Tigers will need some time to gel

TIGERS may not hit their stride for the first six to eight games of the season, according to boss Simon Clark.

The manager is entering his first full season with Worksop Town, and has told his players they will need to grind out results until they fully gel as a unit.

Speaking after Saturday’s 2-0 friendly defeat at Gainsborough Trinity, he told the Guardian: “It’s going to be six to eight games before we look like a team.”

“In those games we’re not going to be as fluid as we can be down the line, but it’s about getting results in those games to get us into a position in the league where we can kick on.”

Clark was unconcerned by the showing on the Northolme on Saturday, as his men were shut out by their higher league opponents.

He said: “It was a good friendly for us, and it shows where we are in pre-season.”

“We need the next two games and the next week to hone and fine tune a few things.”

Reflecting on the defeat at Gainsborough, Clark said his men were better after the break, once they had adapted to a change in formation from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1, to counter Trinity’s five man midfield.

“In the first half they had much more possession and we didn’t keep it, we were a little bit sloppy too many times.”

“When we turn the ball over that often you’re going to struggle against good sides like Gainsborough.”

“The two goals came from individual errors, not picking runs and making mistakes in the box, we need to eradicate those and that comes with games because you make those decisions quicker.”

“We had a couple of half chances we could have done better with and I was more pleased with the second half.”

“We came into it more, without creating too much.”

l TIGERS are in talks with left-back Sam Craven, who featured in Saturday’s friendly.

Forward Reece Thompson has been released however, along with Sam Downey.

Clark said: “We’ve got a lot of games in August and September and October, so we need a reasonable sized squad of people who can come in if we have six or eight injuries.