Jamie Clapham believes the pre-season period is a chance for some of the younger Sky Blues players to come to the fore...
First team coach Jamie Clapham has been overseeing the Sky Blues squad in pre-season training this week, as the League One season start edges ever closer.
The 23-man squad have had a morning fitness session and an afternoon technical session everyday, among tactical meetings with the club’s coaching staff and analyst team.
Clapham has been pleased with the groups progress in difficult conditions over in Austria, with temperatures reaching above 30 degrees on some days.
He said: “They have all come back in good shape, gone are the days where players come back really unfit and you have to put in a lot of ground work to get them back on track. We have a good group at the club and they are aware of the physical demands of the game.
“The first week of training itself is all built around fitness, but we try and include a football as well. The modern coach has to develop their approach towards pre-season, to be able to get the best out of their set of players. You need to get enjoyment out of the players, and most of the sessions will include a football to achieve that.”
The Sky Blues are set to face Austrian side Sk Sturm Graz on Saturday, with Clapham looking to some of the senior players to deliver an hours worth of competitive performance.
“I get excited about day one of pre-season, testing the lads. The season is three weeks away and I’m confident there will be a few more players through the door before we start.
“We’ll be looking to get certain individuals 60-70 minutes on Saturday, but we’ll try and get everyone involved. It is a real chance for some of the younger lads to make themselves known.”
Official CCFC tour sponsor: Andrew Whiting Wealth Consultancy LLP