Manager Kevin Horlock reflects on the first game of pre-season ahead of the 2023-24 season.
DK: Nice to be back?!
KH: Yeah, look obviously the off-season tends to go fairly quick, it's been quite a hectic one for myself. Obviously lads have been away on holiday and here we are! Look, the group's a good one, we've obviously added I think very wisely and we've got some really good players in, and the lads look fit! We've had a couple of training sessions and we're looking pretty sharp and it looks like we could have a good season ahead of us, it looks like I'm going to have a headache, because we've got competition in all areas now, which is really pleasing, so yeah it was nice to be back!
DK: Some good goals as well?
KH: Yeah, yeah, we scored five, three debuts getting goals as well which is pleasing. Jamie, obviously being a striker getting off the mark with a header, which we didn't score too many of them last year, so that was nice. Obviously conceded goals we want to eradicate, but first game of the (pre) season. It is about fitness, obviously it's about monitoring the lads' minutes, not overdoing it. We've introduced a few young lads today as well, which is good. So we're always going to moan about goals we've conceded, but we've won, that is important. I don't care what anyone says, it is about getting the lads fit and ready for the season but winning is a mentality and it becomes a habit, so I'd much rather the lads get fit and win every pre-season game than lose.
DK: How did you think the new signings did today?
KH: Yeah, they done well, I thought, look we knew what we was going to get. We know we've got quality, we know we've got lads that are going to work hard, that are winners themselves. So I thought all of them did really, really well today.
DK: You talk about the group and giving you a selection headache in a good way, do you reckon this is the strongest squad you've had?
KH: We've had some good players, we've had good players leave, so I'm not obviously putting that down, at all, but I just feel that we've got a more balanced squad this year, I think we've added real quality. We've added personalities in areas that we need, and it's giving me a more balanced squad in terms of more competition for places, because that's really important. That keeps lads on their toes, it means lads have got to perform to a high level to keep their place and if they don't, there's someone waiting to take it, who is their own right is a good player as well. But I think the toughest thing for me and Tom is going to be picking the first eleven for the first game of the season, because that's when lads are going to be disappointed, well I'm sure they'll react in the right way - whatever that may be and they all know that they're here to start. If you don't start games then you need to make sure you can get in there when you get opportunities. The environment that we create, or I created when I first come in, you have to train properly, you have to play well to keep your shirt, doesn't matter if you played 400 games or a young lad coming in as a sixteen year old, if you play well you keep your shirt - that's how it should be.
DK: You talk about the importance of getting into the right areas and all that kind of thing that we didn't do last year, obviously you're pleased with that?
KH: Yeah, obviously I think we get in good areas of the pitch, we didn't score nowhere near enough goals, that was 100% our downfall last season, we've scored goals today, albeit the first pre-season game. Jamie's obviously been brought in, he's - I don't know - 6 foot 3, 6 foot 4, willing to run in behind, scored a header today, which is pleasing. We've got energy coming from midfield, so I'm hoping we've sort of addressed that in terms of we needed players in those areas up top to score more goals, or more than we did last season. Because if we'd have had more goals we would've been in a way better position, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm pleased with the squad, really pleased with the squad and can't wait to really get started and get pre-season out the way and start playing league games.
DK: Yeah, the onus is very much on improving on last year and righting those wrongs.
KH: Yeah, league position - I've said it all along - I was disappointed, we underachieved, we should've been way higher, yes we had the cup run, FA Cup run, which was lovely. FA Cup getting to the First Round was creating history for the football club, which was brilliant for the lads and everybody involved, people that do so much for the football club, but winning the Premier Cup was nice - third year on the spin obviously was massive. BUT this year, the league's what it's about, we obviously want to try and do as well as we can in the cup competitions - like we will do every year - but the league's our bread and butter. It's week in, week out, Saturday/Tuesday, tough away games let's see what we're about. I think mentally we're stronger as well this year, so I'm hoping for a way higher finish than we finished last year.
DK: Looking at last year, positively, do any highlights standout for you?
KH: Look, I always see as a highlight me managing Needham's First Team, something that I always wanted to do. In terms of the football where we had highlights was generally in the cup, obviously we had some good wins in the league, but they just weren't often enough, we did the double over Tamworth, who went onto obviously win it and get promoted, so we did have highlights in the league but they was just so few and far between, it's hard to pick them!
DK: Looking at the squad, do you reckon it's set for playoffs?
KH: Look, I'll always aim for setting out to win the division, I think you've got to. I think we're more balanced, I think we're stronger, so I think we've got definitely a better chance of achieving stuff than we did last year, so look we'll aim to win every game - obviously we're not going to - we want to win the league, if we do, we do, if we don't, we don't. If not the playoffs, if not we'll end up finishing where we deserve, but I'm hoping we've got the players and we put in the performances that mean we deserve to be right up there.
DK: Do you reckon it helped having almost most the lads available today?
KH: Yeah, there's obviously still a couple missing, obviously Jake (Dye) and Ingers (Luke Ingram) aren't here, who are obviously a big part of our squad and have been for years, lads have only just, Dylan (Williams)'s come back from holiday yesterday, so it happens this time of year. It is what it is, there's lads missing Tuesday, there's lads coming back, it is a bit of a miss mash and it's the time where I like to get it done and dusted really, pre-season, out of the way, where you know when all the ladss are available when you can really plan and concentrate on games.
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