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Neale Cooper met with the first team on Thursday - and was encouraged by the atmosphere within the camp.
"I had a brief word with them before we went down to the training ground up in the players’ lounge – nothing heavy – saying I was looking forward to the challenge ahead," he said.
"I saw some spirit there and that’s what I’d been told it was like here."
Pre-season isn't going to be a picnic for the players this year, that's for sure. Cooper will place the emphasis on possession and pressing the ball...when they eventually start on the ball work. But first, it's all about fitness.
"Another full week has been planned for fitness. And then the following week we will get the footballs out, " Cooper explained.
"Gone are the days where you used to get dropped in the middle of the country and they get you to run back to the stadium. A lot of work has been put into it these days at looking at mobility and power runs."
"I work a lot on two-touch in training, I like a team that presses and keeps possession of the ball. And to do all of those jobs you have to be a fit side."
Cooper previously stated that he'd be looking at a number of triallists, but that won't happen until the squad has finished its fitness work.
"I don’t want to bring people in on trial just to do some running."