Paul Hartley says Cove Rangers are working hard to bolster their squad in time for the start of the League One season.
The Aberdeen side followed up their 5-0 defeat to Spartans in Premier Sports Cup Group E with a 1-1 draw at Forfar Athletic on Saturday.
They missed out on a bonus point in the shootout against the Loons but Hartley was encouraged by his side’s display ahead of Tuesday’s visit of Livingston to Balmoral Stadium.
The Cove boss is hopeful of adding to his side before his side’s opening league game against Annan Athletic a week on Saturday.
He said: “We are working hard really hard to get a few in.
“We want to try to get the majority of the squad in before the league season starts a week on Saturday.
“It is never easy.
“Hopefully the loan market will help us.
“I still think we are five or six players short of where we should be. It is trying to get the right ones in which is easier said than done.”
On Saturday’s display against Forfar, Hartley said: “I was very happy with the performance as we played much better than we did on Tuesday night (against Spartans).
“There was a lot of good stuff, we just needed to be a bit more clinical.
“I was happy with the chances we created and the work-rate from the players.
“The attitude was much better.
“It is early days and we are trying to get ourselves up to speed.
“We are still short of players but the performance against Forfar was much better.”
Difficult encounter expected
Hartley anticipates a tougher test against a Livingston side which finished bottom of the Premiership last season and are now plotting a way back to the top flight.
The Cove boss reckons it will be a good challenge for his players with the start of the League One season on the horizon.
He added: “It will be a very good test for us.
“They are well organised.
“There have been a lot of changes to their squad from last season.
“We will be expecting a tough game but it is a good game for the lads in terms of getting more minutes and well tested.
“We are looking forward to it and we are hoping to produce another good performance to get more confidence into the group.”
Hartley believes there are advantages and disadvantages to the current set-up of the League Cup with the group stage played before the start of the league campaign.
He added: “This is a good competition for getting minutes but it is never straightforward.
“You are never ready to go into games in the middle of July.
“It is a quick turnaround to get games in.
“It has plus points and negatives.
“People expect you to win games straightaway but it’s never as easy as that.
“Look at the results at the weekend with Kelty Hearts beating Hibs.
“Teams aren’t up to speed yet.
“Long gone are the days when you had until the first week of August to get really prepared and match-fit.
“You had so many more pre-season games.
“Now you are having to turn it around in two-and-a-half weeks before your first competitive game.”