New Stirling Albion manager Steven Whittaker says there is no time to waste as his players returned for their first pre-season training session ahead of the upcoming campaign. The former Scotland defender was hard at work putting his charges through their paces at Forthbank Stadium on Saturday.
First Impressions
Whittaker, who recently took over the reins at the League One club, was able to cast his eye over the squad he has assembled so far. New arrivals Barry Hepburn, Kevin Waugh, and player-assistant Josh Mullin were among the group being put through their paces in the shadow of the stadium.
“I’ve enjoyed the responsibility and planning, the building of a squad that’s going to be competitive,” Whittaker said. “The board have offered great support so far and everyone has really come together to make what we want happen for the season.”
Building Momentum
Whittaker emphasized the importance of a fast start: “It’s exciting to have the first session today, to get the players in, see where they’re at and build them up so we can get off to a fast start.” He noted the differences from full-time schedules, with two training days and a match on Saturday requiring careful management of recovery.
“The players will be pushed as far as I see is needed within the time we have and hopefully everyone will come through injury-free out the other side,” he added.
Summer Business
The club has already made encouraging moves in the transfer market, with young winger Barry Hepburn joined by experienced defender Kevin Waugh, formerly of Spartans, and new goalkeeper Andy McNeil. Whittaker confirmed that he and Mullin are actively working on adding new faces to the coaching staff to provide vital experience.
“It has been a couple of tough seasons for the club, but there is a lot there to look to put that right and be successful this time around,” Whittaker said. “We’re trying to look at different profiles of player in certain areas of the pitch to bring in. I’ve managed to do that on a couple of occasions already and we will look to keep adding as we go.”
Adapting to Challenges
Whittaker highlighted the need for adaptability, particularly during the winter months in Scottish football. “We all know through the winter periods in the Scottish game in particular, about the need to adapt. I had to do that at Ayr so I’ve already had experience of that; you can’t have the same game plan every week, even if you want to play the game the right way as much as possible.”
