Guinan positive about build-up to new season
3:15pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008
AS Hereford United's pre-season build-up continues, experienced striker Steve Guinan believes that everything is now slotting into place.
"We produced some good play tonight," he said after Tuesday night's clash with Bristol City at Edgar Street.
"We were playing against an exceptional team in Bristol City with some good players out.
"We have showed glimpses through pre-season of what we can do but tonight, a lot of it clicked into place.
"We can take heart from that but the most important thing is that we build on it through the last two pre-season games and be ready for August 9."
Guinan explained some of the problems that the players, old and new, have to contend with in the build-up to the new season.
"It is difficult for the new lads and a lot of us have been in that position ourselves, settling into a new club, new team-mates, new area and being away from friends and family," he said. "It is important that we make them feel as welcome as we can.
"But it is also frustrating for the existing players - maybe we are not quite as fit as we would like, the touch is not quite right or the passing is not quite right so you have to concentrate on your own game as well as helping the new lads settle in.
"We still have a couple of weeks left and, hopefully, with a little bit more time on our hands, everything will fall into place."
Guinan acknowledged that some of the opposition that the Bulls had come up against had been tough.
"We have pitted ourselves against some fantastic players and I am sure that Southampton and West Brom will be no different," said the former Nottingham Forest striker. "That is what pre-season is about.
"If we can put on a display like we did tonight against those two then there is no reason why we cannot go into the new season full of hope and very positive."
And the 32-year-old was relatively happy with his own build-up to the new season, which has brought four goals in the five pre-season friendlies so far.
"I looked after myself over the summer and did a fair bit of running so I came back pretty fit, by my standards, on the first day and thankfully I have not picked up any knocks or niggles," he said.
"I feel quite fit now and, with two weeks left, that should only improve along with the rest of the team and we will be firing on all cylinders come the first game."