Assistant manager looking forward getting the pre-season games underway
Assistant manager Chris Doig is looking forward to Town’s pre-season schedule of games as the team start the preparation for the Sky Bet League One campaign.
Town start with a practice game while on their training tour to Portugal before a trip to Conference North side Brackley Town. After that Town will take on Championship sides Aston Villa, Wolves, Cardiff City and Burton Albion.
Those games will prove a tough test for the new look Town side and a test that Doigy is looking forward to.
“Championship teams, I prefer that, I’d rather play teams above me. I used to hate pre-season games away at teams down below us”, said Chris.
“I never enjoyed it and would always rather play teams higher up and test myself against better players.
“I’m sure the lads will relish these games, it will obviously be difficult and we will be up against it.
“I think we will learn a lot more from those games than we would do playing teams a lot lower than us.
Pre-season is all about getting the players ready for that important first league fixture on Saturday 5th August. The pre-season training programme has been prepared for a while now so the players are at their best when the season starts.
“Results aren’t important pre-season in reality, they probably will be on the day but in the big picture it’s about getting the team ready”, said Chris.
“We don’t want to get hammered, that’s obvious, it’s more about the performance, the lads getting to know each other, gelling together, getting combinations and fitness.
“It’s all geared towards the start of the season and making sure we are ready for what will be another gruelling 10 months or so.”
The Sky Bet League One fixtures are this Wednesday and then the schedule until next may is mapped out.
“It is going to be a fantastic league with some good teams in there but it is going to be a difficult league”, said Chris.
“We will be up against it with a lot of big teams but again I think the lads will relish going to places like Blackburn and stadiums like that.
“There is a lot to look forward to but make no bones about that it will be hard but I’m sure we will enjoy it.”
Town finished last season safe in Sky Bet League One and made it three successive seasons in that league for a while. Chris is looking again for a season where Town continue to improve and improve on their final league placement.
“The plan is to continue that improvement but I’ve read a few things and listened to some people speak and I don’t want people getting too carried away”, said Chris.
“We need a bit of realism about it as it is going to be a difficult league with some big teams in there.
“We have to be realistic but of course we want to improve and that is going to be the aim, so let’s just be calm about things.”