Dundee United boss Robbie Neilson admits he was happy with the squad’s fitness levels when he took over at the club – but he was still determined to increase the sharpness and intensity of training.
As he settled into his new job, the 38-year-old was quick to run his eye over the stats relating to the squad’s fitness and although pleased with what he discovered, he was keen to implement his own ideas to put the spark back into the team.
It has reaped benefits already with the previously struggling Tangerines taking four points from his first two games in charge with Neilson looking for the unbeaten run to continue against Dunfermline at East End Park on Saturday.
The former defender said: “We have just been trying to get the intensity up in training a wee bit.
“When I came in, I looked at all the data at what they had done previously and what I felt I would try to implement because I have different ideas about what to do.
“I just felt we needed to do something a wee bit different to try to get a spark in the team and get enjoyment.
“So I have been trying to focus on that.
“What you want to do when you come in is work them really, really hard to get them as fit as you can as quick as you can.
“But you also have to realise where their base is so you can minimise injuries.
“We have been pretty lucky with that with only Paul Watson getting a wee tweak in his thigh last week.
“So we have managed to push them quite hard.
“The base was good, it was fine and I was quite happy with it but I just wanted to bring a bit more intensity to training to make it shorter and sharper.
“Every manager is different and wants to do different things but ultimately it is results that you are judged on.”
Neilson admitted he has also had to tread carefully with players who have only recently returned from long-term injuries such as skipper Fraser Fyvie, Sam Stanton, Nicky Clark, Billy King, Callum Booth and Stewart Murdoch.
The manager is delighted to have them available but he believes it may take them a few more games before they are back to their best and firing on all cylinders.
Neilson added: “We’ve got Booth, Murdoch to an extent, Fyvie, Stanton, Clark and King so quite a lot of the team actually that are coming back from longer-term injuries.
“So for Fraser to get 90 minutes on Saturday was massive for him and he came back in to training this week still feeling good which bodes well for the rest of the season if he can continue that.
“Sometimes it takes six or seven games or maybe longer to really get back to the top level. Even guys like Stanton who have been out for six or eight weeks, it still takes time but we can see them starting to get there.
“And with the standard of the training you can see them getting fitter, getting sharper which will help us all.”
