Sampson: All to play for

30 July 2010 11:31
Northampton manager Ian Sampson insists places in his starting XI for the season opener at Torquay are still very much up for grabs. The Cobblers round off their pre-season preparations on Sunday with the visit of Premier League Birmingham, and Sampson has stressed that the high-profile friendly provides his players with a final chance to put themselves at the forefront of his thoughts ahead of the Plainmoor encounter. The Town boss told the club`s official website: "No-one has cemented a place yet for the game at Torquay and places in the team are still up for grabs. I will be watching closely to see who can impress against Birmingham. "The main aim will be to get through the game without any fresh injuries and to get some more fitness into the players. If we can go into the Torquay game with most of our players fit and available it will have been a successful pre-season." He added: "The left-back position will be resolved before the game at Torquay and then we are just about done. The only other thing I am looking to do is bring a striker in on loan but, other than that, our recruitment is complete. "Chris McCready moving on allowed me to bring John Johnson in and I think that was good business for the club."

Source: PA