Martin Allen is working on Barnet’s attacking play and set pieces this pre-season after being inspired by the European Championships.
The gritty nature of League Two football means aerial battles are key to any contest and boss Allen is looking to give his team the edge over their rivals.
Pre-season friendlies are the perfect opportunity to try out new ideas and the Bees have been using the past few weeks to improve their approach play.
He said: “We’ve been working on the attacking play and from later this week it’ll be more set plays and getting ourselves ready, as we’ve seen in the Euros how important set plays are.
“It is crucial to us that we score more goals than what we did last season in set plays and a lots of time and work is going to be spent on that.”
The former Gillingham manager is also working on defensive work and teamwork, ahead of their pre-season friendly against the Kent side on Saturday.
The Bees beat Staines Town 2-0 last Saturday, which saw new signing, former Leicester City midfielder, Ryan Watson, net both goals.
Allen praised Watson as a standout player saying: “He has real quality and has been outstanding since he’s been here.”
A Barnet XI lost 2-1 to Enfield Town as the first team played Staines Town, with a number of youth players in their squad, who had also been training under Allen pre-season.
With new staff member James Russell working somewhere else for Allen on Saturday, he was left short staffed with only physio Luigi Cerullo to assist.
Barnet fan Duncan George, who also helped out with odd jobs behind the scenes such as organising bibs, water bottles and footballs, came to the rescue at Wheatsheaf Park.
It was also a chance for the supporter, who Allen had seen around the ground a few times and had spoken to before the game, to meet the players and see Allen working first hand.
Allen said: “He was really helpful and it is very important that all our supporters get the chance to be involved with us.
“Everyone, I hope, feels part of our team and part of our squad and they have got an important part to play.
“It just reinforces the strength of the club where we get everybody involved. I’ve done it for the last two years I’ve been here; we’ve picked people off the street, terraces or in the car park, and drag them along. I personally feel it’s important to do it and the right way to be.”
