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| Jason Shackell was a 2012 Eddie Howe signing |
Ashley Barnes was signed as that desperately needed new striker in January of this year. Although all our transfers now, like those of most clubs, was undisclosed, the manager has since confirmed that we spent £450,000 on the Brighton striker.
Since promotion another six new faces have come into the club so far. Matt Gilks has arrived from Blackpool to boost the goalkeeping pool, Steven Reid and Matt Taylor have added to the experience, Michael Kightly, who spent most of last season with us on loan, has signed from Stoke whilst we've increased our forward options with the signings of Marvin Sordell and Lukas Jutkiewicz.
We are expecting more signings, and it wouldn't surprise me to see one over the line very soon who might add to the central defenders at the club. West Brom's Craig Dawson was at Deepdale on Tuesday watching the game and Clarets Mad understands this deal is now a matter of when rather than if.
But it isn't just new signings. A lot of work has been done since that party at the end of April with several existing players signing new deals to extend their stays at Turf Moor. Sam Vokes had done so back in January and he's been followed by full backs Kieran Trippier, Luke O'Neill and Ben Mee, central defender Michael Duff, one of the best free signings in English football a year ago Scott Arfield and, yesterday, goalkeeper Tom Heaton.
It led to me to examine the current first team squad. Including Steven Hewitt, who is now very much with the first team on a permanent basis, it totals 22 players and when you look down that list of players 20 of them have either been signed by Dyche or have signed new deals since he became manager.
Only two players in that squad are now under contracts signed prior to the last managerial change and they are two very influential players.
Captain Jason Shackell is currently half way through the four year contract he signed in 2012 and Danny Ings, who also signed a four year deal, is now three years into it having arrived from Bournemouth in August 2011.
It means this collection of players initially signed by Steve Cotterill, in the case of Michael Duff, Owen Coyle (Kevin Long), Brian Laws (2 players), Eddie Howe (7) and Dyche (11) are now virtually all Dyche signings one way or another.
Many of us will recall, back in December 1998 after a 4-0 defeat at Fulham, Stan Ternent blasting: "That wasn't my team out there. When I do get my team you will see a marked difference."
On the same weekend the club revealed a share issue that would see new director Barry Kilby become chairman and a cash injection of over £5 million. Stan very soon got his team with a number of new signings.
It was then his team, and today's squad of players is now very definitely Sean Dyche's.