Midfielder and defender for Rangers
Stafford Rangers manager Chris Brindley has targeted a midfielder and a defender as the next pieces in his jigsaw puzzle for next season.
Stafford Rangers manager Chris Brindley has targeted a midfielder and a defender as the next pieces in his jigsaw puzzle for next season.
The Rangers boss has been assembling his squad under the radar this summer but welcomed 15 players for the start of pre-season training last week, with his first-team regulars joined by a smattering of trialists.
But Brindley is still looking to bring new faces into Marston Road outside of what he already has, with a centre-half and a creative midfielder top of his priorities.
Tom Thorley leaving for Worcester this summer has left the playmaker's position open in the middle of the park, with Ross Davidson hoped to occupy the holding role, while competition is also needed for first-choice central defensive pairing Craig McAughtrie and Grant Goodhead.
And the manager has confirmed he has a list of targets for each role.
He said: "We are mainly looking for a midfielder and a defender outside of what we already have, but we have got irons in the fire with that as well."
In other areas Rangers are looking well stocked, with first-choice Lee Evans and his understudy Tom Harrison occupying the goalkeeping berth, while Ben Mills and Nick Wellecomme have already been signed to lead the attack next season.
Full-backs Andre Francis and Jon Patrick are also on board, with Francis also able to play on the right wing, which might well come in handy with doubts over the future of Fabrice Kasiama and Levi Reid on the other flank.
And that sort of versatility is just what Brindley is looking for.
He said: "It's about getting a squad together that has competition for places, we have struggled to do that because of the limited resources that we have. It's what we are trying to do, but we need players who can play in more than one position.
"We are in a lot better position than we were this time last year, as time goes on we will be getting closer to our final squad for next season. We are far from finished but you expect that.
"There are a lot of decisions to make and many things to do yet."
