United ready for a flying start

Manager Gary Johnson says that Torquay United are ready to put last season's relegation behind them and make a much faster start when the new National League South season opens at Dover Athletic this Saturday.
Speaking after an encouraging build-up which included a win (4-1) over League One Exeter City and a draw (1-1) with Championship neighbours Plymouth Argyle, Johnson said: "We've had a tough pre-season, which is what we wanted.
"Yes, we do feel ready, although we've still got a couple of important players coming back from injury, and we're still working on a couple more loan signings which could happen before or after the first match."
Any chance that United had of making an impact last season disappeared when they won only two and lost ten of their first 16 NL Premier games.
That new team didn't win at home until November 1, and when they finally hit serious form, it was too little and too late.
It's been a different story this summer, with only limited recruitment in key areas, and the squad has a much more settled look about it.
There's no talk of 'bedding in', nor need there be, with a repeat of the club's 2019 NLS Championship the undoubted aim.
Striker Bradley Ash, who has scored four times in friendlies since his move from Weymouth, is the only real 'new face' among the senior players, as fellow arrivals like Kevin Dawson, Lewis Collins and Jack Stobbs all finished last season on loan here.
"We pride ourselves on our own way of doing things, and I'm very pleased with the way all that side of it has gone," added Johnson.
"There's nobody going into Dover who doesn't know our game.
"We feel that we've got at least 15 players who have had enough game time to be ready to tackle the season, and there's more to come on top of that."
The Gulls make their second longest trip of the season this weekend, and they are warm favourites to beat Dover at the Crabble Ground.
United won't make their league bow at Plainmoor until Saturday week (Aug 12), when they welcome first-time visitors Worthing to Plainmoor, followed by Chippenham Town (Aug 15).