Guiseley manager Steve Kittrick has left his squad in no doubt as to who is in charge ahead of their opening Skrill North match at home to Solihull Moors on Saturday.

The Lions boss was unhappy with the late arrival of some of his players due to traffic problems for last Saturday’s final pre-season friendly at Farsley, which Guiseley lost 1-0.

Kittrick, whose pre-match preparations and the choice of his starting XI were compromised, said: “It does not help when five or six of your players turn up late due to whatever, and I am just fed up with it.

“It has happened before and it will not happen again. It just unbalances everything, and some of the effort that went in was pathetic.

“They have to get their fingers out because they are not going to kill me, they are going to kill themselves.

“I was hoping to begin with my starting XI for the Solihull game, but I will tell the players they have to leave an hour earlier, whether they are sat in Guiseley having a cup of coffee or Farsley having a cup of coffee.

“They have a duty, it is their job and they are getting well paid and they should be here at half past one, and there are no excuses.”

As for the match at Throstle Nest, Kittrick said: “We totally controlled the first half and had five or six chances and didn’t score, and we gave them a chance in the second half and they scored.

“But the second half was a bit of a non-event for me. Normally you would not make as many changes , and I have learnt about three or four of them.

“They are not doing what they have been asked to do and I have told them to look at themselves and get themselves sorted out, otherwise they won’t be in the side.

“I would rather have someone on no money with no reputation who wants to prove something at this club and has hunger.

“As for four of them that went on at half-time, my lad has more hunger at 14, and he is 6ft 1in and plays rugby – he doesn’t like football, so that tells you!”

Kittrick exempted Adam Priestley and James Burgess from his criticism, however, he added: “Adam has got himself into some great areas and on another day he will score goals but he is one of the plusses.

“James beats himself up because he wants to get on the end of things and score, but he roughs people up, he is direct, he is young and he will learn, and the big thing is they want to be at Guiseley.

“Jake Scott and Pottsy (Michael Potts) were tremendous in the first half.”

Scott, 19, and Potts, 21, are two of the five signings the Lions have made in the past week.

Former York City midfielder Potts, who has also had spells at Manchester United and Black- burn, has been on trial at Nethermoor, and joining him at Guiseley is fellow midfielder Scott, who is on a rolling youth loan from Barnsley.