Phil Brown admitted that he and fellow Matlock Town joint boss Gareth Williams have a fair idea of the composition of the side they hope to field in their opening UniBond Premier Division clash of the new season at FC United of Manchester in a fortnight's time.
The Gladiators have been back training now for a month and have played four warm up games beatung Staveley Miners Welfare, drawing with a Blackburn Rovers eleven and Carlton Town and going down by the only goal of the game to Chesterfield.
And with five more friendly games still to be played before the trip to Gigg Lane, opportunity knocks for players to confirm their starting place and build up their fitness levels.
"We know pretty much the side we want to field but there are still places up for grabs" said Brown. "We'll now be starting to use a smaller squad and we're gradually getting to the stage where we're thinking towards when the league games start with players now wanting ninety minutes under their belts."
Brown and Williams are highly satisfied with the six signings made during the summer and their pre season programme so far.
The latest addition to their squad is 19 year old midfielder Simon Harrison who joins fellow midfielder Liam King as the second player to move from Rotherham United to Matlock this summer. Harrison has looked impressive in his outings to date for the Gladiators with Brown acknowledging that midfield was an area that needed surgery ahead of the new campaign.
"We're very pleased to have him. He's shown a lot of promise and we reckon we've got a very good player which sees our policy of signing up and coming young players continue. We were very conscious after last year that midfield was an area that we needed to strengthen. It was our priority really and with Simon, Liam and Steve Warne we feel we've done just that. We're very happy with all the players we've brought in. As for further additions you never say never. We're still looking at bringing others in but it's not so desperate now we've got the six new lads in. But ideally we'd like to strengthen one more area of the squad and if the right player comes along we'll do it."
Matlock faced three games in four days last week starting with James Lukic's testimonial last Wednesday which attracted a healthy 487 gate to see three different Matlock sides hold a Blackburn Rovers X1 to a scoreless draw. Then two days later a very strong Chesterfield side visited Causeway Lane and retained the Banner Jones Cup thanks to Lloyd Kerry's 35th minute winner before just eighteen hours after that, a Ross Hannah brace gave Matlock a two goal lead at Carlton Town before the hosts hit back to earn a draw.
Against Rovers Matlock, apart from the inclusion of Lukic who will this season ply his trade in the Blue Square North at Gainsborough Trinity, started with many of the players they hope will feature regularly this coming season. They could easily have been two goals ahead by the interval when they changed most of their side with other potential squad members, before for the last twenty minutes and at Lukic's request, many ex Gladiators who had played with Lukic and had since retired, took to the field and had the Rovers keeper not made a fine save backpedalling to tip a vintage Nick Tilly curler over the bar late on, Matlock would have won the game.
"It was a good night all round for we were very happy with how we performed in the first half. We made wholesale changes and still did well before the older players came on and then me and Gripper felt the pressure as we wanted to get a result. We managed to get the 0-0 draw and it was a great night for Lukey."
Lukic left the arena with five minutes to go to rapturous applause after another typically faultless appearance in a Gladiators shirt, despite a first ever streaker at a Matlock game trying, but miserably failing, to upstage him.
"I leave Matlock with lots of fantastic memories and it was a terribly difficult choice to make. Brownie and Gripper and all the managers I've played under have been great and I'm sure Brownie and Gripper will turn things around here again and get Matlock challenging once more. The fans here have been brilliant to me and my family and I'd like to thank them for their great support not only tonight but in all my time here. Matlock's a great club and they'll always have a place in my heart and I'm sure that they'll get the success they deserve for all of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes."
Lukic's number six shirt against the Spireites went to new signing Ashley Foyle who was part of what Brown described as " a very good performance." Certainly there did not appear to be a gulf of three tiers between the Gladiators and Chesterfield.
"We were very unlucky not to get two or three goals for we were solid, creative and played some really good football. It was nice to see a good crowd in and we hope that a good many of them were impressed with us and will come back for more. We're very pleased in general with the pre season and the Carlton game was again a very good and useful exercise. It was difficult in the sweltering heat so soon after the game on Friday. We could have been further ahead at half time and the goals we gave away were sloppy but that could have been down to mental and physical tiredness."
Former Belper striker Ross Hannah was named in the starting line up for the first time and was soon celebrating with well taken goals in the 13th and 16th minutes.
"Considering he'd been away he looked quite sharp and showed some nice touches when he came on against Chesterfield and then he played really well on Saturday. People keep saying we have a headache in terms of selection with Dene Cropper back doing very well and Simon Barraclough in there. But we don't treat it as a headache. It's a real positive having three strikers like that who all look committed and hungry. That's brilliant for us."
The first of the remaining five friendlies is tonight (Thursday) at UniBond Division One Stocksbridge Park Steels before they journey to Rainworth Miners Welfare on Saturday. Next week the Gladiators welcome Sheffield United and Mansfield Town to Causeway Lane on Tuesday and Thursday respectively and their pre season programme comes to a climax on Saturday week with a derby trip to Belper Town.
"It's a tough itinery but one that should benefit us greatly. We're really looking forward to playing Stocksbridge on a lovely surface and if the wind doesn't get up it should really be a good game.They reached the play offs last season and have strengthened since (former Gladiators Leon Wainman and Neil Ashley moved to Bracken Moor in the close season). It's more like what we should be facing in the league games and be more of a realistic test for us. Rainworth will be another good test, they've got a decent sized pitch there which will be good for fitness. The Sheffield United game will also test our fitness and concentration for if they pass it and play it'll make our lads work and will again test our fitness levels. It's also good for the Matlock people to see a club from that level and see as well how we are progressing."
Matlock hope to have a virtually fully fit squad ahead of tonight (Thursday's) trip save for Paul Riley who is still struggling with a knee injury. Simon Barraclough, Ryan Laight and Lee Featherstone have all had slight groin twinges this week but all are expected to be on duty in South Yorkshire.
Meanwhile the Matlock Town Supporters Club are offering cut price coach travel to the FC United game at Bury on Saturday 16 August. The cost for all travellers is £8. The departure time is still to be confirmed. Bookings and further information can be obtained by ringing Graham on 07793 867275 or Phil on 07793 970967.
