Exeter City vice-captain Pat Baldwin says the players are concentrating on getting fit for pre-season and not worrying about the financial woes at the club. The St James's Park outfit needed to take out a £100,000 loan from the Professional Footballers' Association last week to cover 'running costs' through the summer months.
However, Baldwin says that is not currently a concern for the players and they just have to trust the people running the club to get things right. "At the moment it is quite easy to put it to the back of your mind as we are in the off-season," he said. "We are just concentrating on getting ourselves fit and sticking to our individual fitness plans that we have been given. "If it lingers on into the season it could be a little bit different, but our main focus is coming into pre-season and making sure that we are fit and trust those that run the club to get things right off the pitch. "I know we are going through a difficult patch financially, but you have just got to trust the people that run the club to put it right, and I for one do." The loan from the PFA came with an automatic transfer embargo, meaning that City can't bring any new players into the club until the money is paid back. The club's chief executive Guy Wolfenden said that they intend to pay the money back by early August. However, with a reduced squad already, Baldwin said it was important that the players still at the club understood the added responsibility that was now on their shoulders. "There are quite a few players that have exited, but it is down to the players still here to concentrate on what we can do and influence," he said. "That is our fitness and making sure we are in the best condition possible going into pre-season and giving our manager Paul Tisdale something to work with." Baldwin added that sometime adversity can have a way of eliciting talent, and with such a small squad the team spirit and chances for youngsters to shine might improve. "We have got a small, tight squad," said Baldwin. "We know finances off the pitch dictate that we are not going to be bringing in a lot of players, if any, so it is up to us to make sure we deliver, get together and get team spirit going that is going to get us through next season. "Sometime adversity can bring you closer together as well. It is up to everybody, not just the experienced players, the captain or the vice-captain, to get close and make sure we stick together. "Last season was a tough season in terms of league position, but what it did do was give players who were on the fringes at the start of the season experience. "This season it will be the same. We have got some good, talented young players coming into the senior squad next season, which I'm excited about seeing. "Last year we produced Matt Grimes, he came through and was outstanding. What is there to say someone like Matt Jay, Ollie Watkins or another player like that can't come in and do the same?"
