After having the players back on the training ground for two days, United boss Graham Alexander is relishing what is to come.
He also praised his squad for the condition in which they returned following seven weeks away from the club - a benefit which has allowed the team to get straight on with their pre-season schedule."It's been brilliant," he told The Iron PlayerHD.
"The first day was mainly testing so we didn't have much to do with them in terms of the coaching staff. We've been out on Wednesday and got a bit of football into them which was of a very good standard.
"The lads look in good shape and I'm really pleased with how they've returned. It's only the start of pre-season but it's vital that we get to work straight away and set the standards that we expect to be kept through the season.
"Players are intelligent now and know they have to come back at a certain level of fitness. We've been really pleased with how they've come back."
The first full day of training saw torrential rain fall at the club's training ground and it was something the players relished after being put through their paces with testing including the yo-yo IR1.
"When I was a player, I could run all day in the rain, but the sun killed me," he stated.
"I can't quite remember a first day being like that - so torrential and cold as well. I'm sure the players prefer it like that but the coaching staff prefer the sun to get a bit of a tan.
"The work was done and it was a mix of football and the physical stuff and the players hit the standard that we wanted.
"There are no shortcuts to getting fit. You have to run hard and then run a little bit more."
See much more from Graham Alexander, along with the reaction from Conor Townsend, Murray Wallace and Scott Wiseman on The Iron PlayerHD.
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