As our first preseason game approaches, I am looking more and more forward to the season starting! There is a good buzz about the club and more importantly within the players; we have had a good start to pre-season having over 40 players to each of the training sessions.
We have some good young talent in the club that I am looking forward to working with and hopefully we can develop these boys and bring them through the system. As a club we are working closely to bring all the senior section closer together and building good links from the u21s team up to the first team. I feel we have the right management teams in place with each side to do this. It is a philosophy I want to bring to the club, one that we will work hard to give the younger players a pathway to progress up the ladder in the senior set up.
As a management team we have worked hard to bring a few new faces to the first team fold this season and we have been impressed with the quality and standard these lads have brought to the club. We are still working on a few players who I would like to bring through the door that we believe will make us even stronger.
We have a good group of players already in the first team and with these new lads added I have no doubt it will give me a headache for team selection (a good one at that).
I have a good management team around me in Wayne Firth, Mark Coggin and Luke Smith, and as a group we have set out our goals and focus for the new season. I am under no illusions as to where we need to be as a club, and won’t hide from that!
This club, the fans, the chairman and us as a management team know we need promotion. The club is a sleeping giant in non-league and everyone involved wants to see the club start to climb back up the league pyramid.
The players are aware of the standards and expectation that is required not only by myself but by the fans and owners and are striving to impress.
One thing is for certain, we will build a squad that will leave everything on the pitch week in week out and give our fans something to be proud to watch and support. No one will be here just to go through the motions or for themselves.
It is going to be a tough season, one we need to be organised and prepared for both on and off the pitch every week. There is small margin for error in this league with only one team gaining promotion, but I believe in what we do as a management team and the roles we all play so we will go into this season head on and full of confidence.
I look forward to seeing you all at the games, get behind the lads and together as ‘One Club’ we will attack the season, which I am sure will be a good and enjoyable one.
UTB!