Sun, sweat and speeches on the agenda for MK Dons in Spain
The players will get to know each other a lot better while out in Spain
Paul Warne’s side will board the plane on Monday to head for the continent for a week of preparations, training and team-building as they look to shake off the disappointment of last season and get ready for the next.
In a bid to get to know each other and break down boundaries too, Warne will insist upon having his players make speeches in front of their team-mates to get them to have a deeper understanding of how they all tick.
And no-one will be exempt either.
“Everyone will do a talk in front of the group to explain the journeys they have been on,” Warne said. “I think the chairman is coming out, so I’ll ask him to do a talk about his life, his story. I think the more you know about people, the more of a relationship you can build.
“It helps you understand that how you see the world isn’t like everyone else. It’s a nice way for everyone to get to know each other. And it also shows them what our non-negotiables are, on and off the pitch.
“We go away so they can get to know each other. When you’re away, you’re there all day, doing meetings, talks, but when they have time off, they can sit by the pool and get to know each other. When you come back from the trip, I want the players to know their team-mates. It’s essential to success.”
The side broke the back of their pre-season training last week at Woughton, with Warne putting his charges through their paces and building their base fitness ahead of a busy schedule in the run up to the opening game.
“In the first week of pre-season, the players are just trying to survive,” said the head coach. “The lads coming back have returned in unbelievable nick. My reputation precedes me a little bit, and I did warn them, but they’ve looked after themselves over the summer.
“The new lads have joined the group, and everyone is just concentrating on breathing and standing up.
“I love pre-season, I loved it as a player too but the manager is the most disliked person in the staff. In pre-season, you’ve not dropped anyone, upset anyone, you’ve not let anyone down! It’s a lovely place to be as a manager for the training, the trips, and the excitement of what’s to come.
“And then when the season kicks off, the anxiety is palpable. If you win the first game you won’t go up, if you lose it you won’t go down. I look forward to seeing us develop in the games, develop as a squad, that bit excites me.”