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" The players have come back very well, they tend to do now-a-days at this level. The players go away but they have a fitness programme that we give them, so when they come back they still have the hard work but not as much as the old days when players would just come back to get fit. They have looked in good shape so we are very pleased with them.
" You need to get playing games as quickly as you can, with the players being as fit as they are these days, we have been back a week and you can come into these games and there is nothing like how much you train and run and do all your hard work. It is about getting your match fitness levels up and that is why we play these games.
" Obviously we like to win them because we have supporters here, but it is to get the players fitted in, have a look at different systems incase we need to change things during the season. We stress this to the players that we will be playing different systems and using formations so that when we do use them they are all fully aware of what is expected of one and other.
" I hope the fans are going to be excited about the signings, we haven't got a big scouting network. At the end of last season I was going to two games a day and you need to do this at our level, we all know we are not the richest club in the league and our scouting system has to be spot on. We will be getting around as much as we can, I will certainly to non-league, there are a lot of non-league games where I have the non-league paper every week and I am always looking through that.
" Because we have to make sure we try not to let people slip through the net because we can't afford the big money players like the top clubs can. So it is important and they did very well for us last season, the three people we had scouting and it is a very important part for this football club. "
" The players are out there, I am not going to say there are millions and millions but there are players out there. Some have been dismissed at youth level at bigger clubs, go back down and they come back again. I saw Steve Morison, we were on the radar with him but unfortunately I went to games and when Millwall are there you know possibly that they can afford the money and we can't and that is what has happened.
" But we certainly knew about Morison, I watched him and so did our scouts, but unfortunately again, we had to get in early before the money starts going up. Because once there is interest being shown in players it gets round quickly, so you have to try to get in as quickly as you can.
" Frank Simek has had injury problems over the last couple of years. I was aware of him when I was at Preston North End and he was playing for Sheffield Wednesday against us. But when you have had injuries like that, that is why Frank has probably not been playing as much.
" But we knew of him, the gaffer (Greg Abbott) knew of him and once he became available we knew we could get him then we stepped in and got him. If he stays free of injury then we think we have got a very good right-back on our hands.
" We are quite excited, we are trying to build every year, and improve on last season we think with the players we have brought in. We are still trying to bring some in that we are optimistic on, but that will come down to when the real matter starts against Brentford and the proper games come.
" That is when it matters, but this is preparation and the players will get work-outs and they are all playing for positions. There is nothing set in stone about who will play and who won't play, this is what we will decide and it is up to the players now to prove to the management team that they are the ones for the job. So they are competing against one and other. "