For manager Paul Simpson the focus this summer is on making sure that the belief, which was such a big part of the success enjoyed last season, is carried into the new campaign with a group that is once again determined to make a mark
“The only way we’ll keep that belief within the group is if we can get players in who will help us keep it and develop it,” he said.
“Belief stays with you when you’re playing and winning, so we’ve got to have a group who are competitive. Everybody knows we’ve lost some players, some who we chose to lose and some who have chosen to leave, so we’ve got to make sure we replace them.
“It’s slow and it takes time but we’ll keep working until we’re either told the window is closed or we’re spent up.”
And on the numbers needed, he commented: “Probably looking at about half a dozen if we possibly could. Whether that happens remains to be seen and I hope people don't call me a liar, that's what I want and that's what I'm going to try and do.
“And we just keep working. We keep doing what we can. It's really obvious to me, and I'm sure to everybody else, we are very short in the forward areas. So that's something that we’ve been trying to do.
“And we're going to continue to do it and hopefully we'll get some right faces in whether they be experienced, whether they be young ones with enthusiasm and a desire to go and sort of develop on the next stage, but there's work to do and will continue to do it.”
A great example of how very close can still be oh so far away came the club’s way on Monday morning, when a player who was due to sign fell through at the final moment.
“I can't really say how close we are with anything because you don’t know until they’ve signed,” he told us. “We’ve got things that are on, it could take 24 hours or it could take a month, we haven't got a clue. We're just going to keep going and every one of us in there and myself, Gaz. Jakey, Greg, we're doing everything we can to try and keep improving it.
“There are a couple of plates spinning, and I think we had maybe three or four spinning at the end of last week. We had the one that fell away, but these things happen and as disappointing as they are we just have to get on with it.”
On the coaching side of things he confirmed that he expects his permanent keeper coach to be with him towards the end of this month.
“We're thinking it's going to be end of July,” he said. “He should be able to join us then. Simon [Smith] is doing really well, I've been really pleased with him.
“Watching the goalkeepers, they seem to be enjoying working with him. With the new coach we've just got to be patient on it and wait for his club to allow him to leave.”
