Some Exeter players 'aren't ready for League Two' - Taylor

Matt Taylor was appointed Exeter manager for a second time in March of this year [Getty Images] Exeter City manager Matt Taylor says half of his squad are "not League Two footballers" as he prepares for the new season. The Grecians were relegated from League One last season and have seen a number of experienced players, such as former captain Pierce Sweeney and Ilmari Niskanen, leave. The club needed loans from owners Exeter City Supporters' Trust worth around £600,000 last year in order to remain solvent after an overspend in the 2024-25 season. The playing budget has been reduced for this season, though chairman Will Walsh said last month that City are back on track financially. Taylor told BBC Radio Devon: "We are limited with what we can bring in. "Finances are so tight. The difficulty is apparent in relation to the level we are aspiring to and need to be to be competitive in League Two. "Too many within the squad aren't ready for that yet. You train with 20 players and eight to 10 of them at this moment in time are not League Two footballers. "We will invest in them and hopefully one day they will be Football League players. That's our current circumstances. "One thing I can guarantee is we have an honest squad who want to be here. The club needs a reset over months and years." Exeter begin the season with a Carabao Cup derby against Plymouth Argyle on Monday night before heading to Grimsby on Saturday 15 August. Listen to Exeter City content on BBC Sounds