Manager Greg Abbott is sending a clear message to his troops when they get back together on Wednesday morning, and nothing less than full commitment will be expected.

He said: "This year I want to see everyone fighting for and earning their shirt. I want a marked improvement on last year and I want to see a determination to do well from the off.

"We will have an initial team meeting where I will outline exactly what I expect. If those standards aren't met, then changes will be made, because I'm not going to tolerate anything less than maximum effort at all this season."

"We're going to be tighter and more disciplined in everything that we do," he told us. "We are not going to drop below the high standards that we set. That starts with myself, through the staff, and it goes right down to the youngest player at the club. I will clamp down immediately if I do feel that standards are dropping, because there is a genuine desire here to move the club on. We have to be better than we were last year because, if we're going to be honest, we simply weren't good enough on too many occasions."

"If a player is showing me that he is good enough to be involved with the first team," he said, "then he will get in there. Age doesn't come into it at all. If the five lads who signed their first contracts push through and stand out in pre-season, then they will get their chance. I want players in the side who will give everything and who will really work for the team, and pre-season is a good opportunity for everyone to show me what they can do.

"I certainly won't be frightened to make changes, if its needed, once the season gets under way because if results aren't going for us then that's exactly what we will have to do."