With the Chichester City U23 team set to embark on their new season journey with a home game against Montpelier Villa tomorrow 7.45 ko, Manager Max Powell, and Captain Dan Wood give their thoughts on the the U23’s new season.
We have had tough pre-season games against good sides which has prepared us well for the opening game this Thursday. – Max Powell
Manager: Max Powell.
Well, what a pre-season that was! I am very glad to come to the end of it and I’m now looking forward to our first game at Oaklands Park on Thursday. The last 6 weeks has seen many different twists and turns, some good and some challenging. We have had tough pre-season games against good sides which has prepared us well for the opening game this Thursday.
I am very excited about our squad this year. Many have been involved in the first team set up through their pre-season and we have managed to retain a large part of our squad from last season. The new lads that have come in have fit in really well and the U18s have been bolstered by new management in the form of Josh White and his team, whilst retaining many of the old players. I am looking forward to seeing the young lad’s step into our side this season hopefully giving them the opportunity to experience 23s football alongside our squad.
New additions to the management side in the form of Mark Hudson and Gary Clarke have been excellent. They truly are excellent coaches and have fantastic ideas on how to take us forward. This is in addition to keeping Noah Hustler and James Feist who did an incredible job last season and will continue to do this year. Last season wouldn’t have been possible without them and I consider them to be two of the best young coaches I’ve worked with in football. The five of us are really looking forward to progressing this fantastic young group of lads.
My aspirations for the season are exactly the same as last year, which is to ensure we are pushing the lads development every training session and every match. We want to be competitive and perform well giving everything to the Chi badge. I am sure as a group we will make the club proud.
Monpelier Villa are always a challenge and have a style of football that is hard to play against. They work hard and you must be on your game to get a result. A game we feel ready and excited for!
Overall, I am buzzing for the season to get going, and I am excited to see what this team will achieve. – Dan Wood
Captain Dan Wood.
Pre-season has been a tough one this year. Throughout the last six weeks, many of the lads availability has been stretched thin for variety of reasons. Saying this however, the boys that have come in from the u18s and the trialists we have signed have all been brilliant. Due to this lack of availability, it has taken the squad longer than it usually would do to gel properly, but I am extremely confident in saying, on the back of a very strong performance at Portchester, that this squad is more than ready for Montpellier Villa.
After seeing the boys, we have bought in, as well as the boys we have managed to retain from last season, I am fully expectant that are main aim for this season should be to win the league. Last season we proved our qualities, but I still believe this squad can achieve more and I believe we will prove that this season.
In terms of my personal aims for the season, I have been with the first team throughout preseason which has been a very good experience, so really for me this season is about trying to get minutes with the first team as much as possible, but also being that mentor for the younger boys coming through to the u23s and allowing them to settle into men’s football.
Overall, I am buzzing for the season to get going, and I am excited to see what this team will achieve.
The new season starts Thursday 19th August at Oaklands Park 7.45 KO.
