PAUL Cox will shuffle his pack and take a look at some different players as Barrow AFC take on Lancaster City tonight.

The Bluebirds travel to Giant Axe for their latest pre-season match-up, with only a week-and-a-half to go before the start of the National League season (7.45pm kick-off).

All of Barrow’s remaining three friendlies are away from home against lower-league opposition – with trips to Stockport County and Witton Albion to come – as Cox finalises his plans for the campaign.

The likes of David Fitzpatrick – an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest Under-23s on Saturday – Bradley Bauress –who came off the bench late on – Liam Hughes, Thierry Audel and Richie Bennett – all not involved at the weekend – are set for bigger roles as Cox makes sure everyone is given significant game-time.

The Barrow manager is starting to weigh up which players will feature for his side when the season starts, having had a good look at various tactics and formations over the past two-and-a-half weeks.

He said: “In terms of the shape of the side, we have played two different systems now, 4-4-2 and 3-5-2. Having the personnel who fit the criteria for those formations has to be taken into consideration.

“Realistically, I’m looking for people who have a desire to want to be a winner, to want to win things. I’m still learning about the squad as individuals. The best individuals will always play, and the best group will always play.

“My understanding and my learning in the next two weeks is to put the jigsaw puzzle together that will get us consistent results.

“Some of the boys will play 90 minutes on Tuesday and will be given – as everyone has in pre-season – the game-time to really push their cause.”

With no new signings made in the past week-and-a-half, since defender Thierry Audel arrived at Holker Street, Cox will head to Giant Axe with 16 contracted players.

Of those, strike duo Byron Harrison and Dan Cockerline are both sidelined – the former for up to two months following ankle surgery and the latter as he continues his comeback from a knee operation.

That would appear to leave Bennett, Harry Panayiotou and Jordan White competing for the two attacking roles, though Cox did not rule out the possibility of other players coming into that equation.

“I never say never about bringing another striker in,” Cox said when asked about his three forwards. “The remit for me to be at this club, is that this club need to go forward. I don’t want us to sit around, and be mediocre and mid-table. I’m a person who wants to improve – I want to improve this club, and to improve this team we need extra bodies coming in and we need more quality.

“This league will be tougher. We finished seventh last year, so, for me, to improve we have to finish higher than that. To do that, we need adding to.”