Whilst beating Southern League Hayes & Yeading was no mean feat, the gaffer was adamant his side were keeping their feet on the ground. After a great win in the sun, manager Lee Bircham shared his thoughts.
“It was really good. But it’s only preseason, it’s as much minutes for us as it is for Hayes. We changed the shape from Tuesday night, probably in respect of the opposition as well – we knew the quality they’ve got. It was important for us that we had Ethan (Flanagan) and Pys (Pyman) back for the formation we wanted to play. It worked well, we got goals at good times. The boys looked fit, which is probably the most important bit for me.”
As said, the first goal came in fantastic fashion from Archie McClelland, a figure who has struggled with injuries but has always been a great servant to the club. When asked, Bircham was full of praise for his pacey forward, although quick to see the lighter side.
“It was a good goal. To be fair to Archie, a lot of players left. Their choice by the way. We were bringing lads in and we just said, ‘look it’s a fight for your shirt’. Archie was one, where he definitely wanted to be involved in this and he comes in, trains hard, wins his races in preseason and the boys know he’s fit.
So, going down the middle today – we want that off him. We need him to be that Jamie Vardy type. There was a couple of lost causes that he chased down and won corners from, that’s massive to us. Then, the finish for the goal was exceptional. I don’t know where it’s come from, we did a bit of finishing the other day and I don’t think he got any of them on target!”
The other scorer was Ayo Akinbobola, a player who is bringing a lot of energy in the press and in behind. He is also a fine example of the team’s newfound depth.
“We’ve got a lot of players here. Everyone knows we’ve got 21 signed players. Every one of them should be a first team starter. That’s what we want. It takes its course over the end of it where some lads maybe don’t think they’re going to play but they are. The whole squad we’ve got will play 30-35 games this year. They’ve just got to trust us that they will play.”
As he looked to next week, the fact was raised that Leighton are yet to concede a goal in preseason. The seasoned coach was wise to dispel that one, despite an ever-improving defence.
“That worries me if I’m honest. Everyone knows lots of football clubs that have had great preseasons and then come to the start and concede. But with a goalkeeper like Xavi, it makes a huge difference to us as a football club.”
Looking on to Rayners Lane, it was clear the coach’s determination and he also underlined the fan influence that will play a part this term.
“It’s no secret, if we’re going to keep this team together and afford this team as well, we need the supporters. I’m putting the pressure on the local community to come down and support the boys. We’ve got to get the crowds that we had last year, if not more.”
“A team in the league below, I know their manager really well and he’ll have a good side. We’ll change it again, being a 3G pitch. We’ll look for something different maybe on Tuesday – we can’t just have one style of play. We’ve got a squad of 22, they’ll all play. As long as we’re all ready and have had enough minutes for the start of the season that’s as much as we can ask for.”

Article by Max Bradfield