The Essex outfit travel to Highbury this weekend
Town manager Graham Alexander spoke to the media for the first time this season ahead of the start of the new Sky Bet League One campaign this weekend.The Cod Army take on newly promoted Southend United at Highbury on Saturday, and will be hoping for an opening day success once again this year.
Phil Brown’s Southend side, still buoyed by their Play-Off final victory over Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley in May, will be looking to kick start life in the third tier with a win.
And Alexander believes the Essex outfit will take their success at the home of English football into the new campaign.
He said: “It has been a long summer with the off season eight and a half weeks or so. The players needed it with the Play-Off campaign the year before.
“Everyone has been itching to get back into work. It has been a tough pre-season for the lads and they have worked ever so hard.
“The games have been tough as well and we have a much better picture of the squad as a whole and what each player can do.
“We will still learn as we go through the season about what their best attributes are and they will get tested.
“We are glad that we have got to this point and we know who we need to play with who and what position. We are looking for a positive start.
“Most of the Clubs in this division are bigger than us but that doesn’t mean that our ambition can’t be as big as anyone else.
“It is a great test. It is a brilliant division for this football club to be competing in. The teams that come up from League Two will be on a high and we know that from our experience last season.
“Southend United are one of those. They will be looking to start the season as well as everyone else.
“We are concentrating on ourselves as we always do and give the opposition the upmost respect and we look into their strengths and weaknesses.
“In every game of football, 80 or 90% of it is all about what you do and especially when you are at home.
“We will have the players fit and as properly prepared as they possibly can be. We are confident heading into the first game and we should be because we have shown some really good signs over pre-season.”