Head coach Steve Cooper says Nottingham Forest are “on track” for building up their fitness levels ready for the Premier League.
After a 23-year absence, the Reds have little more than two weeks to go before their top-flight return. And they are aware they will have to cope with a step up in intensity levels from the Championship.
Preparations started with a hard, week-long training camp in Spain, while Cooper’s side have played three friendlies so far - the most recent, a 0-0 draw at Barnsley on Saturday. They have four more to go before their opening fixture at Newcastle United on August 6, starting with a game against Hertha Berlin at Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium this evening (7pm kick-off).
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“There’s no doubt that we’ve got to be ready for the intensity of the Premier League. We are only a few weeks in, so we’ve hit the boys hard, which was part of the plan,” Cooper said.
“We’re right on plan, in terms of where we want to be physically. What we are doing is committing to a real detailed pre-season plan, in what we feel will give us the best chance in being ready. That includes match minutes and loading, and it includes integrating new players into the team.
“We’re happy, we’re enjoying ourselves, but working hard. It’s an elite environment, a demanding one, and we’ve got to keep trying to move forward.
“We feel like we are making progress. We feel like we are making forward steps.
“Pre-season is a process. It’s a phase, you take it day by day.
“We’ve got the obvious process of integrating new players as well. Training and games are part of that process.
“We keep taking it day by day, taking each day as it comes, and looking to make good steps forward. Sometimes making steps forward is by some moments in games where we’ll probably fall short, in terms of technical and tactical levels, because that allows us to learn and to get better.”
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