Pre-season: The most crucial time of year?

With less than two months before the start of the regular Football League campaign, many clubs will be reporting back to training within the next couple of weeks.

Several regard the two transfer windows, both in the summer and at the start of the New Year, as the most crucial factors in the shaping the success of a League season.

However, the demands of pre-season can also be a contributing feature in determining whether a side is heading for a successful campaign or a troublesome one.

In AFC Wimbledon’s case, Manager Terry Brown is determined to build on last season’s flirtation with the Npower League Two relegation places in which the Dons eventually finished 10 points clear of trouble.

To enhance his side’s chances of improving on last year’s campaign, Brown called his players in for extra fitness sessions two weeks prior to the usual start of pre-season.

But, fitness is only one part of why pre-season can be considered so important. New Dons signings Curtis Osano and Louis Harris were present during these sessions, allowing Brown to embed his new players in at the earliest opportunity, whilst giving each player an idea of the set up installed at Kingsmeadow.

Wimbledon host Reading, in the first of seven pre-season matches, on the 14th July in the run up to an opening day league meeting with relegated Chesterfield.

By this time Brown will have a clear indication of where his side are in relation to last season, and subsequently, the Dons could be on course for a much improved league campaign.

Although, both transfer windows give Managers the opportunity to strengthen during the season, in order to get off to a quick start, pre-season is arguably just as important in influencing the fortunes of a club during their league campaign.