Presteigne St Andrews FC’s manager Adriano Girolami feels he has to be realistic when it comes to the club’s realistic aims for the season.
It might well have been that straight off the back of a 12-0 pre-season friendly defeat was not the best time for the website to sit down with the new manager, but it didn’t seem to worry Adge a great deal.
“Even though we have only had two games before this, I think top six and anything else would be a bonus,” he said.
“When you consider last year’s performances which were well below par, I think obviously we need to be stronger and with what we have got I am sure we will be.
“Pre-season is all about trying to get everybody together and it is hard work especially as we as a club didn’t do very well last year but the reaction to me taking over and one or two boys who I have asked to come have lit up other people’s eyes and they have followed in the same direction,” he added.
Adge accepts that some fans will look at the 12-0 reversal against Bartestree and wonder where the club is going, but he points out Presteigne fielded essentially a reserve side against a full-strength Bartestree squad preparing for its first season in the West Midlands League.
He said it had been especially useful for him to play with the Reserve-team players as he won’t often have the opportunity when the season starts.
While they were ultimately on the wrong end of a very one-sided scoreline, Adge feels you learn a lot more about the character of a player when the side is losing 12-0 than you ever do when you are winning by that margin.
“I don’t get that many chances to speak to them in that kind of arena, really, as I only see them on the training field,” he said.
“It goes to show that – while we got beaten today – individually there are boys who can do it.
“It’s all about getting individuals who are good enough to step in [to the first team] when we need them.”
You can hear a brief audio interview with Adriano by clicking here. You will need the speakers or headphones connected on your computer for this to work.