FRANK Gray believes his new-look Basingstoke Town side are capable of pushing for Blue Square South honours this season.

The Camrose club get their new league campaign under way with a home game against Chelmsford City on Saturday – and manager Gray is looking forward to what he hopes will be a successful season.

“We need a bit of luck with regards to players staying fit, but if that happens, we will be looking to challenge in the top half of the table,” he said.

“We do not have a specific aim. We want to finish as high as possible and see where that takes us. If that is the play-offs, then fine. If it is top, then great.”

The pressure is certainly on Gray to deliver this season because, since he took over as manager in 2008, chairman Rafi Razzak has said that the club is working to a three-year plan.

Gray has managed to hit the targets set by the board in his first two years – but 2010-11 will provide him with his toughest test yet. A concerted play-off push is expected this time around, meaning that a dramatic improvement on last season’s points tally is required – but Gray is not worried.

“I do not think having the three-year plan is a bad thing because the chairman has backed me and given me the chance to bring in the players I wanted,” he said. “We have now got a strong squad that will be a match for most teams in the league.”

Gray’s summer acquisitions have seen him strengthen the spine of the team, bringing in a new goalkeeper in Chris Tardif, two centre-backs in Jay Gasson and Ross Adams, an experienced holding midfielder in Stuart Lake and a target man in New Zealand international Greg Draper.

In addition, Matt Pattison will be expected to unlock defences, either from the right-wing or in behind the strikers, while Nathan Smart provides cover on the right side.

“I am happy with the way the summer went in terms of bringing players in because we did it early, which meant we were not scratching around when it got to pre-season,” Gray said. “We had targets and were able to get most of them in.”

The Blue Square South looks to be very open this season. Woking, Havant and Waterlooville, Chelmsford and Dover are all expected to challenge but a number of other sides, including newcomers Dartford and Farnborough, will also be looking to force their way into contention.

Basingstoke looked capable of competing with the top sides in spells last season but will need to do this consistently if they are to challenge for honours.

Pre-season has been something of a mixed bag, with Town looking good against Aston Villa, Southampton and Reading but failing to hit top form against the likes of Deal Town and Alton Town. The good news is that they have won three out of four games at the Camrose – Basingstoke’s home form was a major problem last year, with only the bottom two clubs winning fewer games on their own ground.

That statistic will be something Gray is keen to address during the coming season – starting on Saturday, when Chelmsford travel to the Camrose (kick-off 3pm).

“Saturday’s result will not decide where either team finishes but it will be a good, tough test for us on the first day,” the Town boss said. “If we play to our potential, we will be a match for any team in the league.”

Gray expects to have a fully fit squad to pick from, while striker Draper will be able to play after receiving international clearance.

Basingstoke have tried a number of different formations throughout pre-season, with Gray suggesting that he will tailor it depending on the opposition.

However, the favoured formation seems to be 3-5-2 and it would be a surprise if Town do not line up in that shape on Saturday.