Cheltenham Town FC

"It's a tough start (Bury away) but one we are looking forward to. Bury will be a team spending money and recruiting to win promotion so it is a really tough start. Gigg Lane is a really nice pitch and I am sure David Flitcroft will have them playing good football. Accrington is our first home game and it's important we try to achieve a good home record this season but I imagine every game will be a tough encounter when we come to play.

"There are some long journeys to do in the new season and some on a Tuesday night but we really do appreciate the fans who make the effort to support us both home and away. The players really do appreciate it and so do I. It's important that we get as big a following as we can but particularly at home. To do that we have to play good and exciting football and we know that. Now the fixtures are out it's exciting times because you can really start adding to the plans you have already made for pre-season.

"I'm massively excited about the Brighton game (Capital One Cup draw). They have a new manager (Sami Hyypiä) and they have played a good possession game over the last few years. I've seen quotes from the manager that he wants more penetration and end product so it'll be a good test for us. They are a really good side with very good players and it'll be really nice to go down and play on that pitch. Their new ground looks superb and it'll be exciting for the players when it comes around but it will also be a good experience that we hope to do well in.

"We are now a way down with a number of players now. I am hoping that by Monday or Tuesday next week we will have three or four more over the line. I have not stopped working and I have been trying to find the right balance between experience, youth, legs, energy and a bit of know-how. I'm trying to get as much into the squad as I can but unfortunately that sometimes takes a little bit of time. I am working tirelessly, as we all are, to build the best possible squad we can.

"We always take our time to make sure we make the right signings but even more so this year to make sure we get everything right. We have done our homework but we do not have pots of money to throw around so it is a case of being as frugal as we can to spend what we can which allows us to build a competitive squad with the right numbers and to  make sure we are ready for the start of the season."