Signing players a fortnight+ after the start of training – as we have done so very many times – means that you begin the season with a squad whose preparation has been interrupted from Day One.
How many poor starts to seasons have we had in recent years? – My gut feeling strongly states that there is a direct correlation between poor starts and late signings. (Quite apart from the issue of the quality of players signed.)
Dropping half a dozen points unnecessarily in August/September could be the difference between the National League and further relegation.