30th August 2019

With a number of players struggling for fitness after the gruelling schedule, the gaffer knows his side need to be fit if ambitions are to be realised.

Speaking to YTTV he said: “As expected when you’ve only won two in seven, you’re going to feel disappointed. I don’t feel like it wasn’t potentially on the cards. For us to be a competitive, promotion-worthy force – we’re going to need our best players fit.

“We know that’s tough so to minimise those spells is going to be really important, we’re still looking for a full-time physio and sports science was cut and we’re trying to get around that with the old-fashioned tactic of roll your sleeves up and get on with it.

“What we can manage is the players’ workload on the training pitch, what we can’t manage is the number of games they play. We have just played Saturday then Monday and have come out wounded, again.”

Despite the hectic fixture list taking its toll on the squad, the number of games has given Sarll the opportunity to assess his players.

“The best thing about the first seven games is that we’ve seen evidence of a really good team. However, we have also seen the issues of a lack of numbers in the group as a whole, but these first seven games have allowed us to adapt, learn different shapes, and positions.

“I’m still learning things about these players, even in training today (Thursday), how the group to adapt to the different scenarios that we’ve got to deal with.

“There will be times in the season where everyone is fit, and we’ll have that for 15-20 games, and we will sail through them no problem. In this division, I think we’ve all seen the craziness of some of the results, out of nowhere.

“In what is the first time for me as a National League manager, I think good runs of form, those peaks and troughs can come at any time this season.”