Chesham United manager Andy Leese believes his side is well suited to enjoy a profitable 2016/17 campaign ahead of their Southern Premier Division opener against Redditch United.

The Generals finished last season in 20th position after a slump in league form which coincided with their impressive runs in various cup competitions.

Leese is eager to see an improved finish in the league and believes the new additions he has made to his squad will help Chesham prosper.

“You’re right to say we didn’t get the finish we wanted and we did want to be more competitive. Last season was a unique season in other ways and I was surprised that the league form struggled in the way it did,” he said.

“We like to think we will cope better this season and we can compete in the division with the help of the new signings we have made.

“The new players have big characters and we have selected them carefully to make sure they were the right people to bring in.”

One new addition will be goalkeeper Ashlee Jones who takes over from the long-serving Shane Gore.

Gore left Chesham after six-years of service but Leese feels Jones will provide the ideal level of experience to fill the hole he has left behind.

He said: “It was a big surprise for me [when Gore left] and we wanted to bring in a keeper who would be able to more than fill in for him.

“Ashlee has been in the professional game, is one of the keepers who has done really well in the lower leagues and has a lot of experience.

“It was a position we had to get right so we looked at four or five different options and we have opted for an experienced keeper at this level.”

Tomorrow’s match will see Chesham come up against a Redditch side which made the play-offs last season.

A summer of upheaval has seen new manager Darren Byfield come into the club after joining in May.

The changes add an air of unpredictability to United, but Leese is still expecting to come up against a competitive side on Saturday.

He said: “They have a lot of changes and getting a new manager is a big change. They have brought in new players as well.

“There new manager has a lot of experience in professional football, and has called upon a lot of favours to help him out I am sure, so they will be strong again.”