Luke Turner talks pre-season…
The European Championship`s are over and we can now all look ahead to another season following Blues at both St Andrews and across the country.
Gary Rowett`s side are back from their pre-season training camp in Marbella and face local club Solihull Moors tomorrow evening.
It remains to be seen how Rowett will approach this friendly fixture and what he wants to get out of the game.
The obvious match fitness is one priority but there are other things that he will feel need to happen to help aid his season preparation.
Relationships need to be built and fringe players have to make an impression to show Rowett that he doesn’t need to go out and sign someone else.
Something that I would concentrate on is getting that perfect midfield combination. Signing Robert Tesche permanently has given the manager a big but pleasant problem.
He needs to find a way of getting Tesche into the side and my main thought is that he will be paired with Maikel Kieftenbeld.
It may seem harsh on Stephen Gleeson but I think that Tesche and Kieftenbeld could work perfectly together so using these pre-season games to build that partnership seems ideal.
Michael Morrison and Ryan Shotton are likely to be paired at centre back together and they already have some understanding of each other’s game due to Shotton`s loan period last season.
Consolidating that relationship is key as they are both likely to play most of the season together and the understanding needs to be there.
Then there are the fringe players who need game time to impress Rowett and his coaching staff.
The likes of Andy Shinnie, Koby Arthur and David Davis will be keen to show that they still have huge roles to play at the club and can be the ones to make a difference.
Then, it is up to Rowett to decide if he believes that they will play a big enough role and can, in fact, make a difference. If not, then there will be the possibility of shipping them out on loan.
Of course, getting positive results in pre-season is always nice but we all know that the results count for nothing and it`s the preparation that is the key.
Building those relationships, finding the perfect combinations and getting up to match sharpness is what Gary Rowett will be focused on.