Preston North End manager Graham Westley has set his squad one clear target, beat the next team that stands in front of you.
“It will be a passionate venue where the supporters get behind the team and the team play for the crowd and I fully expect to win three points without underestimating anybody that we play.”
“I am sure the passion for victory will be there and Deepdale is a difficult place to come to and there won’t be too many sides making the trip and fancying it this season.
"I have a strong confidence that the players have got the determination to win football matches consistently and I am sure we will be well organised, fit and strong.
“What we do know is that we have already produced a level which has beaten Championship opposition and we are only expecting to get better.
“Colchester have got players who can hurt you, they are a side which played a lot better on Tuesday night than the result suggests and we won’t be taking them lightly.
“He is a very good athlete and footballer who is a goal threat and he is not the only problem that they will present.
“It wasn’t as clear cut as it looks and we won’t be underestimating them at all, they have got an asset in Anthony Wordsworth which most clubs in the league would take on the board.
“I watched them play at Yeovil the other night and although the scoreline suggest they were put away convincingly, but if you went to the game you would be saying Yeovil should be thanking their goalkeeper for the result.
We won’t underestimate Colchester United, I was looking through a match report this morning from when they played West Ham in a pre-season friendly, they drew 2-2 and they played very well,” Westley told the press.
However, Westley, who was in attendance at Huish Park, is fully aware of the threat United pose and won’t underestimate John Ward’s men.
Colchester, who will make the trip to Lancashire for the opening league game of the season for the second consecutive season endured a very different start to the new campaign, falling to a 3-0 defeat at Yeovil Town.
“We want to get the right team on the pitch and play like it is the last game we are ever going to play and sweat the blood that might be needed and that is as far as it ever pays to look in football.”
“Our aim now is to win on Saturday, which is as far as we are going to look, we like to get our minds on the next game and understand the opposition.
The gaffer continued: “We want to get this Club back on the front foot, we finished 15th last season and if you are trying to turn 15th into something much better, it is not always going to be an easy road. I have always managed to create winning teams and I am not planning to come here and not create a winning team.
It is no secret the changes made during the summer months were done to help the Club realise their ambition and become a force in League One.
Following Monday’s performance against Huddersfield, many North End supporters will have noticed a real sense of determination around Deepdale to achieve success the season.
“There are more challenges we are going to face but the next challenge is on Saturday, and then the next five games so we have to make sure we keep on improving and developing.”
“None the less they needed beating and for us to get to a level where we can beat them convincingly so soon is positive.
“Huddersfield won promotion out of our league last year but they are not the benchmark because we are not aiming to be in the Play-Offs.
“It says everything about the kind of characters that they are, how they have come together and understand a new way of working that quickly and produce that level of performance.
“I was surprised how good we were on Monday, for the lads to produce a performance like they did is massive credit to them,” said the PNE boss in his pre-match press conference.
The Lilywhites kick-off their League One campaign this weekend against Colchester United with the winning mentality already engraved in the squad after Monday night’s 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town.
“I am sure the passion for victory will be there and Deepdale is a difficult place to come to and there won’t be too many sides making the trip and fancying it this season.
"I have a strong confidence that the players have got the determination to win football matches consistently and I am sure we will be well organised, fit and strong.
“What we do know is that we have already produced a level which has beaten Championship opposition and we are only expecting to get better.
“Colchester have got players who can hurt you, they are a side which played a lot better on Tuesday night than the result suggests and we won’t be taking them lightly.
“He is a very good athlete and footballer who is a goal threat and he is not the only problem that they will present.
“It wasn’t as clear cut as it looks and we won’t be underestimating them at all, they have got an asset in Anthony Wordsworth which most clubs in the league would take on the board.
“I watched them play at Yeovil the other night and although the scoreline suggest they were put away convincingly, but if you went to the game you would be saying Yeovil should be thanking their goalkeeper for the result.
We won’t underestimate Colchester United, I was looking through a match report this morning from when they played West Ham in a pre-season friendly, they drew 2-2 and they played very well,” Westley told the press.
However, Westley, who was in attendance at Huish Park, is fully aware of the threat United pose and won’t underestimate John Ward’s men.
Colchester, who will make the trip to Lancashire for the opening league game of the season for the second consecutive season endured a very different start to the new campaign, falling to a 3-0 defeat at Yeovil Town.
“We want to get the right team on the pitch and play like it is the last game we are ever going to play and sweat the blood that might be needed and that is as far as it ever pays to look in football.”
“Our aim now is to win on Saturday, which is as far as we are going to look, we like to get our minds on the next game and understand the opposition.
The gaffer continued: “We want to get this Club back on the front foot, we finished 15th last season and if you are trying to turn 15th into something much better, it is not always going to be an easy road. I have always managed to create winning teams and I am not planning to come here and not create a winning team.
It is no secret the changes made during the summer months were done to help the Club realise their ambition and become a force in League One.
Following Monday’s performance against Huddersfield, many North End supporters will have noticed a real sense of determination around Deepdale to achieve success the season.
“There are more challenges we are going to face but the next challenge is on Saturday, and then the next five games so we have to make sure we keep on improving and developing.”
“None the less they needed beating and for us to get to a level where we can beat them convincingly so soon is positive.
“Huddersfield won promotion out of our league last year but they are not the benchmark because we are not aiming to be in the Play-Offs.
“It says everything about the kind of characters that they are, how they have come together and understand a new way of working that quickly and produce that level of performance.
“I was surprised how good we were on Monday, for the lads to produce a performance like they did is massive credit to them,” said the PNE boss in his pre-match press conference.
The Lilywhites kick-off their League One campaign this weekend against Colchester United with the winning mentality already engraved in the squad after Monday night’s 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town.