Exeter aim to kick on after solid first block

IT'S a challenge for any football manager to maintain freshness amid the monotony of a nine-month, 46 league game season and Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell has opened up on how he is trying to keep things interesting at St James Park.

- STUART JAMES [e-mail]

The Grecians play the second of a seven-game 'block' at home to Port Vale today with the City boss pleased with the Grecians' points return from their first block of eight games. It could have been better, it could have been worse, but what he does say is that the Grecians came through that first block in good shape.

"This block is a seven game block with the Brentford (Premier League U21 Cup) game and Cardiff Vertu Trophy game in there, so we take them into consideration because they will be three game weeks, especially the Cardiff one," Caldwell said, with Cardiff in Devon on Tuesday.

"We basically try and give ourselves different ways to look at every game. We have points totals for every game and expected points totals for different categories within the season, so automatic promotion, playoff, mid-table and sustainability, or staying in League One.