I suspect that the first XI will be fine for the start and the new signings will bed in slowly as Jags and Baines did last year.

Out of interest, why not? Personally, if we start the season with just that 15 (hopefully that won't be the case) then we may struggle to pick up many points.
Otherwise, we're relying on new transfers coming in in time, and settling quickly, which (Manny apart) is likely to be difficult.
Or, we'll be relying on promising inexperience like Rodwell (not quite ready, for me, yet) or VDM.
It's just not quite what I was expecting after a good 5th from last season.
I'm off to Greece on Tuesday, so i'm gonna take a break from reading the forums for a couple of days at a time, so hopefully i will be suprised.
But it is very worrying.
[Poor language removed] that, i'm a sad **** and will check every day.