UNITED boss Martin Ling has fixed on eight positions for his starting line-up in the opening game of the season, when Leicester visit Plainmoor in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday night.
It is an equation that leaves three spaces up for grabs and the new boys have made an instant impression at TQ1, so there will not be any blind loyalty to the players from last season.
As soon as Leicester are out of the way, the Gulls travel to Fleetwood for the opening game of the League 2 season and it will be horses for courses, although the situation is blurred by training-ground injuries to Danny Stevens and Lloyd Macklin.
“I have narrowed it down to about 14 names and the 11 will come from that,” said Martin. “I have eight positions that I know and there are three positions still up for grabs.
“There have been some good performances over pre-season, both by the lads that were here previously and the new boys.
“People like Tom Cruise has come in and been excellent, Craig Easton has been excellent, and so have [Michael] Poke and [Aaron] Downes. The four I’ve not known before are putting pressure on other people.
“Loyalty is a strange thing and the lads did do well last year, but the team will be picked on what I feel will be the best side to beat Leicester, and then the best team to beat Fleetwood. If that means a couple of the lads from last year are left out, then so be it.”