I'd be inclined to agree. I think we've done ok with the recruitment at the back with Mee and Tanganga, notwithstanding also carrying McGuinness, Godfrey, Bindon and Zatterstrom who we've yet to see but overall the squad is bloated with players who we're saddled with on long deals or need sending back to their parent clubs.
Everybody else we've signed has brought little to nothing to the party and we've replaced guaranteed starters with players who wouldn't have even made the squad last season, never mind started matches. We downgraded the squad, massively downgraded our position in the table and the existing players who are left seem to have lost all semblance of form, fitness and confidence.
Going through last season's team squad - Gilchrist (returned), Arblaster (long term injured), Souttar (injured/loan return), Brewster (mostly crap but would be involved in most games if he was here), Moore (can do a job that we desperately need at the moment), JRS (loan return), Anel, Souza, Choudhury, BBD would all be in and around the starting line up if they were still here. Even a donut like Harry Clarke would get in ahead of
Looking back, I don't think players like McGoldrick or Sharp have ever been properly replaced and we've been making do with Robinson in place of O'Connell who beside being Scouse defenders with the same first name couldn't be further apart in terms of ability.