Somehow Barnet's return to the Football League is less than a fortnight away. Six friendly fixtures have been and gone already and the Bees will travel to Eastleigh and Northwood before they kick off at Leyton Orient in little over a week's time.
With that in mind, how have the new boys done this summer? Barnet FC reporter Tom Bodell casts an eye over Martin Allen's seven signings from back to front.
Gavin Hoyte
The versatile defender's arrival caused confusion. Where was the former Arsenal youngster going to fit in? Both full-back positions were taken by the impeccable Andy Yiadom and Elliott Johnson, leaving Hoyte a third wheel.
Not so. The ex-Gillingham defender has proven himself to be not only an excellent option at right-back but the most likely one to start the season.
Allen's master plan all along has become clear in pre-season and although Yiadom has reverted to full-back he will surely be utilised as a right winger at the start of the season at least.
Comfortable on the ball and good going forward, Hoyte is Yiadom mark two but with a bit more height and experience.
Michael Nelson
Barnet have yet to announce the veteran defender's signature but the Times Series understands the centre-back is already a fully-fledged Bee so here goes.
Many supporters were disappointed and surprised in equal measure to see two-time Player of the Year David Stephens leave.But in Nelson there is a new stalwart at number six boasting a wealth of experience.
He won't play twice a week in all probability but what he lacks in legs he makes up for in leadership qualities and nous.
They say you don't need to be quick if you know where to be and Allen will be hoping the Geordie defender displays that knack this season - though he failed to do so against Peterborough United recently in allowing Souleymane Coulibaly to open the scoring.
Allen says he does not talk off the field but on it he is the complete antithesis. Just the kind of rugged leader any green-leafed side needs.
Bira Dembele
Captain at Stevenage - despite not speaking a great deal of English - prior to his arrival at The Hive, the Frenchman looks a classy addition.
A good reader of the game who, evidenced by his post-watershed viewing clash of heads in last season's League Two play-offs, will quite literally put his head in where it hurts for the cause.
It is not difficult to see why Boro fans were disappointed to see the rangy centre-back leave Broadhall Way and whether alongside Nelson or Bondz N'Gala, Dembele should provide a calming presence and as a natural left-footer, balance at the heart of the defence.
Tom Champion
You can see the logic behind bringing another central midfielder to the club, especially with Conor Clifford's permanent return seemingly dead in the water, but Champion is going to have to show something else to oust Curtis Weston and Sam Togwell.
And that is not necessarily a slight on the lanky midfielder either.
Weston as captain will be one of the first names on the teamsheet and Togwell is the budget Claude Makelele who goes unnoticed largely but holds everything together.
Barnet were lucky to get through last season with two recognised central midfielders for the majority of the campaign - the loan spells of David Hunt and Clifford aside - and although he has not shown enough to dislodge those two, with his passing noticeably slack, Champion will see plenty of action in a long campaign nonetheless.
Ben Tomlinson
After an inauspicious start the former Lincoln City wideman showed exactly what he was about by claiming a classy assist for John Akinde's hat-trick goal against MK Dons.
With a tendency to drift into the middle, Tomlinson is perhaps not an archetypal wideman in the mould of Lee Cook but he will offer something different in freeing himself of the shackles of wing play.
That is because he is right footed and his tendency to drift inside rather than getting chalk on his boots may well see him moved to the right from time-to-time as well.
He will need to work on his defensive output, though. Allen was canny enough to know Cook could not be taught new tricks at 32. Tomlinson is more mobile and physical than his predecessor, he won't get away with what Cook did.
Shaun Batt
The versatile forward has featured only fleetingly as Allen seeks to "manage" his latest acquisition but what we have seen has been explosive.
Tall, strong and above all quick, Batt grabbed a delightful debut goal against St Albans City by cutting in from the left and one fancies his ability to stretch defences with his raw pace will be an asset Allen is keen to get the most out of.
A genuinely good option on either flank or up top, Allen has already claimed he "does not know" where the former Orient man will fit in. One suspects he will battle it out with Kevin Lisbie and Michael Gash to partner Akinde.
Kevin Lisbie
Much like Nelson we won't be seeing Lisbie for 90 minutes twice a week but the former Leyton Orient striker is a canny operator and will fill the void left by Charlie MacDonald nicely.
Intelligent, surprisingly good in the air and equally strong considering his slight frame, the former Jamaica international uses his experience to great effect to hold up the ball and bring others into play.
He will already know all about playing alongside Batt from their O's days and in what we have witnessed so far, one imagines he will be comfortable playing alongside big men Akinde and Gash too.
On top of that, he boasts a wealth of experience and for someone like Matt Stevens is a resource which should be drained.
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