Gaffer looking forward to getting back to the training pitch
With the first-team squad back in training on Friday, Paul Hurst is putting the final preparations together and he plans for his first pre-season in charge at Shrewsbury.
The players and staff have a new training ground at Sundorne Castle and Hurst is pleased in the upgrade in facilities as the club prepare for their third successive season in League One.
He said: “It’s been a bit tighter that would have been absolutely ideal but it’s ready for Friday so that’s the important thing.
“It’s brand new, the players already at the club have seen it, it’s a nice new building and it’s somewhere where they can go to relax and recover from what will be some tough sessions.”
Three signings are already through the door, with forwards Arthur Gnahoua and Lenell John-Lewis and midfielder Jon Nolan having completed their moves during the summer break, but the boss is sure that more new arrivals aren’t far away.
“There’s a couple of things that – in theory – aren’t a million miles away, but until that signature is on the piece of paper and it’s registered, you’re always slightly cautious in terms of getting too far ahead of yourself.”
Despite the confident, Hurst is sure that it won’t be a problem if moves aren’t completed sooner rather than later.
“We’re almost there now, we’re looking forward to it, we’re just trying to add to the squad but as we’ve said all along, there has to be an element of patience.
“If there’s nobody in before [pre-season starts] then great, we’ll introduce them as and when, and we’ll see what’s best for the football club.”
The manager gave an interesting insight to the transfer market, and explained how players and outside influences can make a difference to the dynamic of the market earlier in the summer.
“It’s never easy, it’s not as simple as me just saying to a player: ‘sign’.
“There might be another club involved, there might be a parent club involved, agents and all of that, but certainly things are starting to move.”
Hurst continued: “I think players start to panic a little bit, and realise that they might have to be a bit more realistic, so I expect that in the next couple of weeks that things will pick up.
“Even after that there will still be players that are holding out, and maybe they become a little bit more desperate.
“But I’ve said all along, we know that work is going on from myself, Chris and Adam in particular, so we’re pretty relaxed about it all.”