The Jim Bentley column

8:42am Wednesday 6th August 2008

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WE have done the hard work and are ready now for Saturday’s big kick-off at Wycombe.

It has been a good pre-season and we have worked on a few different things - that’s what this time of the year is all about. It’s all aimed at being prepared and ready for the first game.

It has been strange because we have had a long break. In previous years we have been involved in play-offs and getting just a few weeks off - but it has given us a chance to recharge our batteries for the long, hard season coming up.

We also have a lot of new faces in the squad this year and, while losing the likes of Carl Baker, Garry Thompson and Simon Grand and the other lads is a blow, we are at a football club and departures are part and parcel.

But the gaffer has brought good people in and we now have competition all over the park, which can only be a good thing over the next few months.

We have two excellent goalkeepers in Barry Roche and Scott Davies, people fighting for defensive spots, a strong midfield and a really exciting strike force with Rene Howe, Diarmuid O’Carroll, Matty Blinkhorn and Wayne Curtis.

So much competition for places means you have to fight to earn your shirt and you can’t afford to let performances dip.

We have a nice Carling Cup tie against Notts Forest at the City Ground next Wednesday – but we are not looking at that game yet.

The cups are diversions and it is great to do well as we did at Preston and Wolves last year but the League is our bread and butter and it is vital that we do well. We all want to move forward.

We had a night out last week and I was a bit disappointed to read some comments about it.

Some people don’t realise that last Wednesday was our first day off since we came back to training and we have been doing double sessions. It is not the norm for us to go out and the next time will be the Christmas do. We don’t go out every Saturday, it is not the culture at the club, and we have games coming thick and fast with the league, Carling Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

It is a good exercise to be out together because you get to know your new team-mates, it is the best way of team bonding. And it helps to get everyone in the right spirit for the season ahead.

Feel free to e-mail me on jim.Bentley@lancaster.newsquest.co.uk and I will answer as many as possible.