WATCHING the Euros has got the juices flowing for City’s return to action.
The Bantams are back at Apperley Bridge on Monday to kick off seven weeks of pre-season preparations.
And Graham Alexander reckons the wall-to-wall Euros coverage from Germany has helped get the players in the mood again after their lengthy time away.
“I think it adds a bit of excitement,” said the City boss.
“You get to the end of a season after 50-odd games and it can drain you as a player and a coach.
READ MORE: Longer pre-season can build up City strength
“But I always find that after three or four weeks, you start itching to get back out there.
“When there’s a tournament on TV, it just whets the appetite.
“You see a bit of skill, some good defending, a good goal, and those feelings that have been lying dormant start to stir again.
“You start thinking of yourself in that situation, taking the shot or making a save. That’s where it starts building up.
“I think it’s a good time for us to be coming back in. Everyone will be refreshed.
“They’ve all been away and enjoyed some quality time with their families.
“I think we’re all clear about the work we need to put in place to be successful this season.
“There isn’t a player in that squad who hasn’t got an ambition to help us achieve that.”
Day one will be focused on testing each member of the squad to see where they are at fitness-wise – and how well they have kept to their off-season programmes.
The players have been split into three groups for their return rather than arriving all together.
Alexander added: “It means we can be a little bit more hands-on with individuals to start with so we can assess them a bit easier in groups of eight rather than the full squad.
“I said to the players at the end of last season that we know the work that needs to be done and the levels we need to get at.
“The players dictate how quickly we can reach those.
“It’s how they have looked after themselves in the summer and how stringent they have been with their off-season programme.
“We want them to relax and rest and recuperate. But you can never switch off from your professional life.
“It’s always going to be there.
“They will come back and then we can assess what work we have to put in. Ultimately, it’s about getting the whole squad fit and ready for the season.
City have been off since beating Newport on April 27 (Image: Thomas Gadd)
“There will be lads at different levels when they come back.
“That will be the case even if they are all in tip-top shape because they’re all different athletes.
“We’ve just got to work around what we feel each individual needs. There might be a little bit more for certain players and less for others.
“I’ll probably say that I’ll taper it in to the second, third and fourth week. But if you ask the players, they’ll tell you we’ve gone hell for leather right from the start!”
But Alexander has warned there will be no short-cuts in building up to the League Two kick-off on August 10.
“That’s what I realised many, many years ago as a player.
“There’s no magic pill or a wishing well that you can drop a penny in and it just happens. You have to put the work in.
“The players will be ready after a really good break.
“They’ve certainly had long enough to decompress from the season before and time to work towards being at a good level to come into pre-season.
“We know the work we’ve got in place and the level will be dictated to by the way the players come back.”
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