Stanley will embrace the challenge insists Doolan

Yahoo

5 days ago

John Doolan is happy to keep on proving the doubters wrong as Accrington Stanley prepare to kick off their League Two campaign at home to Gillingham this afternoon.
The Reds flirted with relegation for most of last season before eventually finishing in 21st place - eight points above the drop zone. While many are predicting another tough campaign, Doolan says he and his players will embrace the underdog tag.
'I don't pay any attention,' Doolan told the club website when asked about his side being tipped for the drop. 'The only thing I get influenced by is the players and I want to influence them in the right way and we all want to do our jobs to the best of our ability.
'If you don't, you lose your job it's as simple as that. We have all got to succeed. We have always been the underdogs.
'All it does is challenge us more to prove people wrong. I have been proving people wrong all my life and we have all got something to prove together.'
Stanley completed their pre-season with an impressive 4-1 win against League One side Rotherham United last weekend and Doolan says there is a real buzz around the club as they prepare for the challenge ahead.
'It's really exciting,' he said. 'All your hard work has been done in pre-season and we now can't wait for the challenge.
'We have shown some really good signs of what we have been working on, on the training ground in the games we have had. We have had some good tests so we can't wait.
He added: 'It's great when the Wham Stadium is bouncing at both ends. I love playing at home - the players do as well -and we are looking forward to the challenge.'
While Doolan says he does not listen to outside noise, he acknowledges that Stanley have to do better this side - although he revealed targets remain firmly in house.
'You have to improve everywhere,' he said. 'Last season is in the past so we are not looking back, it what's we are going to do next which is the important thing.
'Since we came back in June, we have been preparing for Gillingham. We set our own goals and targets as individuals and as a squad. We are definitely going to be better than last season. We set targets on the first day of pre-season and we all agreed on it. That will remain in-house but we want to do better than what we did last season.'
Stanley have brought in Ollie Wright, Freddie Sass and Isaac Sinclair during the summer and Doolan says he is hoping to add to that total.
He said: 'We will get more in, that's ongoing, but it is about getting the right people in.
'We have a good foundation going forward this year. We have brought three quality players in who have added to the squad and people have seen the evidence of that in pre-season games.'
The will be a familiar face in the opponent's dugout this afternoon when Blackburn-born Gareth Ainsworth returns to his native East Lancashire.
Doolan is looking forward to sharing a drink with Ainsworth - but only after picking up three points.
'Gareth Ainsworth is a top manager and a top fella,' said Doolan. 'Richard Dobson his assistant as well. We did our LMA Diploma together. They have done a good job at Wycombe.
'Gareth is so knowledgeable, he sets his team up right, they are hard-working and fully committed. They have some good players and we know what we are going to get.
'Come Saturday at 3pm we want to beat each other and after you have a drink together.'