Swindon Town First-Team Head Coach, Scott Lindsey, says Saturday’s friendly defeat to Supermarine ticked all the right boxes in terms of preparing his side for the new campaign and giving the majority of his squad some much-needed game time.
Town conceded a goal either side of the interval to go down 2-0 at The Webbswood Stadium in searing heat, but Lindsey admits the match served it’s purpose and he was pleased his players got through the game unscathed with no injuries to report.
“It was another important run-out for the lads and like Melksham, these games scheduled at the beginning of the pre-season schedule are all about giving the squad some competitive playing time and form an integral part of our fitness plan, “ Lindsey said.
“We’ve worked the players really hard in training this week as we wanted them to head into this game fatigued as it helps us learn more about the individuals and how we deal with mistakes.
“Of course we made a few today and it’s always disappointing to lose a football match, but we got exactly what we wanted out of the game and were able to give a fair few of the squad some minutes on the pitch.
“I’ve said it before, but at the moment we aren’t thinking tactically about these friendlies or looking at formations, they’re purely an important part of our fitness regime.”
Aside to Saturday’s game, Lindsey also reiterated the importance of bringing in some more players to add more experience and depth to the ranks.
“We’re under no illusion we are short of players in certain positions as we look to build a squad that can compete, and we’re working really hard behind the scenes to do this,” he added.
“When I’m not taking training sessions on a daily basis, Sandro and I are looking at players we want to bring in and discussing how we go about it, but we need to spend time ensuring we are signing the right players that fit our style and we want decent people here at the football club – that’s really important.
“We have around six to seven weeks to assemble a squad before the window shuts, which gives us plenty of time to bolster the team and get the players in we want, and talks are constantly ongoing.
“I’m really pleased with the players we’ve been able to bring in so far but the majority are young lads, so the focus is strengthening with some slightly older heads which will set us up for another challenging season ahead.”
