MARK Lawn today backed City’s summer recruits and declared: I think we’ll be stronger than before.

Phil Parkinson says he wants five more additions to bolster the ranks for the new season.

And Lawn believes the signings already on board are an indicator that the bar is being raised after narrowly missing out on the play-offs.

The Valley Parade joint-chairman said: “We’ll have a good competitive squad and I think we’ll have a stronger one.

“I think what Phil has brought in so far is stronger than what he let go.

“Obviously people talk about Andrew Davies (going) and the need to get a centre half nailed down.

“We’ve got people who can go in there when needed like (Alan) Sheehan, (Gary) Liddle and (Tony) McMahon. But we know we need to fill that and we’re working on it.

“We know we’re a little bit short right now. But look at the new players we’ve got and who they’ve replaced.

“This is only my opinion but I think Josh Morris is a better player than (Andy) Halliday, Mark Marshall is better than (Mark) Yeates and, to be honest, I think Steve Davies can be better than (Jon) Stead.

“Luke James is taking over from Olly McBurnie as fourth-choice striker. He’s got the experience and I’ve been impressed by what I’ve seen with him.”

Davies is likely to get a good run-out in tonight’s friendly at Whitby Town as he continues to play catch-up with the rest of the squad.

The striker came off the bench for the last 20 minutes against Carlisle – his first pre-season outing after recovering from an Achilles strain.

Lawn added: “You look at the four we’ve got up front now and they offer something different.

“You can go big man, little man with James Hanson and Billy Clarke or Hanson and James. Or if Phil wants to batter the opposition, you can go Hanson and Davies.”

Centre half, goalkeeper and right wing remain the priority areas for Parkinson and sources in East Anglia have linked him with former Ipswich wide man Paul Anderson.

The 27-year-old, who has been training with Scunthorpe, is a more defensive-minded winger who scored twice last season with seven assists.

Lawn has responded to criticism that the City board are sitting on the money they made from last season’s FA Cup run. They have also received a substantial sum from Swansea for McBurnie.

Lawn said: “There’s this fallacy that we haven’t spent in the transfer market. What do you think we are doing now with the squad and the wages?

“They should look at the wages that people are paying now. Because the increase in the Premier League is vast, it trickles down.

“This year’s wages are probably on average 30-50 per cent more than last season. That’s right across the board at all levels.”

Youngsters like Dylan Mottley-Henry, Sam Wright and Jon Lewis have stood out in pre-season action and Lawn feels it is right City drip-feed them into the first-team picture without expecting too much, too soon.

“There are some good young ones but they should be allowed to come through at their own time.

“You look at Mottley-Henry and Jon Lewis who’s just come in. And nobody’s mentioning Reece Webb-Foster, who’s been injured so hasn’t played.

“There are a few trying to bubble through but I think that’s the way to do it.

“We need to get the first-team squad strength right and then if these young lads show promise, you can pop them in rather than relying on them from the start.”