Charles Vernam says the Mariners are determined to build on last season’s strong campaign and go one step further, as Town prepare to begin their League Two season against Exeter City at Blundell Park.
The forward enjoyed a positive pre-season and believes the continuity within the squad, combined with the arrival of several new faces, has created a strong platform for the campaign ahead.
With promotion firmly in the Club’s sights, Vernam says the players are ready to repay the supporters for their backing and make a fast start on home soil.
Here’s everything the forward had to say ahead of Saturday’s opening fixture…
On starting a new season
Vernam believes Town can build on last season’s foundations, with greater consistency in both boxes key to taking the next step.
“Probably more of the same, but just being more clinical at both ends, really,” he said.
“Keeping more clean sheets and scoring more goals. It’s probably as simple as that.
“We were extremely close last season to what we set out to achieve, and this season we go again with the same ambitions.
“We’ve got new players, which is going to help, and we’ve got players who did well last season who we’ve managed to keep. We’re hoping that we can go one step further this season.”
On his own pre-season
Vernam says he is heading into the new campaign in a positive place after enjoying an injury-free summer.
“I’m feeling great,” he said.
“I had a really positive pre-season. I feel like I’m in a good spot, a couple of goal involvements, which is always nice for confidence going into the season, and injury-free, which is always the main thing.
“Loads of positives going into the season and now the real stuff starts.”
On the importance of continuity
With the majority of last season’s squad retained, Vernam believes the established players have an important role to play in helping the new arrivals settle.
“It really helps,” he said.
“We’ve got some real good characters and there’s a real togetherness between the group.
“We all understand the culture that we want to bring to the Club, and when you’ve had players who have been here a while, played a lot of games and got a lot of respect, it always helps.
“We’re able to bring the new lads under our wing and show them what it means to be a Grimsby Town player.”
On the new arrivals
Vernam has been impressed by what he has seen from Town’s summer signings and believes the increased competition will benefit the squad.
“They’re all sort of different. They’ve all got real good attributes which you can see in training,” he said.
“I’m sure that they’re going to add to the group. It’s good to have that competition for places because towards the end of last season we ended up a little bit overworked at times.
“We’re going to need everyone this year.”
On the promotion target
Having come so close last season, Vernam admits promotion is firmly on the players’ minds.
“I think so, and I’m not going to sit here and say it’s not,” he said.
“We all want to get promoted and we want this Club to be in League One and to be able to experience that with our fans.
“We were extremely close last year and to feel that presence from them, that they were all with us, is a massive thing.
“We want to go one better for them and for us as well.”
On learning from Salford
The disappointment of missing out on promotion last season remains fresh in Vernam’s mind, but he says it has provided additional motivation heading into the new campaign.
“It was hard. It’s something I’ve never experienced before, so it took some serious time to get over it,” he said.
“It just gave me that hunger to come back and not have that feeling again.
“To miss out and be that close after 46 games in a season is hard to take, so none of us want that this year.
“We’re full steam ahead and we’re ready to go.”
On the supporters
Vernam says the backing from the Mariners faithful continues to provide additional motivation, with Town having broken the Club’s all-time season-ticket record this summer.
“They’re unbelievable. I say it every time,” he said.
“It’s rare that you get this level of support at a League Two football club and you can feel the passion.
“You can see how many Grimsby Town shirts there are around the town and people stop and speak to you. It’s a really positive place to be at the moment.
“I’m hoping that we can hold up our end of the bargain, give them performances to get behind and they’ll definitely come with us.”
On playing in front of a packed Blundell Park
Vernam says the atmosphere at Blundell Park continues to give him a special feeling every time he pulls on the black and white shirt.
“When you walk out at Blundell Park and it’s full and you hear the backing, and the fans are singing the songs, you can really feel it,” he said.
“It makes me want to perform and do my best for the Club because it means an awful lot to me.”
On Exeter City
Vernam expects a difficult opening fixture against an Exeter side who were playing in League One last season.
“They got relegated from League One last year, so they were a league above us last season,” he said.
“We know they’ll pose a difficult test and it’s something that we have to be prepared for and ready for.
“We’ll learn a lot this weekend about where we are. We all believe that we are where we need to be, but we’ll find out on Saturday.”
On what Town need to improve
The forward believes greater clinical efficiency at both ends of the pitch will be crucial if Town are to achieve their ambitions.
“Just be more clinical,” he said.
“On Saturday, we weren’t clinical at the top end and we weren’t strong enough at the back end, really, and that’s what cost us the game.
“If we want to be where we want to be this year, then that’s something that we have to do better at as a collective.
“That’s not just defenders and attackers, that’s throughout the whole team.”
On the importance of starting strongly
With Saturday’s fixture marking Town’s first game of the league campaign, Vernam knows the Mariners have an opportunity to lay down an early marker.
“The first home game of the season, if you look at last year, it set us off on a real good run,” he said.
“We’ve got points targets throughout the season, and to get off to a good start is obviously vital.
“It being at home is even more important, so come five o’clock on Saturday, hopefully we send the fans home with something to cheer about.”
You can watch Charles’ full pre-match interview here:
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