We’ve reproduced a selection of the questions addressed by the Bees’ head coach below.

Q: Barnet and Morecambe were the only League Two teams who did not go to a pre-season training camp abroad last year. Do you think doing so would help the players in terms of team bonding?

A: When we’re in this facility here, what’s the point of going abroad? We’ve had the hot weather as well, so there’s no point in going to Spain or anywhere like that, with the facilities the players have – the gym, the training pitch and the 3G pitch.

Some clubs aren’t equipped like that. We are and we’re going to work really hard over the next six weeks, ready for Forest Green away.

Q: Last season we seemed to get bullied by big physical teams such as Cambridge, Mansfield and Wycombe – one of the reasons that our play-off chances faded. What will our game plan be to counter this? 

A: Agreed – it did. There’s no beating around the bush on that. The way we played football in some games last year was excellent, but you have to learn to win ugly as well as beautiful sometimes

The players will certainly be prepared for that, in terms of different styles of games. They’re going to have that spirit that’s been with us many seasons, that spirit that got us back into the Football League two years ago.

Q: What can be done to encourage local young people to come and support the team?

A: The simple answer is to have a winning team on the field, to be successful and to play exciting football. The ambitions at this club are extremely high and if we match those, people will follow.

As they say in Field of Dreams: ‘if you build it they will come’. James and I are working really hard behind the scenes to one, put a settled team on the field and if we do well, it should attract supporters from other places.

Q: Can we realistically hold on to John Akinde?

A: John is very much part of our plans here, he’s under contract. He’s a fantastic person to coach, he’s a fantastic footballer and he’s influential to what we want to see here… so yes!

To watch the full Q&A, please see below: