Alton manager Kevin Adair post-Laverstock & Ford

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00:00Kevin, 1-0 pre-season win against Lavastock and Ford. Plenty of chances created as well.

00:06Good build-up now as you build up to the campaign?

00:09Yes, we've had to rebuild again. We've had a lot of departures over the summer, which

00:15we often do. It's part of the deal here that we have to keep rebuilding each time. We're

00:22in a better position this season than we were at this stage last season. Today was probably

00:28our best pre-season performance as a team, but also it was the first time we didn't look

00:33to make numerous changes. We kept a settled side for the first 45 minutes and then only

00:38made a couple of changes thereafter. It does help the lads playing when we do that, but

00:43in pre-season you've got to get through and look at a lot of people.

00:48Presumably that's just now, with the season just over a week and a half away, that's a

00:54deliberate plan just to build the minutes up more in terms of players?

00:59Yes, we've got another game on Saturday against Baffins, which will be tough. Obviously the

01:05idea of playing Lavastock, I think they were one of the closest teams to a Combine County

01:11style side. Technically good, physically good, would have been fit. They would have tested

01:16us to the limits that we're going to get tested regularly in our league, or what we think

01:20we're going to get tested. We don't know what other teams are doing. Similar to Baffins,

01:24they would have been setting out the same as us at the start of this season. They'll

01:28want to get up in the top five. Obviously how they finished last year and how we finished

01:32is a little bit different for us because it's a complete rebuild, but I think our aspirations

01:36have got to stay the same. We still want to try and be up near the top. Can we get the

01:40group to gel quicker than we did last year? We can have 11 points in 11 games is where

01:44the downfall came, so we need to get going a bit quicker earlier this year.

01:49It's a rebuild, but obviously some key players are still here. Are you happy with where you

01:53are at the moment?

01:54Listen, I've got to be happy with my group because it's my group. It can always be better,

01:59it can always be stronger, but then anyone can. It's dictated by what people can offer.

02:06People come here, they see what we can offer. It is what it is, just take it or leave it.

02:11If you want to come and enjoy yourself and try and play, then we try and give that platform

02:15for people. Some of them we've lost this year, they've gone up levels. That's not a

02:20bad thing. You've got to say that's partly our job done, we're getting them ready and

02:24moving them on. Those that move sideways, it's up to them. It's just part and parcel

02:30of this level of football. You've got to do what you've got to do for your personal self.

02:34So it is what it is. We'll work with the group we've got and I'll be happy with the group

02:39we've got because it's my group.

02:41And pleased with the performance tonight? There were plenty of chances before the goal

02:44did come, created throughout really. You hit the woodwork a couple of times and tested the keeper.

02:50Yeah, I think in the first half we probably got eight crosses. Not that they were any good,

02:55but they were crosses nonetheless and that's something that we sometimes struggle with.

02:58We set up in a slightly different way in the first 10 minutes and it got us control of the

03:03game and it was difficult for them to defend against. We'll probably look to work on that

03:07because it's not something we've done before and the lads seem to like what we did. It's

03:13difficult because they have to make decisions on the pitch at the same time as trying to

03:17follow instructions, but sometimes you've just got to let them work it out for themselves.

03:22As long as they're singing to the tune that you've asked them to from the start,

03:27they've got to adapt and overcome with stuff out there. It's promising from where we were

03:33three weeks ago.

03:34Obviously a quality free kick from Perry there to get the goal at the end there.

03:39Yeah, the reason that the guy's here is because he's a natural goal scorer. He will score goals

03:44and he's got great ability and he can do that. I think one of the lads questioned whether he

03:49should be shooting from there, so I think when he turned around and looked at him he was like,

03:52I told you so. It's a good finish and to be honest, it's a goal that's worth winning any game.

03:59On reflection, I think we were much better than them in the first half. I think they then shaded

04:03probably 25-30 minutes in the second half, but then I think when we'd settled back down after

04:08the subs, we regained a bit of control and we probably looked more dangerous the last 10-15

04:11minutes.

04:12And then just one more pre-season run out now, obviously with Baffins,

04:16with all the competitive stuff with the FA Cup.

04:19Yeah, exactly that. We've just got to limit the people that pick up knocks and injuries now with

04:25running into the season because August is real busy. Again, like I said, we've got a lot of

04:31people that have been here training with us, so we've got the ability to bring people in and out,

04:35but I haven't seen enough of certain people so far. So we've still got to do things for August

04:40where we look at what people can offer us, but at the same time we've still got to be competitive

04:45because the competitive game starts. So Baffins is the last chance to look at something, but really

04:50you want to be going into that with your mindset being fully on fleet and how you're going to play

04:54against them. So it's protecting people, but also making sure that we're playing in the way we want

04:59to be playing, so it's a tough balance. And also we've got the August League fixtures today, which

05:04we'll see after that Fleet Cup game, start at home in the league to Epsom Renewal.

05:08Yeah, look, everyone said, how do you think the start looks? I mean, you've got to play everyone

05:12twice over the course of the season, so it doesn't really matter, does it? But you want to start with

05:16a home game. We've now got two with FA Cup and League, and then I think we go away, I can't

05:23remember, to maybe Tadley. And then there's another home one, I think. Camberley. Yeah, so look,

05:31the thing with the Combined Counties is, since we've come in it, there's a lot more Derby-ish

05:35games for us that are within 20, 30 miles. So, you know, they're exciting games for the fans,

05:40they're good games for the players. I like to be involved in all of them, and at the end of the day,

05:44you know, we'll take each game as it comes, and hopefully we can compete like we did last year.

05:49Yeah, and I mean, is the sort of aim to try to get to that top five when you were so close

05:54last year? For sure, look, you've got to be aiming to be up there, otherwise there's no point taking

05:59part. But if there's any one of those 20 teams in that League that are telling you any different,

06:04then they probably shouldn't be trying. You know, you all set out to be up there,

06:08everyone's going to say it, you don't attract players by saying, do you want to come and play

06:11first, we're going to try and finish 16th. But you get a better picture of it, I think I said to you

06:16last year, you've sort of got to wait until September or October to see where everyone else

06:20is before you start gauging yourself. I can see how good my group is, but I don't know how good 19

06:25others are, so I can't say where we're going to finish, but you're not going to know that. So,

06:29listen, everyone's targets are to be up there, of course they are, otherwise you wouldn't be

06:33doing it. But probably better asking those questions of where the targets would be set

06:38officially in our group between September time.

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