BRENTWOOD TOWN manager Les Whitton is delighted with how his new-look squad have started their pre-season training programme.
Whitton is back at the Blues' helm for this season, and has revealed that things are in good shape ahead of their opening pre-season friendly with Little Oakley on Saturday.
He said: "We've had 38 players for the four sessions now and we're going to start to whittle it down this week and it's going to be difficult.
"We want to get them working well together and sort our formation out and hopefully we'll gel and go on and enjoy our season.
"I'm really pleased with how it's gone and the attitude of the boys.
"They know the financial situation. We're not going to have the money that the club has had in the past but we've got players here who want to play for the right reasons – the football reasons. Not to pay their mortgages, because that's not going to happen.
"They will get their expenses and maybe a little bit more on top, but they will play their football how it should be played, with enthusiasm, and I'm sure that we'll make them players, which I did with the team at Grays.
"They all enjoyed what we did there, the coaching side of it, they improved their football and made them like footballers should."
Whitton has brought a number of his old players from Grays with him to the club, and seeing them gel with the others at his disposal – including a handful of new faces – has given Whitton much to look forward to for the new season.
"I'm excited because what I wanted was the enthusiasm and the players who want to play football the right way and I've got exactly what I wanted.
"I've got a few new recruits, they're young and they know that they can play – they're not quite ready for the standard of the Premier or the Conference South.
"I've got three keepers to choose from and plenty of raw talent that just needs guiding and I'm really looking forward to it."
The Blues learnt the identity of their FA Cup and Trophy opponents last week, and the news was mixed.
They will begin in the FA Cup with a home tie against either Great Wakering Rovers or Halstead Town – both from the Essex Senior League – and if they progress, another home tie against one of four lower-league sides awaits.
And Whitton added: "Obviously it's going to be tough, they are at the top end of the Essex Senior League, Great Wakering, so I know that they're going to be a tough task.
"But we're at home and the way I'm looking at our team now I think they've got a good chance against teams in the Essex Senior League.
"Then after that it's another good home draw so there's a chance to go at least two, maybe three rounds in the FA Cup."
The Trophy will be an altogether different proposition, with a tie away to Hastings United, recently relegated from the Ryman Premier after last year reaching the FA Cup third round.
But Whitton is relishing that tie as well.
"That's a good game for us," he added. "They were in the Premier last year and now they're at the same level as us, it's a good trip to Hastings, we can make a day of it, get everyone together on the coach and go and see how we fare against a more established side.
"I'm looking forward to that one.
"We've got to test ourselves against those sides and see how far we've come, and then there's a home draw in the second round so hopefully that'll be fine."
