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Hughes looks forward to high-speed opener [Gloucestershire Echo (England)](Gloucestershire Echo (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) THE waiting and the 'false' fo o t -ball is over and Cirencester Town boss Brian Hughes can't wait to send his charges into competitive action at St Albans tomorrow. A committed subscriber to the 'Hates Pre-season Society', Hughes will be relieved man when the cut and thrust of competitive football begins. Almost two months of fitness training and matches that are little more than glorified training sessions will be over as the Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division roars in to action and Hughes can't wait. "We're really ready to get going again now," Hughes said. "We've had our fill of training sessions and friendlies and it will be great to get back into competitive action. "We have a really tough start with games against St Albans, Stourbridge and big-spending Oxford City, but it will be good to get back at it. "I'm sure all of the games will be frenetic and played at 200 miles per hour as all the sides look to get into the rhythm of playing again, and we'll probably be no different." Cirencester's summer recruitment drive has focused on improving their goals against tally, with a new goalkeeper and two experienced members of the back four. Danny Greaves has replaced Forest Green-bound stopper Matt Bulman, while right-back Neil Arndale and centre-back Andy Gunn will bolster the back four. Hughes' attempts to supplement last season's top-scorer Jody Bevan and another new recruit David Stone up front have so far hit a brick wall. Former Gloucester City winger Mike Tambling could therefore be set for a striking role at Clarence Park if Hughes keeps faith with last season's attacking 4-3-3 formation. "Mike's come in and done really well throughout pre-season as a midfield player," said Hughes. "But I had a chat with him last week about whether he has played as a striker and he said that he had. "So we gave him a go and, to be fair to him, he did quite well and he's certainly an option. "We have been trying to add a striker but so far our attempts have been fruitless, but we'll carry on trying. "We're pretty much set in terms of how we want to line up but we'll leave it late before finalising what our actual starting line- up and system will be." (c) 2011 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |