Can't disagree with your analysis of what is required .......but incredibely difficult to integrate such a large number of players into a squad let alone the first team.
As things stand the only 1st team players from last season who will start v Stoke ( and the really tough games in the 5 weeks after ) are Holgate , Williams , Baines Schneirderlin and Gana .
Yup mate, thankfully the early Europa games give us a boost in getting ready as does having a lot of them in before preseason starts.
Left back, Goalkeeper and hopefully right back will be nothing more than backups and not needed unless of injuries etc anyways - so to a great extent they can be stuck on the back burner and aren't anywhere near as important as other positions.
It 'looks' like Sigurddson will be done relatively soon which sorts out one thing, Giroud hopefully as well before the games start - which sorts out another, IF we are actually looking at another quality player at the back i'm not sure - more of a hope otherwise we are an injury away from playing a centre back pairing that would be a massive weak spot and effectively derail a potentially really good season. a pacey wide player - we've supposedly tried for one early on and are linked with a few on a semi regular basis, so hopefully that doesn't drag on too long.
Problems will arise though if we miss out on any primary targets - as i have no idea who the other options would be for these positions...
As for the integration part - it's far from ideal, but no other option really due to the mess f a squad inherited and the long term injuries we have also - thrown on top of one or two of the guaranteed starters seemingly wanting/or have already got their out from the club.
