KIDDERMINSTER Harriers will retain their trademark passing game with new boss Ian Britton but he is demanding a tougher mentality among his players.

With the start of pre-season training less than three weeks away, fans will wonder what kind of changes to expect under Britton.

But the former youth team chief believes it will be more a case of building on the work of his predecessor Jan Molby.

A rigid pre-season fitness programme, including infamous early-morning swimming, will be similar to past campaigns when the players report back on July 8.

Britton, however, believes he will bring a different management style when it comes to dealing with players.

And he hinted there could well be changes from the attacking 4-3-3 formation Molby adopted.

But Britton insisted: "We are not going to change our style of play, no matter what formation we might change to. We will always be a footballing side, rightly or wrongly.

"The players have played that way with Jan over the last two or three years and I'm not going to change it. But I might well tinker with the formation."

Britton is determined to create a tougher mental attitude among his players after too many points were thrown away in last season's failed play-off quest.

He explained: "We got ourselves into situations where we should have taken all the points but we didn't.

"Hopefully, we are going to get a bit tougher and that's something I certainly have to look at.

"I'm looking for the team to be tougher mentally. It showed last season in the games we lost. Perhaps certain players didn't take responsibility."

And Britton has insisted he will be very much his own man despite considerable time working under successful bosses Molby and Graham Allner.

He said: "I think I'm different to Jan and to Graham though similar in the way we want our teams to play.

"I have a different way of handling players perhaps. I've had experience of doing that and have been a manager a lot of my life, in football and a company environment."

Britton, who has inquired about a loan deal for a young Division One midfielder, should have a pre-season boost.

Experienced skipper Mark Blake will join in with some of the training after a career-threatening Achilles injury last season.

But the former England U-21s cap is still not expected to return to first-team action until October or November.