Manchester United No2 Mike Phelan says the coaching staff are pleased with the players' progress in preseason.
Phelan is convinced the right messages are getting through on the training field.
We're piecing everything together," he told manutd.com. We've asked the players to do more and we're getting that response from them. You can see the intensity in training is high. We need to keep pushing and pushing. We're not just preparing them for the first game of the season [against Chelsea on 11 August] but preparing them for the season.
"We all know last season was difficult - a great start but poor finish. We need to make sure now that the energy, stamina and enthusiasm is in the players right from the start.
It's not just fitness. We want them to be mentally tough as well to experience what it really is about Manchester United - it's right to the end, from start to finish. We had periods in games where we looked really at it and really strong but then faded. We need to get that Man United back, that goes right the way through 96 minutes, which is a game of football nowadays, and we're preparing them for that. "
"The players have to understand how it feels to be fatigued and then go again. We're trying to get that into them, both in their minds and in their bodies."
