REDS BOSSES are ensuring that their club is primed to take on the challenges of the new season after a turbulent and often frustrating year at Borough Park.

Steven Rudd is currently running the ship at Workington AFC after the departure of former boss Danny Grainger.

Rudd served as assistant manager under Grainger before the former Carlisle United skipper departed to take up an assistant coach role at Falkirk.

Rudd shed some light on how pre-season is going for Reds under his stewardship: “It’s been good it came as a surprise at the time, I didn’t expect it all but that’s football these things happen and we’ve got to make the best of it we can while the club gets sorted.”

Rudd said: “It’s been a good challenge for me personally, it’s a good experience.”

Workington picked up a win in pre-season against Penrith AFC on Saturday under Rudd’s guidance.

He said: “It was a good game that’s what you want in pre season, you want them to be realistic and competitive.”

The board are currently in discussion with candidates for the vacant First Team manager role. Chairman Dave Bowden said: “We’ve had a high calibre of applicants across a diverse range of experience.

“We’ve just drawn up a shortlist to look at what the best fit is for our profile. Because we do have a profile of how we want the club to progress.”

For Rudd, it is all about staying focussed and preparing for the August 14 return of the league.

“We’ve done everything we can to be as ready as we can. Come August 14 we’ll be ready to go whoever’s in the dugout.

He said: “There doesn’t need to be massive changes we’ve been quite successful for a while.”

Rudd hopes to see everyone at Borough Park working together from players to kitchen staff.

“If we’ve got everybody pulling together it makes you a lot more powerful.”