Elgin City assistant manager Gavin Price hopes the Betfred Cup group stage can speed up the gelling of the new-look Black and Whites squad.
City take on Premiership side St Johnstone at Borough Briggs today in the first of four group stage matches prior to the start of the League 2 campaign against Cowdenbeath on August 6.
Elgin manager Jim Weir has been quick to bolster his squad with eight additions to the squad that reached last season’s promotion play-offs.
Price reckons the early return to competitive action can help to prepare his side for the league campaign.
Price said: “The majority of the squad that was successful last season is still here and we feel we have made ourselves stronger in certain areas of the team.
“We are in a far healthier position than we were this time last year, so we are pleased from that point of view.
“It’s really about using the next four games to step it up another level. It gives us the opportunity to play different teams from different leagues.
“It almost becomes part of pre-season – most teams will see it like that. But when we’re playing competitive football it’s different, the stakes are obviously higher, so the new format gives us that before the start of the league campaign which is of the most importance to us.
“That’s not to say we will treat this League Cup section lightly – we want to spring a few surprises.”
Weir is taking part in an Ironman competition in Bolton this weekend and will miss today’s game against a Saints side he spent 13 years with as a player, much of which as captain.
That means Price, who also played for the Perth club, will take the team in his absence.
Price insists Weir will still have a strong influence on team selection, adding: “It’s a tough one for Jim. He was at St Johnstone for a lot longer than me and was captain for the best part of a decade.
“We’ve had a discussion about the game, as we do for all games, and we’ll both come to a decision on the team.”