First-Team Coach pleased with the shape of Derby's squad after their third pre-season test.
First Team Coach Paul Simpson was pleased to see Derby County continue their unbeaten run in pre-season with a 2-1 win at Nuneaton Town on Tuesday evening, as well as step up their fitness levels.
Second half strikes from Jamie Ward and Mason Bennett handed Derby their second win in three pre-season matches against the Conference outfit, who pulled a goal back late on as the Rams conceded their first pre-season goal.
After giving the majority of the squad 45 minutes apiece in the opening friendly matches at Matlock Town and Ilkeston FC last week, six players from the side that started at Nuneaton got 60 minutes under their belts.
Will Hughes, Jeff Hendrick, John Eustace, Richard Keogh and Simon Dawkins all played their first pre-season games of the summer against Nuneaton, and Simpson is pleased with the general fitness of the squad as Derby's 2014/15 preparations continue to gather pace.
He told Rams Player: “Like the two previous games against Matlock and Ilkeston, Nuneaton gave us a good workout.
“It’s obvious what we’re trying to do; we are working towards players getting 90 minutes under their belts.
“We had some players that played 45 minutes and some got 60 and it’s all about edging them towards the goal of 90 minutes.
“It was great to give the likes of Hughes, Eustace, Keogh, Hendrick and Dawkins their first pre-season games and they looked good, fit and strong.
“We just need to keep building their fitness up towards the first game of the season on 9th August against Rotherham United.
“It’s not a case of them peaking on that day in terms of fitness, but being fit enough for that game.”
On Derby’s goals against Nuneaton, Simpson said: “We were pleased with both goals.
"Wardy fired the ball into an area where it can wrong-foot the goalkeeper, which we speak about quite a bit, and Mason Bennett’s was a brilliant header after a great leap.”
Another pleasing aspect for Simpson was how Derby’s players handled the game against Nuneaton after what he described as a ‘tough’ training session on Tuesday morning.
Going into the game with tired legs was another test for Derby’s players to overcome, which he believes will benefit the squad in the coming weeks and months.
He said: “We’re testing them right the way through pre-season.
“They went into the game tired after a tough session on Tuesday morning, which doesn’t normally happen in the season.
“What we are trying to do is get them to that state of tiredness so they concentrate, because we know when players are tired and fatigued that is when mistakes can creep in.
“Therefore we wanted them going into the game with a level of fatigue and test their concentration levels.
“We make no apologies for the tired legs, they have to get through that and learn to deal with the tiredness and concentrate.
“It can be a mental challenge as well and they came through it very well.”
He added: “It is an intense period, pre-season always is, but the lads are doing really well.
“They are working hard and the games are coming thick and fast.”
Watch Paul Simpson’s full post-match interview on Rams Player.
