We sat down with manager John Sheridan to talk to him about the summer so far.
John Sheridan on… his summer so far
It’s important you have a bit of time off with your family. I went for a week away in Spain straight after the season finished with the family but I’m back now. I go again in the middle of June but you don’t get much time off. I’m always thinking and planning for the start of the season, both player wise and pre-season. It’s non-stop but it’s important you enjoy the break. You do start to miss it once the season has finished. You are sat at home twiddling your fingers but as soon as it comes, it’s nine months of stress and then you can’t wait for the summer break.
John Sheridan on… transfer targets
I’ve made an offer for one player already and I’m meeting with another player today [yesterday]. I’m looking at what I need and I think that is five or six players. They will be fresh faces to make us better. It’s quiet at the moment but there is a lot of teams doing their work early. I’ve got to identify the players, I know what my budget is and that’s the way I work around things. Whoever I bring in I hope will make us better. A goalkeeper is a massive priority but I do think that will be later on in the summer and maybe into pre-season. That is my number one spot because Connor [Ripley] did so well for us and I feel left back is a position that we need to strengthen. Any player who is out there and is available who I think will make us better then hopefully I can get them here. Any team in this division always have to use the loan market and if you do it well then it can be really beneficial to you.
John Sheridan on… appointing a new assistant manager
Hopefully it will get sorted out in the near future. Whoever I bring in will be very good at his job and make us better, stronger and will have a very good knowledge of the game. I will make a few changes and they are all for the benefit of us being better and hopefully the decisions will prove right.
John Sheridan on… the new 2017/18 season
I’ve got to rebuild, make us better and I’m confident in myself in doing that. I don’t want to be in a relegation fight, I want to push and I believe we can be in and around the higher end of the table. I proved it the last time I was here and I hope we can do that again. I want the supporters to think like that but it’s going to be a tough division. I do think there is a good balance in the division, I think anyone can beat anyone and I don’t think anybody will run away with it.