Barnet playmaker Ricky Holmes is hoping to step up to the plate next season after the departure of top scorer Izale McLeod.
Bees playmaker confident McLeod exit can be covered
Barnet playmaker Ricky Holmes is hoping to step up to the plate next season after the departure of top scorer Izale McLeod.
The Bees narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the 2011/12 campaign, with McLeod's tally of 18 goals making a huge difference.
However, Holmes believes that the return to fitness of the experienced Steve Kabba will help to fill the void this term.
"Izale's goals were one of the main reasons why we are going to be playing League Two football again this season," he told
Sky Sports.
"He got 20-plus goals and that in any team will either keep you alive or allow you to push for promotion.
"We need to fill those boots, obviously, but hopefully I can chip in with a few more and also if Kabbs can stay fit then I'm sure he will help boost the tally too.
"It is a bit of a worry because a team becomes friends during the course of the season and then it is broken up during the summer, but I'm sure the gaffer will be able to bring new boys in and get us going again."
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Holmes netted ten times last season, but believes a change of position would allow him to increase his contribution this year.
He added: "I think that my best position is just behind the strikers and I did really well in that position behind Izale last season before I was switched on to the wing.
"I don't mind playing out wide because as long as I'm in the team I'll be happy, but I definitely prefer playing through the middle, as it allows me to get more involved.
"I netted something like nine goals in 18 appearances in my favoured position, so that shows how well I did in that role and hopefully the new gaffer will play me there too.
"I set a target of getting into double figures because I had a bad injury the year before and wanted to hit the ground running again in terms of goals.
"I managed to get ten and if I had been used down the middle more I probably would have got more, but the previous gaffer wanted me on the wing to provide goals, so all in all ten was a decent tally."
