Bootle manager David McNabb is under no illusions of the problems Prestwich Heys could cause ahead of their FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round encounter.
The Bucks have been one of the busiest clubs in the region this summer after welcoming a number of fresh faces.
McNabb took charge of Bootle on the eve of the registration deadline last season and helped steer the club away from the drop zone. This summer, he has wasted no time in adding reinforcements and stamping his mark on the club.
A number of the additions have been well received due to the calibre that has walked through the door at the Berry Street Garage Stadium. With a “good” pre-season under their belts, McNabb insists they’re raring to go on Saturday.
“It’s been a tough pre-season, we’ve purposely made it tough,” he told Off The Park. “Some of the results haven’t been brilliant but we’ve tried to make it as difficult as possible. Overall, it’s been a good pre-season, we’re prepped and ready to go on Saturday.
“Results are what they are in pre-season, they don’t really account to anything, you want winning habits and we haven’t been able to get into that rhythm yet.
“But, I’ve got no doubt that the most important thing is getting people up to speed, that’s what we’ve been working on. Hopefully on Saturday, we’ll be ready to put on a performance and be in the hat for the next round.”
McNabb knows the difficulty that Adie Moran Park possesses following his encounters with Heys down the years.
The North West Counties side have won one and lost one in their opening two games, but the Bootle boss is wary that they will be looking to cause an upset and book their place in the next round.
He added: “It’ll be a tough game, Prestwich is notoriously a tough place to go. They’ll be fired up and looking to cause a bit of an upset but for us, it’s business as usual and focus on the task at hand.
“It’s the Magic of the FA Cup isn’t it? You’ve got to be in it, you’ve got to enjoy those games, it’s a massive competition, to have a run in there would be absolutely phenomenal. Hopefully we’re going to get in the hat but we’re certainly not going to look too far ahead.”
