Exeter City in a far better place to start this pre-season than last year

Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell feels the Grecians are in a far better state in which to attack a new season than they were 12 months ago.

The Grecians returned for pre-season training on Thursday, which gives them seven weeks to prepare for the 2024/25 League One season, in which they will hope to build on their 13th place finish in 2023/24. But rather than have a handful of players with which to work with from the start of the summer, the City chief now has a strong core with so many already under contract heading into the new campaign.

“Developing as a football club in every department on and off the pitch is really important,” Caldwell said. “Second half of the season was a really strong finish after the difficulties pre-Christmas.

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“I think, what’s important, is now the understanding of (being) in difficult periods and how we behave, how we stick together. I think it’s really important.

“The players, having had that experience, will help them going into this season as well. Also, the core group of the squad is staying together. We’re obviously going to add players to that but to start with the number of players that we have compared to what we had last year I think is a big bonus.

“We’re just going through it there with Lauren (Jones, head of performance analysis) and Al (Mitchell, first team performance analyst) and Perks (first team coach David Perkins) and how we can show the players different things that we have done this year and how we take that forward into next season to be even better. I think that’s really important.”

The Grecians will learn their fixture programme and where they will begin their League One campaign on Wednesday, but after a summer of rebuilding 12 months ago, it is a far more relaxed camp this time around. And Caldwell paid tribute to his players who returned from their summer break in excellent condition.

“We felt like it was a big off-season because we finished so early,” Caldwell said. “It’s only slightly longer than last year and we’ve made provisions for that. “In terms of what we’re doing, they’ll get a little break in the middle of pre-season before the season starts. Pre-season is planned out and we’re looking forward to getting everyone back.

“There will be a lot of hard work ahead. I’m sure most players dread the pre-season but I think it’s changed in the modern day now that the balls are out from day one. Gone are the days of just running until you’re sick.

“A lot of players have actually been in over the summer and done some work with Kev (Nicholson), with Les (Barrow) and kept their fitness up so players have come back in good shape.”

Meanwhile, the rumour mill continues to be in overdrive this summer with the Grecians now being linked with a move for Aldershot striker Lorent Tolaj.

The 22-year-old came through the ranks at Brighton & Hove Albion before his release last season when he moved to the Recreation Ground. The Swiss-born striker, who has represented his country at Under-17, 18 and 19 level, initially penned a one-year deal with the Shots, but such was his impressive form, that they triggered a deal that ties him down to the club until the summer of 2025.

Tolaj scored 22 goals in 49 appearances for the Shots last season as they narrowly missed out on a place in the National League play-offs.

The Grecians are also strongly linked with a move for free agent Josh Magennis following his release from Wigan Athletic in the summer, while a loan move for Southampton’s Lewis Payne is also being mooted. However, Lincoln City are the favourites to sign him with Bristol Rovers also interested.

The 20-year-old, who plays predominantly at right-back, made 41 appearances for League Two side Newport County last season having joined Southampton at the age of nine.

He was a part of the Saints Under-18s Premier League South title-winning team in the 2021/22 season and made his first team debut in October 2022 in a 3-0 win at Cambridge United in the Carabao Cup before heading to Estleigh on loan.

Meanwhile, the Grecians will be ball number 13 in this season;s Carabao Cup with the draw for the first round set to take place on Sky Sports News on Thursday, June 27. The Grecians reached round four last season where they were beaten by Middlesbrough.