PRE-SEASON is a pivotal time in the footballing calendar, where preparation is paramount and the tone is set for the season ahead.
The July time retreat that the majority of clubs now take part in is a common element of today's game. In fact, it is considered the norm for teams to pack up and ship out to foreign shores in order to carry out their most gruelling of periods, whilst benefiting from the all important team bonding.
Manager Aidy Boothroyd also has the self appointed task of overhauling Watford's style of play, so an intense period of planning is definitely what's required.
Following yet another demanding training session, Boothroyd laid out his plans for the season ahead. The disappointment of last season has matured into a far healthier emotion - one of ambition and determination.
The manager also outlined why pre-season tours are such a vital time: "At this time of year, there is always a lot of movement with players coming in and out. We've lost one already in Nathan Ellington and we need to be mindful of the fact that we are a club in transition, so some quality bonding time is needed like never before.
"We're looking to change our style of play so therefore we've got a lot of work to do on the pitch. We have to ensure that all of the preparation work that we need to do in order for this to happen, begins now.
"The grind of the Championship is such that you're playing two games a week, so this real hardcore, behind the scenes groundwork is absolutely imperative. Otherwise once the season begins, you soon get bogged down in the prepare/recover cycle that leaves little time for the complexities of completely revolutionising a style of play."
The benefits of carrying out the pre-season preparations away from the usual London Colney base means Boothroyd and his staff can have the full attentions of the squad, 24 hours a day.
"It's all about the change of environment and if you have the right facilities you can get the right results.
"If we were at home, we would be starting a lot later in order for allow the players and staff time to get through the rush hour traffic, cramming in meal times and then rushing back out again for the afternoon session.
"But here, the players are a captive audience and you can really crank up the intensity. I can speak to them and the staff individually and explain to them all in great detail what I will be expecting of them this season and what their roles will be."
So far out in Austria, there has been a healthy mix of hard work, down time and team meetings. The group met on the first night so that Boothroyd could set the targets along with his squad and to also look back over what lessons can be taken away from last season.
"I sat down with the players on our first day out here and I spoke about the last three years. I reminded them of how far we've come as a club and what we've achieved up to now.
"Of course success brings along its own problems. The higher the level you play at, the higher the calibre of player you need and that means you're paying bigger wages, to those who you bring in and to those who need rewarding. It also means that you lose a lot more of your squad when it comes to international fixtures and your best players tend to get poached by bigger clubs.
"We also spoke about last year, I told them what I thought and I didn't pull any punches. I'm as annoyed and disgruntled as any of them and every Watford supporter out there that we didn't get promoted, but there is no point in feeling sorry for ourselves. We have a new season to prepare for, a new way of playing, with far less resources.
"We have no time to dwell on past glories, nor near misses. We have a very challenging season ahead of us and we are focussing on winning."
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