Gee knows his first choice

Wrens manager Kevin Gee has revealed he's almost settled on his starting line-up for next Saturday's big kick off to the Evo-Stik NPL campaign.

Rainworth Miners Welfare are at home to Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division Matlock Town tomorrow [Saturday] and Gee says the team for his opener against Sutton Coldfield is 'already formulated' in his mind.

The Wrens were guests of Alfreton Town on Thursday for a behind-closed doors training work-out with their Conference Premier neighbours and the Wrens boss says the session was an enormous help as he looks to iron out last minute issues.

In an interview with the club's Press Officer Gordon Foster he said: "Over the preseason preparations up to and including the session at Alfreton we have taken a lot of plusses as to where we are both on and off the field. And Alfreton’s invitation to us to join them for a work-out is a testament to the respect we have gained.

"I’m sure Nicky Law [Alfreton manager] would say they benefited from the evening as much as we did, and the whole occasion took place in a great spirit."

Gee told the Wrens' media man that he's well aware of what still needs to be addressed before Sutton Coldfield visit Kirklington Road next week. He admitted: "We are still a little prone to giving away sloppy goals, and we have looked a bit disjointed lately through not being able to get a full squad together because of holidays.

"But we are giving players minutes on the field, and in the meantime I’m always looking to improve the squad we have, within our financial parameters. I’m interested in any player who I think can come in and improve our club. People may look at our preseason and say we have not won many games, but as our programme has gone on I’ve tried to make the matches we play increasingly competitive with the last few matches against higher opposition.

"Of course we have to be careful that the squad don’t become deflated by losing games like these, but they are matches which will test us in readiness for the season to come. Deep down I know what is likely to be my starting line-up and my bench for the opening day. I’ve made a decision to play a certain way but if it doesn’t work out over the first four or five games we’ll change it."

He added: "I want us to be more expressive than we were last season. No-one expects a club who finishes fourth from bottom to be challenging for the play-offs but our first target is to improve on last season. To make the play-offs you need to score about 80 goals.

Gee also told Foster he'll need more firepower from his fowards and the right service from his midfield this season to avoid a repeat of last term's struggles. "Even mid-table you need about 60 and last season we managed just 38," he said. "Forwards thrive on the service they receive and this season we will have a midfield which is capable of creating chances for them. You have to score goals to win matches, but we may have to sacrifice clean sheets to achieve that.