While pre-season is never really a time that most footballers enjoy, Iron goalkeeper Sam Slocombe stated that it’s something that the squad will get on with.
The United players were back for pre-season testing on Tuesday and will return for full pre-season training on 3 July, two months since the end of last season.And Slocombe was glad to see all of his fellow teammates in good condition following several weeks off.
“Being a goalkeeper, I’m never really fond of running around but you’ve got to do it,” he told The Iron Player.
“It happens every year and it’s just a way of testing that everyone’s going to come back in a weeks’ time in great condition and having seen what’s gone on out on the field, I’ve got no doubt that that’s the case.
“The gaffer had a level that he wanted us all to hit in the yo-yo test and from my understanding we all surpassed that so that’s the main thing.
“Looking around the changing room, there’s nobody that’s had too good a summer!
“It’s a case now of getting enough fitness in the legs for pre-season and a base for the whole season but not enough that we burn out after Christmas.
“Last year we really had that balance spot on and I think that it’ll definitely be the same again this year.”
With the general emphasis usually on rebuilding fitness levels during pre-season, it’s often a while before players start with ball work once again but Slocombe stated that the way football has developed over the years means that ball work will often commence much earlier nowadays.
And the glove man has also been excited with the signings made by the club and thinks both of the new additions will only benefit the team.
“You’ve got to put a base down of fitness so there will be some days where you don’t touch a ball,” he continued.
“But with the way football has developed, there are a lot of people that don’t really believe in that anymore and I’m sure there will be a lot of ball work.
“There’s a blend of exciting explosiveness and experience with the new signings which can only benefit the team.
“We’ve played against Bish (Neal Bishop) a couple of times when he was at Notts County and his experience can only help the squad.
“I was here when Jennison (Myrie-Williams) came on trial and he was exciting to watch.
“He really looks to change things and it’s a different option with a lot of width and a lot of pace out there as well.”
It’s just over six weeks now until the beginning of the new season and Scunthorpe’s League One curtain raiser away at Swindon Town.
That will be followed by a midweek trip to face Blackburn Rovers in the first round of the Capital One Cup and Slocombe is hoping to continue the positivity of last year going forward into the next campaign.
He added: “You’re always looking for that first game whether you’re at home or away and if the fans are how they were last year then I’m sure a lot of them will travel down to Swindon.
“We were good on the road last year so let’s hope it stays the same.
“I’m still not a fan of how the Capital One Cup is seeded and drawn like that but it’s a great fixture for the club and I’ll be looking forward to that as much as the rest.
“We just hope we can put in a similar performance to how we did at Barnsley last year because I thought we were fantastic in that game and a bit unfortunate to go out on penalties.
“We have to be optimistic and continue the positivity of the performances we put in last year.
“There’s no reason why as long as we keep working as hard as we did last year and play the same football that we can’t be up there.
“I think the realistic part of it is we have to understand that it’s a very tough league and there are some big teams in there. You can’t really tell where you’ll end up until February or March time but hopefully we’ll be in the mix.”
See much more from Sam Slocombe on The Iron Player.