No excuses for AFC Telford says Shane Sutton

The 29-year-old centre-half is gearing up for Saturday's National League North opener against Liam Watson's Southport at the New Bucks Head.

And he believes the Bucks are a lot better equipped than they were at this stage last year.

"The gaffer has just brought in some unbelievable players," said Sutton.

"We've got a really settled squad – even the first session back we had 12 or 13 already signed.

"Everything has been very detailed and we've pretty much got two players in each position, and everyone knows their jobs.

"There's a group of good, solid players and everyone really is on the same wave length.

"I feel confident. It took me until about Christmas last year to get going – and that may have been playing with a lot of different defenders in different formations, or just because it was all new – but I'm used to it now.

"I'm confident in my team-mates as well so there's no excuses this year for us. And if I have a bad game, it's on me."

Sutton is glad to have got pre-season out of the way and be readying for what matters.

On the Southport clash, he added: "I can't wait for a league game to be fair – the atmosphere and all the build-up that comes with it.

"Pre-season is pre-season. Some players don't like it. I don't mind it but sometimes you're playing games in front of about 50 people so it doesn't compare.

"It wasn't perfect, you always want more, but we got some good results and got to know each other really well which was brilliant.

"I think, hopefully, we can go out and surprise Southport – and then do that to a lot of teams.

"We were showing towards the end of last season that we can grind out a result, whether it was a 1-0 or a 3-2.

"Before Christmas, I think we were a team that sides thought they could come to and roll over – maybe we'd have one or two doing step-overs on the edge of the box when we were 3-0 down – but we put and end to that.

"Maybe Southport will underestimate us a little bit."

Meanwhile, Telford are holding an open training sessions and fans' forum tomorrow night.

The pre-season photo shoot will take place at 6-30pm, training starts at 7pm and the fans' forum at 8.30pm – all at the New Bucks Head.