PRE-SEASON is finally underway at Nethermoor and returning manager Mark Bower is eager to set down some early foundations for his new group of players.

The Bantams defender parted ways with Bradford (Park Avenue) last November and, after discussions with Northern Premier League Premier Division side Guiseley, he jumped at the opportunity to return to management alongside his assistant, Danny Boshell.

Last Saturday, Bower got to meet his new squad for the first time as a collective group, and he admitted that it was something that he was eagerly anticipating for a while.

They do not have long to wait for their first friendly either, which is at home to Huddersfield Town this Saturday (12:30pm kick-off).

Prior to meeting the players, he said: “It’s the first time I’ll have met all the lads as a group, and that’s always exciting.

“I’ve spoken to some of the players but meeting them in person is far more important.

“You get to learn more about their personalities, who they mix with and who they work well with, so it’s a vital part of coming into a new squad.

“It’s alright having a collection of good players, but you’ve got to make sure the chemistry is right and that they work together well, so that’s what we’ll be working on over the next few weeks.”

Ahead of arriving at his first pre-season since his return to Guiseley, where he managed between 2013 and 2016, Bower said: “We’ve obviously looked at certain issues that the team had last year, and we’ve also looked at things that the team did well.

“We’ve brought a few new faces in as well, so the main focus will be on everyone getting to know each other and working on those partnerships and patterns.

“Not just patterns that are going to work for the start of the season, but for the rest of the campaign too.”

Reflecting on Guiseley’s transfer business so far, Bower spoke of his delight to have recruited several players of high calibre.

He said: “I’ve been so pleased with the business so far, we’ve got a number of players who have competed at a higher level, and we’ve added quality over quantity.

“I think it was also important that we retained the core group of players from last season, which we did, so I’ve been delighted with how the group is shaping up so far.

“In the coming days and weeks, we will continue to assess the situation and decided whether we need to recruit anymore players.

“But for now, I’m very happy with how the squad is shaping up.”

Discussing the club’s ambitions for next season, Bower said: “With where the club finished last season and not being too far away from the play-offs, the realistic goal is to try and take us that step further to achieve the play-offs when the season comes around.

“I didn’t want my next job to be another one where I was fighting to avoid relegation; I wanted it to be one where we could go into every game thinking that we could win.

“Finishing in the top five and the play-offs has to be the target for us next season.”

Giving thoughts on his old club, Bradford (Park Avenue) after they suffered a second successive relegation back in May, Bower said: “It was sad to see.

“I left them in November last season and at that time, we weren’t in the relegation zone,

“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for them after that and sadly their fate was decided.

“There are some good players there and although it will hurt the club being relegated, perhaps it needs that refresh and completely fresh start.

“Playing at the level that they are at now, you’d expect them to be targeting promotion (from the NPL East Division) and if they can achieve that, then maybe they’ll be back on the right path.”