HOW do you solve a problem like losing four of your best players? Sign six new ones I guess.

It says a lot about the quality of player that Taunton Town boss Rob Dray has managed to bring in ahead of the 2020/21 season, that Peacocks fans are no longer talking about Ryan Brett, Andrew Neal, Shane White and Matt Wright.

We don’t yet know when the Southern League season might start, but the squad that is coming together is getting the supporters excited.

Dray, too, is pleased with how things are shaping up.

He targets players who are versatile, allowing them to fill a number of different positions as injuries or tactical switches dictate.

We’ve seen 3-5-2, 3-4-3, 4-3-3, 4-3-1-2 and even plain old 4-4-2 from Taunton within the last couple of years, depending on the opposition or game situation.

And the current squad looks like it can be flexible.

Ahead of goalkeeper Lloyd Irish you have Ben Adelsbury, Aaron Bentley, Jamie Price and Jake Wannell - all nominally centre-backs, but also capable of playing on the left side of defence or the right, as well as filling in at full-back or in midfield.

Jamie Short and Ross Staley have tended to play as wing-backs, but their greatest strength is in going forward, so wouldn’t be out of place as attacking midfielders.

Brett is a loss in the centre of midfield, there’s no doubt about that, but Lee Lucas appears - on paper at least - a ready-made replacement.

Ollie Chamberlain and Callum Watts provide further midfield reinforcement, as does Luke Spokes, albeit with a more attacking outlook.

Dray looks to play with at least two strikers in his side, which explains why he’s signed three of them, in addition to the speedy Dan Demkiv, who came in earlier this year.

The goal records of the three Hs (Gethyn Hill, Toby Holmes and Owen Howe) are impressive, so there is hope that they can fill the goalscoring void that’s been left by arch-predator Neal.

We await news on Nick Grimes and Dan Sullivan, but the general mood is an optimistic one ahead of football’s long-awaited return.