Wick Academy aiming to have strength in depth for new campaign
Progression will be the key word for Wick Academy in the 2023/24 campaign as they look to improve on their lowly Highland League position last time around.
The Scorries ended up 16th in the 18-team division and manager Gary Manson is determined to bring about an all-round improvement – helped by having a bigger squad than in the past couple of years.
"After the league season that we had, you just want to improve everything – improve the goals for and the goals against, and we didn't keep enough clean sheets," Manson said. "We did well in the Scottish Cup but that kind of papered over the cracks a wee bit.
"Hopefully this season we'll be going in with a lot more strength in depth. I learn as I go, and over the last couple of seasons we've not had nearly enough strength in depth.
"As a manager you want to look behind you and have the same quality on the bench as there is in the starting eleven, and we've not had that. Hopefully this year we'll be going in with 23 or 24 strong enough players that you can chop and change and you won't see a drop in the standard on the pitch. That's one thing that we're definitely looking to do.
"I'm no different from any other manager – all you want to see is progression.
"It won't be too difficult to progress in the league. Whether we get progression in the Scottish Cup is a different thing, but certainly in every competition we enter we'll be trying to do better than we did last year. That's the target.
"I don't set numerical points targets because you just set yourself up for a fall, but we're just looking for progression because it's a complete squad transition. Even from the start of last year to the start of this season you'll see a massive difference in the personnel.
"Going back to when I took over, three years ago, it's night and day. It's a completely different squad so it will take a bit of time to gel.
"It's a massive transition in the squad so it's about getting them on the pitch and getting them used to playing with each other and getting a style of play that'll suit who we have and taking it from there.
"We're under no illusions, it'll be difficult to get everyone on the same page as quickly as we want, but we'll try our best and hope for a better league position by the close of play next season."
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Academy will again be bolstered by the Orkney trio of Toby Macleod, Jamie Flett and Owen Rendall.
"The three that were here last year are all keen to come back, so they'll be involved in the squad," Manson said.
Manson, who made his Academy debut as a 16-year-old in 2000 and has his 40th birthday in December, will still be available to play if required.
"I'll still be kicking about," he said. "If I'm needed I'll be there [as a player], but hopefully not as much as the last couple of years."
Academy won 1-0 against a youthful Ross County XI in their first pre-season game on Tuesday, trialist Owen Harrold claiming the goal with a scuffed close-range effort.
On Thursday they won 2-0 against North Caledonian League side St Duthus in Tain, with goals from trialists Kyle Henderson and James Mackintosh.
Wick's opening Highland League match on July 29 is a trip to face Banks O' Dee, hoping to banish memories of last season when they lost heavily in both fixtures against the Spain Park side.
Academy reached the third round of the Scottish Cup last season, beating Lochee United and Benburb before losing to eventual semi-finalists Falkirk.