Downing aims high in transfer waiting game

Cheltenham boss Keith Downing has admitted his ambitions for the club are the reason for a lack off transfer dealings as he searches for better quality players.

The Robins' manager is yet to land the additional striker the club needs despite the season kicking off tomorrow. But Downing won’t settle for anyone as he aims to cement the club in the League One and is confident he will produce the goods before the transfer window closes on August 31.

He said: “We’re going for the better quality player this summer and that’s probably why we’ve had more frustrations.

“Don’t get me wrong there’s players out there and I’m sure people will say well why haven’t you got him and he’s available etc, but to get the right one for Cheltenham is the key.

“I remember sitting here in October time (last year) and probably more pressure was on us then. I took my time in considering the best players for the jobs and, I wouldn’t say I got it right, but we were successful in terms of survival.

“Now I want to get it right in terms of becoming a mid-table team. Ideally, it would be lovely to get all the three or four faces in prior to this week but that’s not been the case. It’s not been for the want of trying.”

Bristol City’s Kevin Betsy is being chased by two other clubs and has a contract situation to work himself out of. Geoff Horsfield, who trained with the club on Monday, has personal demands likely to be beyond them. And Stuart Fleetwood has eight other admirers chasing his loan signature before he has even decided to leave Charlton.

“Off the field it’s been a little bit frustrating in terms of not getting the targets that you want,” said Downing. “But that doesn’t stop you from pursuing other ones and although it’s not immediate or in the first game I’m still optimistic that by the end of August we will have the players that we want.

At the same time Downing reassured fans he hasn’t taken his eye off the players at his disposal ahead of the team’s opening League One encounter against Northampton during his exhausting search.

“I would say that a lot of my time in the last couple of weeks has been regarding getting players in but I still think you have to take care of what people are here and wanting to play for this football club.

“You have to look after them. I haven’t taken my eye off the ball so to speak regarding Northampton just because there’re targets to go and get.

“The last five or six weeks I’ve been encouraged by what I’ve seen on the field and the existing players that we’ve kept have done really, really well.

“Northampton surprised a lot last year. They are a side that I look to in terms of trying to reach that standard and get to the top half. It’s a tough opening test for us.”

Shane Duff and Michael Townsend are back in contention after recovering from injury but there are still doubts over Scott Brown and youngster Theo Lewis miss out with an ankle injury.

Cheltenham taking on the bookies

Ashley Vincent and Paul Connor are looking forward to shouldering the burden of providing the goals for Cheltenham Town this season following Steven Gillespie’s departure and warn fans “don’t bet against us”.

The Robins may be the bookies favourites to be relegated from League One on the eve of the new season but Vincent and Connor, the club’s only two, fit strikers are confident Cheltenham can improve on last season and climb the table - with or without further signings.

Northampton away will be the first test of their credentials and Sixfields stadium will be a suitable acid test for manager Keith Downing’s side following an encouraging summer on the training pitch.

Vincent said: “We’ve played some good football during pre-season and we’re confident we can upset the bookies.

“They always have us as favourites to go down every single year; even in League Two I think we might have been one of the favourites. We just need to stick together, put in our performances and work hard as a team.

“We want to improve on last season. We have to be ambitious whether people write us off or don’t think we can do it, our aim is to be better than last year and that means not going into the last day with our fate in our own hands aiming for survival.

“We want to be aiming towards mid table come the last eight weeks of the season and then you never know where that might take you.

The 22-year-old forward scored twice in 19 appearances last year while confined to operating from the flanks but fired in a memorable 25-yard strike against local rivals Swindon – a reminder of his talent – and is relishing his partnership with Connor.

Vincent said: “We’re working very hard in training and we’re finding each other with some good movement. The new coach here, Phil Robinson has been working hard with us both on our movement and our shooting.

“Connor is the big man and gets the nice touches and I tend to get in behind and I think we’re complementing each other at the moment and hopefully that can continue.

“Northampton are a different side now, as we are, from when I first played them in League Two when I was 19. They’ll be big and strong. It will be a good game. We both want to get off to good starts and both teams will be looking forward to getting that big kick-off on Saturday.

Connor, his partner for the match barring the unlikely appearance of any new signings, wrote himself into the club’s folklore with his 85th minute winner against Doncaster Rovers to save Cheltenham from relegation in the last match of last season.

The former Middlesbrough trainee has fond memories of Sixfields, finding the net there with his last two clubs, Leyton Orient and Swansea, before he joined the Robins for £25,000 in January 2007.

Cheltenham have not won away at Northampton in their last four visits and 29-year-old Connor is hoping he can continue his run to help turn that statistic around.

He said: “Northampton are always a strong physical side. You know what you’re going to get when you go there. It’s always a tough game. I’ve managed to score a few goals at their ground over the years so hopefully it will be another good day for me.”