United manager Greg Abbott admitted this morning that he is already looking forward to the Christmas fixtures over the festive holiday period.

He said: "It's a mixed bag as far as the Christmas holiday period is concerned. We have Huddersfield at home on Boxing Day, which is a real cracker for us, and we always look forward to the journey to Tranmere.

"The downside to that particular run is the really long trip to Exeter on 2 January. The players will take that in their stride, but it's a difficult one for the fans. It's a really long trek at a bad time of the year travel wise, but I'm sure the fans will turn out for us, as they always do."

"We certainly won't be using travel as an excuse at all this season," he added. "We know from the outset that there are teams who are dotted all around the south of the country, and we have to get there to play them. That won't change whatever is said, so we have to approach it as positively as we can.

"I'm sure that other people will mention the distances involved, but it isn't a factor as far as I am concerned. It's my job to make sure that the preparation is right wherever we play and whoever we play. If we have to travel a long way to play a game, then that's just something else that I will have to factor in to the planning process, so it will never become an excuse."

"As I said the other day," he said, "things really do start to happen in earnest once the fixture list comes out.

"I am sat here right now looking at training facilities and travel arrangements for the first two months of the season and, when you couple that with the work we are doing with trying to bring players in, the whole thing is really starting to warm up.

"It's exciting, and I want everyone to feel that same level of excitement. If we can go into that first game of the season with a really positive atmosphere around the whole club, on the pitch and on the terraces, then hopefully we will be able to take that on into a successful season."