MARK McGhee says Bristol Rovers have to recruit players as good or better than their current loan signings to make an impression on League Two next season.
The Pirates face AFC Wimbledon at the Memorial Stadium tomorrow having taken 19 points from 11 league games since Paul Buckle's departure from the club – a ratio that would see them in the play-off places if extended over their 35 games so far.
"Our return of points over the last 11 games has been more than satisfactory," said McGhee. "If we can put together a squad next season of similar strength and ability to the one we have right now, there's no reason that sort of ratio can't continue.
"But we have Andy Dorman, Matty Lund, Cian Bolger, Tom Parkes and Michael Poke, who don't belong to us – they are other people's players and they are all doing really well for us.
"Next season we need to have either those players or replacements of a similar or better standard if we are to maintain that form.
"We would be quite happy to keep all the players we have on loan and I'd sign them today for next season if I could.
"That's not possible and, in some cases, it's maybe not probable. But that's certainly the standard we want to set."
McGhee, pictured, said he would prefer longer-term loan deals to signing players for just a month.
"I think Bristol Rovers have exploited the loan system well this season, even before I got here," he said.
"I think that if you have someone for a month, he may already be looking to get back down the road to where he's come from. If you have someone for longer, they become part of the squad and think of themselves as being part of what is happening here rather than somewhere else.
"Of course, if you take people on a longer loan you are committed to it, so you have to get it right."
After conceding five goals in their last two games, McGhee will be looking for Rovers to rediscover the form that produced clean sheets in each of their three previous games.
The Pirates squandered a two-goal lead as Torquay staged a late revival to snatch a point at Plainmoor last weekend.
"I have to keep demanding higher and higher standards – make them understand why I think that happened last Saturday, and make sure it doesn't happen again," said McGhee. "In the Northampton game, it was the first 20 minutes when we lost three goals in a short space of time. At Torquay, their goals came at the end of the game when fatigue and a lack of concentration cost us. But conceding five goals in two games is not satisfactory."
Wimbledon's midweek victory over Bradford saw them leapfrog Rovers in the table.
"I was at that game and they played with enthusiasm and commitment and won 3-1, although they were helped by a sending-off," said McGhee.
"We can expect a difficult game. I've not seen all of the teams in League Two yet, but from what I have seen, Shrewsbury have looked the best. Most of the rest can beat each other on any given day."
Keeper Scott Bevan, who impressed against the Gulls, looks certain to keep his place with Poke still not 100 per cent fit.
But Rovers will be without young striker Kayne McLaggon for the rest of the season because of a serious hamstring injury.
"The hamstring has detached completely from behind his knee. Even the surgeon has not seen that happen before," said McGhee.
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