Gaffer reflects back on Fleetwood's week in Austria
Graham Alexander believes the Fleetwood Town players have shown a ‘first class’ attitude throughout their week-long pre-season camp in Obertraun and insists the squad will return to England in a better position.The Fleetwood Town manager watched his side sign off their trip to Austria with a 2-1 win over FC Pinzgau – courtesy of goals from Jamie Allen and Jamie Proctor – in Bischofshofen on Friday evening.
The Fleetwood squad have completed three sessions of training a day across the week in the picturesque mountains of Obertraun and preparations will now turn to stepping up their pre-season schedule next week with fixtures against Skelmersdale United and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Assessing the Cod Army’s trip to Obertraun, Alexander said: “It’s been a great workout in both games. The Russian team (FC Terek Grozny) on Wednesday, we knew they were going to be very good, being a Russian Premier League team.
“I thought the lads did ever so well and last night we didn’t know the opponent all that well, but I thought they were a decent team and it was a good game for us.
“We were slightly apprehensive that it wouldn’t be as a big a test as we needed at this time, but it was and we saw some good stuff.
“Some of the lads got some valuable minutes under their belts, which is what it is about, and the attitudes shown by the lads have been first class.
“It’s the best environment I have seen for doing good work. You’re isolated, you can’t be distracted by anything and you can do up to three sessions a day.
“We had two training sessions before the game yesterday because it’s about testing the boys’ fitness levels, seeing if they can make the right decisions when they are tired. That’s what it’s all about.
“The facilities and the people at Obertraun really look after us and it is a fantastic place to work.
“We’ve really enjoyed the week, it’s been hard work I’m sure the players, but I think they have all come out of it the other end in a better position than they were seven or eight days ago.
“It’s vital that we use our team wisely and push the lads as far as they can go and sometimes further than they think they can go.
“We’re all trying to improve each other day in day out and Obertraun is a fantastic environment to do that and we have had a great week.”