FORMER Reds favourite David Farrell is set to return to the Valley - in a pre-season friendly with Barry Fry's Peterborough United.

The Division Two side and their larger-than-life manager Barry Fry will take on the Reds on Saturday, July 20, and assistant manager Gary Whild said the club had approached two other league clubs for friendlies.

But although the club are planning for next season, Whild said there was no excuse for the players to repeat their recent performances.

"We have to see a 200 per cent improvement on Saturday," said the Redditch assistant, who took charge of the team with coach Kim Casey at the weekend while manager Rod Brown was on holiday.

"The games against Warwick and Bilston were poor performances against poor opposition.

"It's difficult because we haven't got enough players to shake things up and the players know they are here until the end of the season."