Powell's Prem experience essential

At last Aidy has signed someone who has kicked a Premiership football before, in the form of Charlton veteran Chris Powell.

Sure, at the age of 36, he is no spring chicken, but he will add vital experience to the squad. It was the vast Championship experience of Mahon and Mackay that helped win us promotion last season. I also suspect the input of Sir Les Ferdinand was essential to us hitting the back of the net so many times, and the introduction of Powell will hopefully prevent that the opposition doing so many times to us this season.

With no disrespect to the 3 youngsters Aidy has already signed, who probably have the potential we want, it was vital for us to get some Premiership experience in, and with the added international experience too, Powell should certainly toughen up our back line. He will also be a good figure to have both on and off the pitch. After all Chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association certainly sounds like the type of role model Aidy is after at the club, and his 700 senior caps should come in useful.

Now we need another midfielder of the same levels of experience, and then maybe some more players around the age of 25 with respectable amounts of experience, as this was the formula that brought us championship success, it could be argued that we have to apply it to the Premiership.

WRITTEN BY STUART BROWN

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