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" It was good, it was nice to be back playing again, obviously with the summer off. It was the sort of formation that we played at the end of last season, which we got a bit of success from, and it seemed to work, it worked well today. He is class Bridgy (Michael Bridges) obviously, he has been at the top level, I played with him at Bristol City as well and he adds a lot.
" Not just us, but teams when they are playing us seem to respect him as well and stay off him as well, and he gets that time to get on the ball. He gives you a chance to get on it as well and it's definitely good to link up with him as well. Simon Hackney has been on fire as well for the most of the pre-season, and all the boys it all bodes well.
" It's lovely to play on a pitch with grass on because I didn't really get the chance last season. It's good though, they were soaking it even when we were warming up today because I got one in the face, the sprinkler. It's been good, and if we can keep the pitch like that as long as possible then, obviously they were a team from a league above, but if teams are coming here in our league then we'll do well against them. If we are going to play like that and keep the ball and move it quickly, the pitch is a big factor in that.
" I think that the pre-season is mainly just fitness. You can't take anything on results, I have been in pre-seasons where we've won every game by beating teams 3-0 or 4-0 from leagues above, then we have been battered in the first game of the season. Then I have been at teams where it has been the opposite, where you struggle pre-season and it just clicks in the first game. So as long as we get the fitness right and people up there 100% for the first game. "
" This squad that we have got now is really good, you have only got to look at the bench today, there are players coming in that have been starting last season as well in the players that they have brought in. It's just about getting the fitness really, even if they change for Tuesday it will still be a strong team against Middlesbrough.
" I think what the gaffer (John Ward) is mainly trying to do over the summer is to get a bit of strength in depth in. Because there is one thing, every team that went up last season, they had that, you had Nottingham Forest and Swansea in there, then Doncaster in the end. They all had massive squads and that is what you really need. It's a good headache for the gaffer just now but come maybe February or March, that's when you need the big squad and to push. Plus as well, even the first day it keeps people on their toes for the first game of the season as well.
" If you look at the last game of the season then there are probably about four players that have played the first game. So it's chops and changes all through the season, it's just the way that you want to play in the first game because obviously you can get the first one in and hopefully you get off to a good start and then you can go on a run.
" Whatever happens though, there are going to be a lot of people used over this season and there is going to be a lot of chopping and changing for good and bad even when you win, and for resting with the amount of games you play. So it's not a big factor, obviously personally, but a lot of people are going to want to start the first game. "