Source: Northern_Echo
Davey planning changes for the better in summer
Darlington are heading for another summer of change, but manager Simon Davey is satisfied that having 21 players out of contract is the perfect way for him to start his first full season in charge.[LNB] Davey has been encouraged by certain aspects of the squad he inherited from Steve Staunton on April 1 and he has already made up his mind on some of those he would like to retain.[LNB] But he has also challenged every member of his squad to use the remaining four matches, starting at home to Grimsby Town today, as an opportunity to show they deserve to stay at The Northern Echo Arena.[LNB] Davey is determined to deliver promotion back to the Football League at the first attempt and he views building a squad with the character to succeed as vital.[LNB] But only Gary Smith, Ian Miller, Chris Moore, Josh Gray and Curtis Main are contracted beyond this season, meaning Davey has plenty of room to manoeuvre in his first close-season in charge.[LNB] We are talking to players,[LNB] said Davey. I have a couple of commitments already to come in. I'm also still in the process of assessing the players we have. We have an idea of how many players we want for next season to take this club forward.[LNB] I have not spoken to all of the players. Some have knocked on the door, I have released a couple. We are looking for players that have played in the conference, have done well there. I am looking for players who have Football League experience as well. I will look at foreign players, just to get the right make up of the side.[LNB] What Davey is keen to guard against is the situation Colin Todd was faced with last summer, when he had to build an entire squad from scratch after the club's emergence from administration.[LNB] I won't bring in a whole new group of players, he said. If you do, if you bring in 17 or 18 players that are new, then on July 1 you have to get them prepared for the start of the season and it could take three weeks for them all to know each other's names.[LNB] I have to find the right character, the right mental toughness and the right balance of experience. It's not an easy job. I just have to select the right ones. We want winners at the football club who can roll their sleeves up.[LNB] Tuesday's draw at Cheltenham left Davey frustrated.[LNB] He was impressed by the way Darlington charged into a three-goal lead, but he was amazed they ended up drawing.[LNB] And one thing he has been disappointed with has been the fitness levels within his squad, something he will be looking to address before the start of next season.[LNB] I have worked at Championship level with Barnsley and the players at that level are fitter than those at League Two level, said Davey, whose side could relegate Grimsby this afternoon.[LNB] I'm not criticising any training programmes, or previous regimes, all I can do is walk in from day one and look at that level compared with what I'm used to working at and those fitness levels are different.[LNB] I want to control the whole structure on the playing side of things. A lot of that is the organisation of training sessions and fitness levels need to be at the level I request.[LNB] Meanwhile, in the Grimsby squad today will be former Quakers strikers Tommy Wright and Adam Proudlock, as well as winger Jamie Devitt, who had a loan spell with Darlington this season.[LNB] Wright became a crowd favourite while with Darlington, scoring 19 goals in 58 appearances, before joining Aberdeen in 2008.[LNB] He moved to Grimsby in January after failing to impress north of the border, but he has fond memories of his time with Quakers.[LNB] I've got good memories from there, he said.[LNB] It's a brilliant stadium but always more than half-empty.[LNB] I think everyone involved at the club knows it's a bit of a waste. It's a strange atmosphere.[LNB] But to be fair, the fans that do go make some noise.[LNB]
