Trend-bucking York City are to take an 'old' tack in the tilt to establish the club as a major Division Two force.

Manager Alan Little has stepped up his player search, and top of his shopping pile is experience.

And that flies in the face of lower League clubs expecting to opt for more and more youngsters to curb the impacts of the Bosman ruling, which is set to take effect for the first time this summer. Only yesterday Oldham boss Neil Warnock quit City's Second Division rivals, who have pledged to fall back on a youth brigade next season.

City manager Alan Little forecast many more clubs would go the same way.

But in the wake of confirming defender Neil Thompson as player-coach Little has targeted another injection of savvy. He declared the club needs 'generals' on the field if they are to manoeuvre a route from three seasons of under-achievement to a campaign of honour.

Said the City boss: "The developments at Oldham will become more the norm, but what I am looking for at York City for next season is experience.

"We need experience, full stop. We need generals on the field to work things out, players who are going to have an input."

Up front remains a priority for City. With Marco Gabbiadini released and the future of fellow striker Gary Bull clouded in doubt, the front-line amounts to last season's top scorer Rodney Rowe, his 1996-97 predecessor Neil Tolson, and 21-year-old Richard Cresswell.

Both Rowe and, because of injuries last term, Tolson, have only one full League campaign under their respective belts. Cresswell, meanwhile, has barely 50 starts to his name.

"The attack was very inconsistent last season and to be fair to the players it was an area that was never truly settled for a variety of reasons," added Little. "We definitely need experience up there."

Attracting know-how to City, however, will come at a price. And that could be the biggest test yet for Little and the City board as they may need to splash the cash to escape troubled waters.

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