ANDY MORRELL believes extra training sessions during the pre-season tour to America to raise players' fitness levels even higher has had the desired effect and contributed to Wrexham's excellent start to the League One campaign.
As part of the build up to the 2023-24 League Two season, the Reds returned from the club's first ever trip across the pond with just a week to spare before the first game which ended in a 5-3 home defeat to MK Dons, and the slow start continued.
This summer, Wrexham - fresh from clinching a second promotion in a row - headed back from the north America tour with longer to prepare for the opening League One fixture and Phil Parkinson's men have emerged as one of the pacesetters.
Although they've hit the ground running by taking 25 points from 13 games to sit third in the table, Racecourse legend Morrell feels the work conducted out on the training ground during the pre-season venture has paid off because the players look even fitter.
"I think they have looked really fit right from the first whistle," said Morrell.
"Pre-season was loads better. They came back late last year just before the season started but they went into the first game of the season this time really focussed.
"I think Phil Parkinson mentioned they had seven more training sessions out in America and that is massive.
"That is a whole week of football that they've had extra on top to what they had the year before, and I just think they were really ready to perform.
"And the pressure is off a little bit. They are not expected to win the league like they have been the last two years so maybe that freedom has enabled them to go and play with a bit of a carefree attitude but they look fit, strong and organised, and that stands you in good stead."
Wrexham were crowned National League champions after a record-breaking 2022-23 campaign and followed it up by finishing runners-up in League Two last term to go straight up again.
Although Parkinson strengthened his squad in the summer ahead of the step-up to the third tier, some of the new signings have had to be patient in their quest for regular football with players already at the club doing so well in the opening quarter of the season.
"The players that they brought into the National League were all League Two ready," said Morrell.
"On top of that they have added players to be League One ready.
"But some of the ones who you thought might get left behind have really stepped up and the team that played the opening 10 games was pretty much the team that got them up last season.
"There was only really George Dobson who has gone in there; Dan Scarr has come in the last couple of games and you have still got the likes of Ollie Rathbone and Mo Faal to go in and maybe strengthen this team, but the lads already here have stepped up."
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