First team coach Nick Daws has thoroughly enjoyed the pre-season trip to Austria and says the squad is in excellent condition as a result.
Speaking to iFollow Iron, Daws also previewed the clash against SV Austria Salzburg, which will be played on Friday (5pm kick-off UK time) and is our fourth friendly of pre-season.
With the new season getting underway a fortnight on Saturday, he says the work undertaken on the training camp and during pre-season so far bodes well.
ON HOW THE TRAINING CAMP IN AUSTRIA HAS BEEN…
ND: It’s gone really well. I think the bonus for this year is we’ve had nice weather. It’s been a mix at times, for example it rained during the first friendly game. As we saw last year, the environment is fantastic. I think the lads have really enjoyed it and we’ve got some really good work into them.
ON HOW THE PLAYERS HAVE FOUND IT…
ND: It’s been tough. The temperatures have been really high, which has made it more difficult for the players. Mentally, they've got the rest in at the right time. We’re really pleased with it all.
"I think the lads have really enjoyed it and we’ve got some really good work into them."
ON THE WIN OVER SK STROBL AND FRIDAY’S FRIENDLY…
ND: Tuesday night was a good test against a young side who threw a lot of things at us. They’re coached very well. For us, it was just what we needed. We kept a clean sheet and scored six goals, with six different scorers, which was great. We step it up with a tougher challenge against Salzburg on Friday and that’s the test we’re looking for.
ON THE TEST SALZBURG WILL POSE…
ND: They will come with a lot of momentum. From what we experienced last year when we were here, we expect them to be technically very good and physically strong. They will be looking forward to the challenge of playing ourselves and stepping things up for themselves too.
ON AUSTRIA FROM A COACH’S PERSPECTIVE…
ND: It’s a superb environment. We went up the mountain to '5 Fingers' yesterday and took some great photographs. It makes you realise the world is a big place and there is lots to see. I think you can come back here year on year and enjoy the training environment, but also the culture and environment that Austria provides.
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