Salford boss ready to battle for promotion
A REFLECTIVE Graham Alexander expressed his happiness at the return of football but insists his Salford City side will be prepared to toss the ‘niceties’ aside in their quest for promotion from League Two.
The Ammies returned to training on August 1, reuniting after nearly five months apart, and Alexander was in a sentimental mood when pondering what he missed during his time away from the game.
He told M.E.N. Sport: “It’s what we love to do. We love to be around the players, we love to be on the training pitch, we love to be training and playing games and planning ahead.
“We’ve missed it, I’ve missed the other staff and the players. We feel we have good characters within the environment and when you’re off for so long, even though we were in contact all the way through, you miss that day-to-day interaction and working together.”
Salford have focussed predominantly on football work since their return – the players were ordered to abide by strict and individualised fitness programmes throughout lockdown – and Alexander admits that his squad, staff and himself now have a new-found appreciation for their trade.
“I like to think we have that passion all year round but certainly when it’s taken away from you like it was for us all. The little things that you might take for granted day-in day-out, they’re suddenly special again.
“(Even) just walking into the office and seeing people that you enjoy working with, going out onto the training pitch and seeing players work hard, score goals, make tackles. You miss all the basics.
“The biggest one you miss is the winning; that tension that’s in your body when the result is on the line and your team goes out and achieves that, it’s the best feeling in football and we haven’t had that in a long time.”
With 13 permanent departures and six senior additions so far this summer, Alexander’s reshuffled squad make their 2020/21 season bow this Saturday versus Rotherham United in the first round of the League Cup, and the Scotsman says his players will be ready.
He concluded: “It’s great to be back in, but once we get the niceties out the way, it’s down to business and working as hard as we can to form a good team. The early signs are good, but we know there’s a lot of work to be done.
“I’ve been delighted with the way they’ve approached pre-season and I’ve been delighted with the way they’ve tried to take on board the ideas and now it’s about trying to put them into practice. I can see things improving game by game.
“We’re delighted to be back in, and we can’t wait for the season to start proper.”