"I'll give everything I possibly can" - New Town boss Lakeland targets top seven finish

Adam Lakeland is targeting a top seven finish as he gets to work as the new FC Halifax Town manager.

The 40-year-old's appointment was confirmed on Saturday night on a one-year rolling contract.

Lakeland, from Clitheroe, had two separate interviews for the job, both at a hotel in Harrogate, with each lasting around a couple of hours.

He then found out over the phone from chairman David Bosomworth that he'd got the job.

"I think they've massively overachieved by getting in the play-offs in the last two seasons, but because that's what we've done, and because of how ambitious and competitive I am, I want us to do that again," Lakeland told the Courier.

"Nobody wants to get in the play-offs to lose of course. The aim once you're in the play-offs is to get promoted.

"The chairman would love to see this football club get promoted and he's reminded me we've got beat in the elimination stage four times now.

"I'd love nothing more than to get in the play-offs and win them, but I know how difficult that's going to be.

"They didn't make the play-offs in Chris' first season, but won the Trophy, which was incredibly successful, but to have got in the play-offs in back-to-back seasons is a phenomenal achievement.

"The first goal is can we do that again, and if you do, you want to win them.

"But that's tough because this is a gruelling division and there's some massive teams in it.

"But the ambition is for this club, at some stage, to get into the Football League and I'm the next person that's been entrusted with the opportunity to do it and I'll give everything I possibly can to try and make that happen."

Lakeland says he hasn't had chance to speak to any of the Town squad yet, other than Jamie Cooke, who he knows already having worked with him on loan at Curzon Ashton.

But the Town boss says he will be trying to speak to all his players in the next day or two.

"We're in a transition period because we've got three or four important players and in addition to that, we've got three or four important players out injured, three of them for quite a while," he said.

"So we are light in terms of numbers.

"Obviously we had a few lads on loan as well, who've returned to their clubs.

"So we do need to bring players in, and we've already been working hard on trying to identify where we might need to bring players in, the types of players we might be able to bring in, we've been having discussions with players and agents as much as we've been able to."

On how big he wants his squad to be, with Town only having 13 contracted players as it stands, Lakeland said: "We're going to need early 20s, which means we've got a lot of work to.

"Obviously some of the players are injured for a while, but it is what it is.

"We're in a transition, the pitch is being done, we've got players injured, we've got players who've left and there's a new manager, so there's a lot going on.

"People might just have to bear with us a bit but I can guarantee we're working round the clock to do what we need to.

"We've met some players, we've had discussions with quite a few and we've tabled offers to a couple, and there'll be several more being tabled in the next 48 hours.

"So hopefully in the next coming days, one or two weeks, before we come back into training towards the end of June, we'll have at least two or three through the door."

Lakeland confirmed injured trio Max Wright, Festus Arthur and Jo Cummings have all been offered new deals by the club prior to Chris Millington's departure last month.

The Town boss admits he has no time to lose in rebuilding the Halifax squad.

"We have lost ground with how long the process has taken but I respect that because the process was thorough and professional," he said.

"For any football club appointing any member of staff, let alone a manager, you've got to get it right.

"And it's not easy to get it right.

"We have lost a bit of ground because other clubs will be talking to players we've been looking at.

"It's going to be a lot of hard work and a lot of long days but it is what it is, and we'll try to make up that ground as quickly as we possibly can."

Town will hold a couple of testing days next week to assess the fitness of the squad before pre-season training begins on Monday, June 30.

The Shaymen currently have five pre-season friendlies arranged, and Lakeland would like to arrange at least one other.

"We need one on August 2. Outside of that, possibly not (any others)," he said.

"We've put a few feelers out so we'll see what comes back."

Andy Cooper is the only member of Millington's backroom staff to have left the club since the end of the season, and Lakeland hopes that remains the case.

"I've had a good conversation with Chris about the staff and he's very complimentary about all of them," he said.

"I've never been a manager who goes in somewhere and says 'off you pop, you lot' and replaces them.

"I feel like I can work with pretty much anybody, so I want to give the opportunity, first and foremost, to the existing memebers of staff.

"I want the players to have that bit of consistency and continuity.

"There's been a hell of a lot of change and I don't want there to be unneccesary change.

"It was important to bring Sam (Walker) with me, as a former Halifax player, who won the Trophy with them.

"The fans will know exactly what type of player he was and how he competed on the pitch, and let me assure them, he's exactly the same in the dugout!

"So unless any of the current staff say they aren't able to continue, we won't be looking to bring anyone in, but of course, that could change."

Lakeland says Town fans can expect a team that's "hard-working, honest and organised".

"I want us to be able to play good football, but sometimes we might have to adapt and be a bit different," he said.

"I think if there's probably two things we need to try and improve on from last season it's the form at The Shay, and hopefully goal return.

"If we can improve, even just a little bit, in those two areas, then it'll maybe make a difference on where we could potentially finish.

"But we've got a lot of hard work to do."

Town's first pre-season friendly is at Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday, July 5 while the new National League season starts on Saturday, August 9.

"There's a lot of work to do but we'll be as ready as we possibly can be," Lakeland said.

Read more from the Town manager on the Courier website tomorrow.