Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Mike Carmody says Goole AFC are progressing well in pre-season.
Goole have kept effectively everyone from last season and his men are shaping up well.
“(Pre-season) has been really good and I’m really pleased,” Carmody told Non League Yorkshire.
“We got the players committed really early doors.
“Apart from Leon (Osborne), everyone stayed which is really good.
“The idea was to strengthen in key areas and bring no more than three-or-four players which we feel we have done.
“It is a really strong group.
“We’ve brought in (Nathan Perks) Perksy, Ollie Russon, Callum Petch, Alfie Proctor from Nostell and a few trialists.
“We have also had the emergence of others lads.
“Marcel (Chipamunga) is on fire, he’s come back brilliantly and so has Reece Kral. Everyone has come back in shape and they are all buying into what we want to do.
“They are all good lads, there’s not one bad egg which is pleasing.”
Goole finished a very stable 12th and Carmody admits it was a solid campaign which has stabilised the club.
He now wants to see his men push on in 2022/23.
“We used around 24 players last season so we have been really settled,” he said.
“The goal was to finish in mid-table and stay away from relegation – stabilise.
“I do actually think we should have finished a bit higher.
“I wouldn’t say I was disappointed because that’s not the right word as I was delighted about how we reacted to the league last season, but when you look at the points we dropped we probably should have been up at eighth or ninth.
“Then again, we won games in the last minute so you have to take it as swings and roundabouts.
“They were also a young group who were together for the first time so whilst I was delighted I want to get away from people seeing me as someone who stabilises clubs, we have to kick on as well.
“There has to be development and progress and that’s the next big thing we have got to do.”