COLCHESTER United boss Ben Garner is close to finalising his pre-season plans - with a summer tour included on his agenda.

The U’s head coach says the weeks leading up to the 2023-24 campaign will provide the ‘bedrock’ for what is to come and is eager to ensure it is as thorough as possible.

Garner regards pre-season as the best coaching time in the season and crucial to his plans of transforming Colchester into a side that can challenge in League Two, next season.

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He has a series of friendlies planned, including a pre-season tour, with work taking place on the pitches at both the JobServe Community Stadium and Florence Park during the off season, as the U’s boss aims to stamp his mark.

Garner said: “Pre-season is key.

“For me, it’s the best coaching time in the season.

“We want six good weeks with the players and that will be our bedrock, going into the season.

Gazette:

“Having this time this season to get to know the club, the staff, the players and see everything gives me a head start on next season.

“We’re well down the line with our pre-season planning now and I think we’re virtually there with the friendlies.

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“We’re looking at going away on a tour which we’re just trying to finalise so all of these things are now falling into place.

“The work we’re doing on the pitches at the training ground in the summer, work at the stadium to get us in a better place for next season – all of these things are going on and we want to make that as smooth as we possibly can and as strong as we possibly can.”

Gazette: Ben Garner

Colchester are preparing for a eighth successive season in League Two, after Garner lifted them away from danger.

They will be joined by relegated League One sides Forest Green Rovers, Accrington Stanley, Morecambe and MK Dons with Phil Parkinson’s Wrexham coming up from the National League, along with either Notts County or Chesterfield.

Garner is expecting the fourth tier to be a tougher division, next season.

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He said: “I think last season, the division was stronger than this one, in my opinion.

“Looking at next season with the calibre of teams, Wrexham I think will be fantastic for the league, with the exposure that they’re going to bring as well, Notts County potentially as well – I know there’s the play-offs to go and I’m not being disrespectful to anyone else in those play-offs.

“You then look at the teams coming down from League One and it looks to be a strong division next season.

“We want to be right in the mix for that, at the top end.”