Testing time for the Bairns on their return to pre-season training and trip across the sea

The Bairns returned to pre-season a week ago, and the management and coaching staff utilised the sports scientists at Stirling University to assess the players on day two of pre-season training.

Missing on day one, which was a light session last Thursday at The Falkirk Stadium were Lee Miller, David McCracken, Tom Taiwo, Peter Grant and Craig Sibbald. However all have travelled to the Bairns’ Irish training camp at Johnstown in Enfield near Dublin.

Before they left the Bairns had double sessions at the Stadium on Monday and Tuesday and met Bray Wanderers at new Carlisle Park last night.

The testing will be revisited during the season to ensure the Bairns are, and remain, in the best possible shape for their Championship challenge.

“It gives us a base to work from,” explained the boss. “If it shows some people are lacking in specific areas then we work with those players needing conditioned.

“You can look at people and tell they’ve looked after themselves during the summer.

“They go through the yo-yo test, bleep test – both running tests, a hamstring test, standing jump test.

“We do it twice a season. We do it around the turn of the year and they’ll be retested on their body fat and their tests, but they know that and the players always look after themselves.

“Saturday we did a morning session, Sunday was off and Monday and Tuesday it was double sessions and it was off to Ireland [yesterday].

“It’s a great facility last year. Johnstown House. The players enjoyed it, we go for the right amount of days, there’s no boredom – it’s right on the outskirts of Dublin.

“There’s actually a European match on Thursday with Shamrock Rovers and Pat Fenlon is manager there, so we might head along to the game together.

“It’s good to get the new players interacting with the players who are already here, and we’ll take it on.”

The trip is not only a physical test for the players as they increase intensity ahead of the new season, it’s also a chance for the new players to integrate, and for the manager to assess how they handle themselves in a group commended throughout last season as a united squad.

“They get to know each other, and that’s where you form your camaraderie for the season,” added Houston.” That’s where you build the unity in the squad, and that’s something we have here – we had a lot of it last season. It’s up to the boys we’ve brought in to do that but they should be able to easily. That’s another first impression from day one - they have already.

“I noticed [the team bond] early on last season and that’s a reason I wanted to go back to Johnstown, from day one over there in our patterns of play and shaping up everyone has a responsibility and one thing about the team last season in the whole squad was they took their responsibilities on very well, and tried to build on it.

“Hopefully the players take it on board – if they don’t they won’t be in the team!”

Lewis Kidd, James Craigen, Liam Henderson and Luca Gasparotto have come in from last season, while the likes of Blair Alston, Graham Bowman and David Smith have moved.

“We have less numbers but what we have so far is more competition for first team places – guys I can rely on. If Muirhead was injured last season I had to play Vaulks at right back or even Blair Alston, and that’s not an ideal scenario, so Lewis Kidd, Liam Henderson and the other guys give competition to the other guys.

We have strength in depth, at centre back. Peter comes back in September, we have Luca, Paul Watson and David McCracken. That’s four for two spots now, we had two for two last season at times so that gives us more strength in depth in the first team squad.”

There are one or two niggly injuries. David McCracken’s had a cyst removed from the top of his head - so he’s off heading the ball for the time being. He’s walking around with a plaster on his head. Sibbs also missed the first day, he’s got a chest infection which he had towards the end of the season, so he’s being sent for tests and we want him at 100%. Tom taiwo’s ankle is still sore and he’s being scanned again but he has been doing some running. That’s three guys not quite back at it today, but we welcome some new blood to the club.

Lucaa, lewis, Liam henderson and James Craigen -- everyone has come back, we did a light session before testing at Stirling University.

Certainly at these stages before the testing, everyone has come back in good form.

Kidd knows a lot of our guys like Baird and Kerr, Craigen knows Muirhead from Thistle days -- they know one another but it helps them get to know each other a bit more and what we need to do is to get them up to speed on how we shape up, we’ll do a lot of shaping with them and patterns of play.

So they know the system and systems we like to play and they know their job.

The unity was storng last season and it has to be again this season.

We’re excited and looking forward

I’m taking Peter Grant, all the injured players they’re all going over to work together.

I think after a goalkeeper, my budget will be spent. Anyone else coming in would be for someone moving out, but there’s no-one in for our guys so that’s the way I’d like to keep it and I’ll go with what I’ve got.

If someone goes for a couple of hundred grand -- that’s not likely or imminent at the moment because there’s no interest in any players. It depends on the position, trust me there’s no-one sniffing about our players. I’ve heard the talk about Sibbald and Vaulks, but absolutely no questions have been asked about our players. That’s the way I’m happy to keep it.

Luca - I spoke to him at the end of the season. He wanted to come so it was easy to set up, but with him going over to Canada for the internationals we had to wait and wait on his release from Rangers to sort things, but it was in the bag a while ago. He came over we got the signing through and all done quickly. Lewis Kidd was done quickly too, Nathan was already here, James Craigen was fixed at Christmas and Liam henderson was done early too after Hearts released him I brought him in for training for ten days here. Six foot three, can play a number of positions, he’ll strengthen the squad.

Top of my agenda is again getting out this league and going one better than last year. The new format of the league cup is exciting, Im not against it at all but the 6th August is the main thing in my head I’m building towards. We spoke last season about getting a better start to the season before and this year we want to match it. The rest is history.

The league si going to be stronger - no respect to Livi or alloa but Dunfermline and Ayr will be stronger, but it’s up for grabs. Hibs will strengthen, Dunfermline will be tough to crack, Gary Locke and Gavin Skelton are new managers so it’s going to be tough.

I’m looking forward to start the season, Hibs had a cracking season and got the monkey off their back with the Scottish Cup and had a remarkable season getting to both national cup finals and finishing third so I’m sure down Easter Road way they’ll be looking to improve. Neil will make them mentally stronger and they’ll be looking to go up. Naturally Hoibs and Dundee United will be favourites but we hope to be at the top end challenging.