Danny Cowley was in a very relaxed mood when he spoke to the press today ahead of the new season.
Last Season: Just came up short which was about fair and was frustrated that Imps ended up a little one dimensional and direct. Recruitment has been about remedying that.
Pre Season: Wanted a really tough one to test the squad of players as they are not a new group and have been together some time. Players have been tested tactically and mentally and DC has learned a lot.
Current Squad: Had to be patient but delighted with the quality of new recruits; equally important has been the retention of important players. Still 1 or 2 short but might be another one in before the weekend. Casting a further eye over triallists. Hoping to have a squad game next Tuesday. Still mindful of free agents and loans until August end. DC feels the squad now has more quality overall with better balance – certainly more firepower. Both will be factors in allowing City to be much more tactically flexible regarding the style of play and formation.
L2 and Expectation: Expectation is a compliment and aim to have success over 46 games – reminded everybody of his mantra about not being too up about wins and down about defeats. DC feels L2 is the best quality it has been for some time. Whilst he does not feel there are any bigger clubs in L2 DC recognised that other clubs benefitted from more recent league maturity but City were building a platform of people and infrastructure to counter that.
Northampton: Everybody fit bar Sam Habergham who has an ongoing quadricep muscle injury that needs rest in addition to building up. Northampton are a possession-based team who play out from the back. They have experienced quality players who are proven at League Two level. Watched them twice in pre-season; they are unbeaten and played well. DC expects Northampton to have a good season so this is a good test for City.
Training Ground: Very proud of the FA Cup legacy built on the efforts of everybody at the club. Currently training on one pitch (2 and 3 are on the way) and the grass is getting better all the time. So important to develop the players on good quality grass as it aids them technically and confidence-wise especially with regard to tempo and intensity. The training ground is a vital part of the club platform and believes the building will be available from September. Excellent work from ground staff in challenging weather conditions and excellent attitude from players who returned very fit has meant they have been able to concentrate on tactics and organisation rather than simply fitness.
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Writer: hulloutpost
DC: "We're expecting Saturday to be a really tough challenge":https://t.co/bOZH0KzfLO#Northampton #NTFC #ImpsAsOne
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) August 2, 2018
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