Dundee United have jetted off to Spain for a preseason training camp – but let me tell you, it will be no holiday.
I went on a trip with Dundee to Italy when the Bonetti brothers took over. It’s a really good way to get away and train together.
But they can be really tough.
Gruelling sessions lie in wait
We went through a lot of gruelling sessions and I imagine it is going to be the same with United.
There will be a chance for players to bond and Jack Ross will allow them time together.
There will also be a lot of hard work being done to get them into shape for the season.
🏨 We’ve arrived in Marbella
🇪🇸 | #UnitedInPursuit pic.twitter.com/oxdF6vxc0U
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) July 10, 2022
The whole idea behind it is to get the team in to a different environment and something new that keeps them sharp.
Preseason can be monotonous, especially when you are training in the same place. It makes something that’s usually dreaded just that little bit more appealing.
When we went to Italy, our hotel was in the mountains. We were there for about three weeks.
Getting to work 🫵
🇪🇸 | #UnitedInPursuit pic.twitter.com/M1sLk0GZ00
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) July 11, 2022
It was really tough because we were in the middle of nowhere and the only thing to do was train. It was good to get away though.
We were eating whatever the managers had. We weren’t allowed to order, whatever came out we ate. It was really strict.
These training camps are certainly no sunshine retreat!
Credit to Asghar for Levitt and Fletcher signings
The trip will be a good chance for Steven Fletcher to get to know his new teammates well.
He is terrific signing. Fair play to Tony Asghar for getting his signature and that of Dylan Levitt.
I really didn’t think they were going to be able to sign Levitt a few weeks ago. I thought it would have been too much of an ask and thought he’d have maybe went to a championship team down south.
It shows how ambitious United are and where they want to go.
It should be a real positive sign for the fans that they are going out and signing these sorts of players.
Fletcher, meanwhile, is a proven goalscorer at a top level. He was still playing regularly last season.
He’s a huge signing for me.
It shows they are wanting to improve last year and there is no doubt about it they need to do that.
Jack Ross has said himself that they need more strength in depth.
With the likes of Benjamin Siegrist leaving, that’s a big position for them to fill.
The vacant No.1 spot is an interesting one. Mark Birighitti has come to the fore after their interest in Zander Clark seems to have stalled.
The Clark move could still happen though.
Any club should have half a dozen targets for the positions they want to fill, which is the right way to go about it.
It was almost getting to that stage with Levitt where I thought the deal was done and dusted and he wouldn’t be coming.
They obviously kept plugging away and that might be the same situation with Zander Clark. They keep their options open for other people but keep working away in the background.
If you want to get better, you need to get the best players in but you also have to spend the money. It looks like they are planning on doing just that.
From St Andrews to Spain: What to expect from Dundee United training camp
Conversation