There may be still some way to go until the 2014-15 Scottish football season is done and dusted but Dundee boss Paul Hartley is already working hard behind the scenes planning for the next campaign.
The manager has revealed he is considering several potential bases for a pre-season training camp with last summer’s destination of Budapest in pole position to be selected.
One of the players who will be joining the Dark Blues for this year’s trip abroad will be Falkirk’s Rory Loy who has signed a pre-contract with Dundee.
Hartley is may try to add others but when asked if there was anything imminent, he said: “Nothing at all. We are just working away and looking at next season.
“We are looking at the squad, the preparation for pre-season and where we are going.
“We are also looking at what games we can get and how we are going to work.
“Like last year, we are looking to find a training camp abroad.
“I would go back to Hungary and it is probably our No.1 choice but we are just looking at all our options.
“We might have some games if we go somewhere else so that’s a possibility for us.
“We are speaking to some people just now.”
Hartley admitted that his side’s recent enforced break had been an incredibly frustrating time and he has had a hard balancing act to keep things ticking over before their next game against Aberdeen a week on Monday.
He added: “It is difficult because your preparation totally changes.
“In a normal working week, you end up with a game on the Saturday.
“But he haven’t had that and it has been hard.
“We just have to keep the players motivated and try to find a balance with how we train, how hard we work and what rest they require.
“We just have to prepare for the Aberdeen game a week on Monday.”