A BOUYANT Dave Anderson claimed this week his current Harrow Borough squad is the best in his three seasons of management at Earlsmead – and he has not even finished building it yet.

Boosted by additional funds the former AFC Wimbledon boss has invested in veteran striker Leroy Griffiths and fellow front-men Chris Benjamin and Ronnel Dennis to give him a wealth of attacking threat.

Midfield enforcer Kevant Serbonij also started Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Billericay, while Spanish winger Daniel Llacer made a cameo appearance from the bench and the likes of Adam Louth, Terrell Lewis and Hungarian Atilla Fekerte are waiting in the wings.

The new recruits have left Anderson excited about the season ahead, but while he is confident about their threat going forward he is still on the lookout for reinforcements for the other end of the pitch.

He said:  “It is still a new squad bedding in, but I’m excited about it. I was as comfortable against Billericay as I’ve been here because I know what I’ve got.
“I’m an experienced manager and I know when it is better than it was and it is better than it was.

“Our bench is strong. Ronnel Dennis is a big centre-forward, Rhys Williamson is a tricky winger, and we brought Dan Llacer on who is tricky too, so we have got proper forward players and I feel we will score goals.

“My concern is can we let in less goals than we did last year. That is a big concern and I’m still in the market for a couple more defenders.”

Of the new arrivals, Griffiths, is without doubt the biggest coup.

For Anderson it is a case of third time lucky in his bid to land the former QPR striker.

He said: “Leroy Griffiths is a great signing and I can’t praise him highly enough.

“I actually tried to sign him twice before, once at Wimbledon and then at St Albans but did not get him, but even now he is a better footballer than I recognised at that time because he just sees things.”

All that said, Anderson knows his side’s first half a dozen games will test the new-look squad to the limit.

Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Billericay was followed by a 3-2 defeat at Bury Town on Tuesday, while this Saturday the Reds face another daunting trip to Margate, before entertaining Kingstonian next Tuesday (August 20).

Those first six challenges will then be completed by the ‘small’ matter of the first derby clash of the season with neighbours Wealdstone at Earlsmead on Saturday, August 24 and a trip to Metropolitan Police two days later on Bank Holiday Monday

It is a daunting schedule from which Anderson admitted he would settle for a point a game.

He added:  “The first six fixtures are as tough as it gets, but the other thing is it gets them out of the way.

“If I get seven or eight points from those six games I’d be over the moon. If we get six I would say we have done okay because they are tough.”