Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has emphasized the importance of patience as his squad continues to take shape ahead of the National League season kicking off on August 9.
The Glovers recently secured a 3-1 victory in their penultimate friendly match against Bath City. Following this, they are scheduled to face Weston-super-Mare after a midweek closed-door fixture against an unnamed Championship side. The squad featured new loan signing Byron Pendleton, who impressed during the recent Match for Marcus against Bristol Rovers.
Reflecting on the pre-season progress, Cooper said: “If you watched Byron on Saturday against Rovers, you saw his electric pace. He’s versatile, capable of playing right-back or wing-back. We’ve maintained consistency despite waiting for the club’s takeover to finalize. After engaging with the fans at the forum, I’ve committed to being patient and focusing on securing value for money — which remains our priority."
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Addressing concerns, he added, “I know some fans are anxious about the squad not being complete yet, but everything is under control. I always said we’d strengthen the squad with two or three loan players, and Byron is one of them. We might need to wait a little longer for our first-choice players, but we’re only talking about a couple more additions.”
Cooper described the current period as a “waiting game,” with around 25 quality free agents still seeking clubs, many aspiring to play in the Football League. “Not all will find teams, but we’re exploring opportunities for a few who could elevate our squad’s level,” he explained. “We currently have enough players to gain valuable game minutes.”
He made a heartfelt plea to supporters, urging them to stay realistic and calm. “We’ve had three or four owners in recent years, achieved promotion, and maintained our position in the National League. With a new owner now, we aim to move forward — and everything is on track. There’s no panic from us.”
In the weekend’s friendly against Bath City, goals by Morgan Williams, James Daly, and Josh Sims secured a 3-1 lead before Bath’s Will Jenkins Davies pulled one back late. Cooper praised the first half performance: “We were outstanding — energetic, powerful, and effective on the counter-attack, defending well. Being three goals up at halftime made it tough to keep that momentum as the opposition adjusted.”
He noted a drop in standards in the second half: “We lost some professionalism and didn’t maintain the first-half intensity, making the second half more open. But, as always, there’s lots to improve. Today we needed to win and make a statement with just two weeks left before the season.”