Bognor bouncing back to action - but wait for new faces goes on

They finally held the Rocks’ first training session of the season on Monday and were pleasantly surprised by the condition and attitude of the players, who endured a challenging 90-minute session with fitness coach Neil Cockcroft. According to Blake, nobody epitomised the hard work and determination more than full-back Calvin Davies, who returned to training after an entire season on the sidelines with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. “I’m over the moon with the condition he’s come back in. I can’t speak highly enough of Calvin because he has that gritty attitude that a lot of players don’t have,” said Blake. “We’re really pleased to have him back because he’s a valuable member to the squad. Hopefully he’ll stay injury-free and have a successful season.” Although Davies returns to a similar squad, there have been changes at Nyewood Lane this summer, including the departures of Doug Tuck and Dan Smith to Horsham and Eastleigh respectively. Hopeful that new signings will be finalised and announced later this week, Blake is confident he and Pearce can strengthen the squad even after their losses. “When you lose Doug Tuck and Dan Smith, it’s hard to replace their quality. We’re very much aware of that. But I imagine we’ll still be very competitive next season because we’ve got a strong nucleus. It’s up to somebody else now to step up to the plate and prove they can fill their shoes. Football moves on and players move on,” explained Blake. Although no deal has yet been finalised, Blake admitted the club were interested in signing a defender and midfielder on permanent deals after successful loan spells at Nyewood Lane last season. “We’re very hopeful that one or two new faces will come in the next few days and I’m pretty sure further down the line we’ll get a couple more who can challenge for positions. We need a strong squad and one that’s going to contend in this league,” Blake said. The atmosphere is one of positivity and anticipation. With another training session last night and a third planned later in the week, the Rocks’ attention will turn to their first pre-season friendly against Selsey on Monday. Although Blake is keen not to neglect the technical side of the game during the sessions, the coach is aware of the importance of fitness in optimising the team’s performances on the pitch. “We’ve got to work on fitness, but a lot of ball work will come in pre-season and during the season. The players are never fully starved of the ball – that’s how I want to play. But we’ve also got to be fit and strong and play on the front foot.”