficiencies, last season at one time looked like being a relegation battle, but ended with us rueing so many soft goals conceded and just missing out on a top 10 finish.
But we could get back into the top half of the table this season if we finally deal with our weakness at the back in this transfer window and if we add another player in the centre of midfield then we could surprise a few teams.
In goal we have three options, but in truth none have truly shone in the last two years, but it is not a position that we are desperate in, the two full back positionsare now well covered, Kyle Walker Peters and Ryan Bertrand class acts, with two good young covering options in Jake Vokins and Yan Valery.
Out wide in midfield we again have options, Stuart Armstrong, Moussa Djenepo & Nathan Redmond have experience whilst Will Smallbone & Nathan Tella offer youth.
Up front we have a blend of experience and youth that in Ings, Adams, Long & Obafemi give us options.
But a good team is built on it's spine and ours is deficient, in the centre of defence we lack a leader, I have been saying this for four years and the problem has not been dealt with, meaning that we can't find the consistency that would see us break into the top 10, we are too reliant on poor finishing from the opposition to win games and it really should not be like that.
So a good leader at the back would solve a lot of problems.
In the centre of midfield, Pierre Emile Hojbjerg is not a massive loss, but we are short of graft, Oriol Romeu and James Ward Prowse showed they can roll up their sleeves and battle it out at Burnley, but we still lack a good holding midfielder.
If we deal with the problem by two good signings, then a lot will fall into place, the goalkeepers will be more assured with an organiser in front of them and the defence will be protected and that in turn will enable us to put more pressure on teams going forward knowing that we can defend a counter attack.
Playing youngsters is fine, but every pupil needs a teacher and we have no one doing that on the pitch at the moment.
The future is bright, but we cannot rest on our laurels, we need to put the final pieces in the jigsaw, look to get things sorted and then build on the foundations, Ralph Hasenhuttl has done that very well in the last two years, but the hardest part if making the jump from the middle of the table to 7th-10th and that needs experience, the Big Six don't buy potential they buy the finished article, we cannot do that, we need to find the next big thing and turn them into good players, except that they will move on and invest wisely.
We are very close to being back to the position we were in 4 years ago, then some got a bit overexcited and disallusioned when we did not kick on, but we have steadied the ship under Ralph and are ready to go again.
Now it is a case of two good signings with experience, not 3 with potential but no experience.
The next few days will be crucial to the way this season pans out, I hope we make those signings.