Barry Nicholson's men prepare for first pre-season friendly
Fleetwood Town’s development squad will be in action on Friday night as they face Longridge, 6pm kick-off.The young Cod Army will come up against the non-league outfit, who are managed by former Preston North End footballer Lee Ashcroft.
Ahead of the game, Barry Nicholson said: “It will be a mixture of the U21s that need a game, trialists that we are looking at and a couple of U18s.
“It is a good time to see everybody. The trialists need to play so we can see what they are all about.
“The development squad players have trained for the last couple of weeks with the first team but it is an opportunity for everyone on show to impress.
“Last season, we had games against Silsden and AFC Blackpool. The pre-season friendlies against non-league clubs are good for the lads because they are very competitive.
“They are going to get a physical match and we want to see how they handle that. We need to see how their fitness levels are and what they can do with the ball.
“We want them to play the way that we want them to play, high intensity, high energy, it is the first game for them, so let’s hope they can do it.
“I know Longridge’s manager and he is a great guy. Knowing the type of character he is, he will have Longridge well organised and ready for the game.
“If we drop our standards, it will be a difficult night. We have to make sure we are 100% ready to go and put in a strong performance.
The game is being played at the below.
The Mike Riding Ground, Inglewhite Road, Longridge, Preston PR3 2NA