Caledonian Braves are rebuilding and will be a work in progress, says boss

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Caledonian Braves boss Ricky Waddell reckons he’s lost so many players it has set them back a year, as they head into their Lowland League opener at home to Berwick Rangers on Saturday.

Waddell feels that he’s starting almost from scratch this season and says it’s likely to be a work in progress. He said: “The players I lost, it’s very difficult to replace that, and we probably put ourselves back a year or so, in terms of the club’s progression on the park, because we need to bring in new players, young players. “I’m happy with the group I’ve got, but it’s going to be a work in progress, it’s going to keep needing to evolve. “I have a good number of bodies in, I think there are some really good, young, exciting players, ones which have Lowland League experience and ones which don’t. “We’ll attack the season positively and see how we go, but certainly the first half of it is going to be a work in progress and an evolution of the team on the park. “I’m going to go with a big squad so I have strength in depth as much as I can, and I think we’re going to add in one more, so I’m working on that, whether that’s a wide striker or a striker through the middle. “But I’ve got Ross McNeil and Jamie Watson, who I’m happy with and can do that job no problem – it’s just to give me as many options as I can. “Last year I felt we lost points because for a three or four-week period we had seven or eight key players out injured and that makes life difficult. “I want to avoid that scenario and have a strength in depth that I can rely on, but I’m almost there, in terms of recruitment.” Braves follow up Saturday’s league opener with a trip to Celtic ‘B’ on Tuesday, and Waddell reckons it’s a good start.