Ahead of Nottingham Forest’s bid for success in the forthcoming season, their management team talk on how they are prepared for the journey ahead.
The club has made investments to ensure a well-planned and affective pre-season programme and Head Coach -Steve Stennett is reflecting on the detail:
“Pre-season has gone really well for NFLFC. We started earlier than usual with some much needed high intensity and high tempo Strength and Conditioning programmes and general fitness training which was welcomed by the players. Pre-season is all about getting the players ‘match’ fit and our training team certainly worked the players hard alongside our work on the ball.
“It was important that we organised good opposition for match friendlies into our programme and we managed to do that in playing MK Dons, Coventry United and Leeds, all giving the players not only a terrific work out in terms of fitness but also different challenges in terms of formations, tactics and strategies to help keep the players mentally and physically focused and adapt to each other’s strengths and weaknesses. 
“So now we go into this season with confidence and without fear and we are all on board looking to do well and improve on last season’s performance, where we all know we were not at our best at the beginning of the season but with definitive improvements towards the end.
“We are ready to start our first competitive game against a good, well organised tough opponent in Preston North End Women, who with a new management team will no doubt have been working just as hard to ensure they are ready for the competitive season that lay ahead. We are fired up to do our best this season to ensure we are just as tough as our opponent, fully committed and we will ensure they know they have been in a game.”
Sam Winch, 1st Team Manager embellishes Stennett’s comments but adds “I am glad that the season has finally arrived and we’re all completely focused for the first game away to Preston. The players must trust each other and everyone around them, whilst delivering everything we have worked on in training. If this happens, we should be in for a successful season.”
First Team Captain, Kelly Kennaugh has been with the club for many years as player and skipper. Kennaugh has been encouraged by pre-season but is experienced enough to know that the journey ahead is a marathon and not a sprint:
“Reflecting on the start of last season it was clear that we were stronger at the end than at the beginning. We have a more settled squad going into Sunday but with some great new additions too. Preston are a have always been a physical side and we know we have to adapt quickly, but the will and ability is there and we all have to work hard, along with Steve and Sam to ensure we bring out the best in each other not just in this game – but in every game. It’s a long season ahead from here and we are all looking forward to it.”
Sunday August 16th (2pm)
Preston North End v Nottingham Forest
Sir Tom Finney Stadium, Bamber Bridge, Brownedge Road, Bamber Bridge, Preston PR5 6UX
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