With two weeks to go before the new season starts, Roy Keane will be fine tuning his plans for the upcoming campaign. Following a summer that started full of frustration, but ended with a frenetic period of transfer activity that has left us with a robust squad.

As this is written, some 24 hours before the Ajax friendly, Keano's summer signings have left us with a squad that, on paper, matches the talent of the side that lifted us to those two seventh-place finishes almost a decade ago. Well, except in one area.. up front.

While our current situation sees us with four goalkeepers - Craig Gordon who is as good as, if not better, than Thomas Sorensen, along with his back-up of Marton Fulop, Darren Ward and Nick Colgan, barring a major injury crisis, we're amply covered between the sticks.

In defence, our biggest worry comes with the loss of Jonny Evans... and since we've not paid the reported £10m that Manchester United want for him, we may be looking to do a little bit of a reshuffle at the back. The arrival of Pascal Chimbonda gives us another option, but he's a right back - and unless he's displacing Phil Bardsley, chances are Pascal will be out of position.

During pre-season we've seen Danny Collins and Danny Higginbotham play at left back, with the other one partnering Nyron Nosworthy at the back. Ross Wallace's loan departure to Preston means that, in lieu of a new centre-half arriving, we're likely to see Chimbonda and Nosworthy working together. Hardly ideal, but it'll be a damn sight better than Paul McShane if his last run in the side was anything to go by!

Following the arrivals of Teemu Tainio, Steed Malbranque and El Hadji Diouf, we almost have too much choice, regardless of whether Roy wants to field a five man midfield and go for a pass-heavy game, or a more traditional 4-4-2 where we have more chances to score. Out on the left we'll be choosing between Andy Reid and Kieran Richardson... on the right, we've got Malbranque, Diouf and Carlos Edwards, while in the middle there's Tainio, Grant Leadbitter and Dean Whitehead - and all that's before we even consider putting people out of position!

Then there's our problem up front - where we're sadly going to be lacking Kenwyne Jones for at least the first two months of the season, which leave us with Daryl Murphy, Michael Chopra, Roy O'Donovan, Anthony Stokes and Rade Prica as first team strikers. Most likely in that order too (before you look to move Diouf and Malbranque out of position).

Whether we go 4-4-2 or 4-5-1, this is undoubtedly our weakest part of the team, at least until Kenwyne returns. Unless we go for that attacking 4-5-1-come-4-3-3, our five man midfield isn't going to get us too many points next season... and even when Jones returns, we'd be too reliant on one man. Unfortunately, none of the guys we've been linked with (Louis Saha to name but one) won't set the world on fire.

Still, all that aside, with everyone fit, our strongest XI should ensure we'll avoid a relegation fight and hopefully easily secure a mid-table finish for the Lads. All that remains to be seen is whether we'll bring in the centre back and centre forward we need to avoid reshuffling... and to avoid any problems should we encounter any injury crises similar to those we endured last season.

For once, we're going into a new Premier League season, and things are looking bright! Ha'way the Lads!