JOINT-boss Ade Mander believes Bromsgrove Sporting are building a team capable of challenging for promotion in the Midland Combination Premier, despite losing all but a handful of players from last season.

Mander, who joined in the summer to work alongside Graham Scott, has been charged with building a squad capable of improving on last season’s sixth-place finish.

With only Elliott Nash and Chris Gleadow staying from the previous campaign, that task has been made more difficult.

The majority of last season’s squad have joined former boss Keith Draper and Earlswood, who are ironically groundsharing at the Rousler’s home.

Mander said: “I knew we had to strengthen but I didn’t realise that only two players from last season have stayed.

“It was a bigger job than I thought but Sporting is such a big club with great support and potential it’s a challenge.

“I came down to watch them a couple of times at the end of last season and I could hear the fans singing even when I was outside of the ground, which says it all.

“The squad is coming together, at this stage results in friendlies don’t matter as long as we’re seeing the team play come together.”

Sporting have brought in the likes of Jack Snape, Jake Bedford, Toby Checketts, Sam Wilkinson, Jake Brown, Seb Craven and Matt Poyner.

Midfielders Sam Beasley and Danny Priest have both joined but are currently out for up to month because of injuries.