Karl Robinson will take his Charlton Athletic players back to an old stomping ground in a bid to get them fully charged for next season's League One promotion assault.
The Addicks boss will take his men to Portmarnock in Ireland, a haunt he used consistently while in charge at MK Dons.
I don't think the players had a proper pre-season last summer because of everything that was going on with the club and everything will be arranged down to the last detail," he said.
"We must all work together as a group, and that includes having motivated players, motivated management and backroom staff.
"We need to finish this season strongly and every game is an audition. The players have to show me they want to be here and then we will work in pre-season on every factor, such as controlling how much rest and recuperation they get."
Robinson wants at least nine friendlies and he intends on getting the players as fit and prepared as they can possibly be.
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Comments
I say this every season but I'd like to think we will do our business quickly this summer - ie as soon as the season finishes. I jsut think it's so important for players to know where they will be for the coming season and can be making plans rather than enjoying a 3 or 4 week blast in the sun and then thinking about it. We want to get the hop on our competitors and get in there early so I really hope there is a lot of donkey work going on already behind the scenes.....but I won't hold my breath
Either way, the fitness of the players this season has been pathetic, and an easy "win" for next season
"At MKD we used to do this..at MKD we had this player...at MKD we tried..."
Going to Ireland ?
That's a new one.
Keep smilin
Next they'll have the players training with a ball and working on set pieces.
Seriously, it's good news but only what every normal club does. That is is considered so "different" is damning especially as I seem to remember that the trip to Austria under Slade was greeted with the same response.
Lots of players have got injured this year and that was in part due to the vacuum left after Riga and the fitness staff left at the end of last season without being replaced.
But lots of players like Page and Magennis didn't have their pre-season with us and were still injured. Mavididi was another.
The head scout has left and as yet no replacement announced so who is leading on recruitment and will the bulk of the players be on the Ireland trip?
And for all the benefits of this trip MK Dons were relegated and then struggled in league 1 after pre-season there. Fitness can't be the be all and end all even if it is very important.
My presumption would be that Roland will pull back now from any further spending on the club. I also think he may keep Robinson in situ as well, even though our form under him doesn't really deserve him being kept around.
Although our squad in 2017-18 is likely to be reduced having people who are fit and less prone to injury can only be better.
Just as if you're going to sign many unproven players your scouting has to be spot on.
Or if you want your squad to be made up of a lot of young players it's important they have the manager, coaches and senior players to guide and develop them.
RD wanted all of those things yet put unproven coaches in charge, working alongside their own unproven assistants and staff. Add regular sackings and you can see why we've done so badly.