Hendon boss Gary McCann is demanding more from his experienced squad as he targets a tilt at the Ryman Premier play-offs.
The Harrow-based side got off to a great start with a 4-0 win at Thamesmead on the opening day of the season but slipped to defeat at the hands of a useful Dulwich Hamlet side 48 hours later.
But McCann, whose summer signings included 37-year-old ex-Chelsea defender Michael Duberry and well-travelled striker Jefferson Louis, was not happy with the performance in either match.
He told West London Sport: “Even though we won 4-0, I wasn’t that impressed with our start at Thamesmead.
“I just thought for long periods we weren’t as good as we could be.
“Then we came up against a very good Dulwich team. But we looked a little bit jaded, which surprised me.”
Four of Hendon’s seven new additions are in their 30s, with Duberry and Louis joined by former Hampton winger Tony Taggart, 31, and 30-year-old striker Anthony Thomas.
And McCann revealed he is closing in on two more players to inject some youthful exuberance into a squad he believes should be challenging for promotion this season.
He said: “We need some energy in the legs and a bit of pace. They’re good players who we’ve been tracking all summer so I’ll be delighted if we get them in.
“With the players we’ve got, there’s no reason why we can’t be competitive in and around the top six. That’s what I’ve been selling to the players.”
Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook
This post was last modified on 16/08/2013