Hull City’s first full day of their pre-season training camp in Slovenia got underway on Tuesday morning.
After arriving on Monday afternoon and undergoing a short, sharp session in the evening, the players returned to the Play Green Centre up in the hills above Maribor.
Tigers reporter Barry Cooper is our man on the ground in Maribor, and delivered his daily update from deep inside the City camp…
Setting the trend
The Tigers are the first Premier League team to come and use the Play Green facility since it opened, having come to Slovenia at the request of boss Sergej Jakirovic.
Championship side Charlton Athletic, who secured second-tier safety with their 2-1 win over City in their final home game of the season, were at the centre earlier in pre-season, as were the Tigers’ academy, who flew home on Saturday. City are not the only club using it currently, with a Qatari club also sharing the facilities.
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A change in pitch
There were some issues with the playing surface on Monday night, so the players were moved to a different pitch at the training centre, and it looks like they’ll be staying on the bottom of the three pitches.
Throughout the session, the pitch was watered heavily with a type of cannon that the local fire service would be proud of.
Autograph hunters
The training centre is well concealed in the middle of the forest, and only accessible by a track, about 15 minutes outside Maribor, but that hasn’t stopped local children and their parents from hanging about outside the gates trying to get a glimpse of the Premier League’s newest team.
A long workout
In their first full workout since arriving in the country, Jakirovic’s men were subjected to a two-hour session in the hottest part of the day.
Bookended by fitness work with the session ending with a flurry of shuttle runs more familiar with pre-season, the Tigers’ players had a focus on fast-tempo, playing off one and two touch at speed in their group work.
The focus was on moving the ball quickly; there was very little time on the ball for anyone, with the emphasis being on playing at a high tempo. The players will be back at it on Wednesday morning for another hectic session.
Hughes’ absence explained
Defender Charlie Hughes is absent from the trip at the moment, staying in England for treatment on an existing injury problem relating to his hernia operation. It’s hoped that at some point during the trip, he could join the rest of the squad in Slovenia.
Hull Live will be the only English media with City during every step of their pre-season tour, and you can follow all our updates in print and online.
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