East Kilbride boss Kevin Rutkiewicz has warned his facet they will’t afford a gradual begin to their Lowland League marketing campaign after being handed a fearsome first 5 fixtures to start out the season.
Kilby kick-off the brand new time period on Saturday and face 5 video games in 14 days.
However the fixture listing hasn’t been variety with their opener away to newly-promoted Tranent adopted by residence clashes with Rangers B on Tuesday night time and Hearts B on July 30.
Journeys to Broomhill on August 2 after which Celtic B on the night time of Friday, August 5, comply with in what is among the hardest begins of any facet within the division.
Kilby, as two-time champions, shall be among the many favourites this season and Rutkiewicz is aware of his males should hit the bottom working.
He stated: “I don’t suppose whoever did the fixtures likes us, however severely it’s a tricky begin, there’s no getting away from that.
“Going to Tranent, they'll have their tails up from promotion final season and it'll in all probability be a little bit of a carnival environment there.
“They is perhaps unfurling a flag or there shall be some kind of recognition for his or her achievement.
“However I don’t like being a visitor at a celebration so we're undoubtedly trying to go there and spoil that to start out our season on a optimistic be aware.
“We're very conscious how troublesome that's going to be.
“If we begin rather well, the strain is on to take care of that normal and we is perhaps levelled favourites, however if you happen to come out these 5 video games with a few sore ones you is perhaps taking part in catch-up. What I do know is that leagues are very not often gained and misplaced in 5 video games so I feel that, no matter what occurs, we simply want to take care of our focus and maintain focused on what the general goal for the season is.
“We’ll method every sport individually and put together them as greatest we are able to, then it’s as much as the lads to go on the market and carry out.
“I feel in the event that they try this, they'll have a great probability in all of those video games.
“However there’s little doubt we are going to must be at our greatest. There isn't a room to start out in second gear, put it that approach.”
The hectic schedule has left the Okay-Park gaffer perplexed and he reckons it’s not simply powerful on his facet, however extra so on rivals with fewer sources.
He added: “On the finish of the day we’ve bought to play all people however my solely gripe is how congested it's with the Saturday, Tuesday video games and we play on a Tuesday then Friday as properly.
“For the lifetime of me, I can’t perceive why they must squeeze so many fixtures in so early.
“To go proper into 5 video games in 14 days or one thing like that after a tricky pre-season is an enormous ask – and that’s not unique to East Kilbride.
“It’s the identical for the opposite groups nevertheless it’s one thing that must be checked out for all golf equipment as a result of some have greater swimming pools of gamers than others.
“We're lucky we’ve bought a deep pool however there are golf equipment much less lucky than us.
“However we're wanting ahead to Saturday getting our enamel into the aggressive motion.
“We hope it will likely be a really thrilling season and the league is shaping as much as be robust.”
If EK come via their Tranent take a look at they are going to be trying to make a optimistic begin at residence in opposition to Rangers in midweek.
“One of many eye-catching issues via the summer time has been how a lot Rangers have recruited for his or her youthful lads,” stated Rutkiewicz. They’ve introduced in three or 4, spent a bit of cash and so they’ve recruited with a view to the longer term.
“Each them and Celtic are going to be extraordinarily robust, as will Hearts coming into the league this 12 months, however all we are able to do is consider ourselves.
“I’m nonetheless pretty assured that we may give everybody within the league a sport.”
Kick-off on Saturday is 3pm and Tuesday’s conflict at Okay-Park is a 7.45pm begin.
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