| Next week, Alex and chief executive Dave MacKinnon will spend three days on the Mediterranean island checking out facilities and that should see a 10-day stay there at the end of June confirmed.
Scheduled to start on June 25, the emphasis on Malta would be on training, with possibly just one low-key game towards the end of the trip.
The manager, though, sees it as the perfect way to kick-off the build-up to the season.
“Dave and I will check first to see they have everything we need and, if they do, it will be an ideal way to get pre-season training started,” he said.
“The players would only be back at Dens for a day before we left and, although the fitness work we’ll do could easily be done here, having them all together in the sun for 10 days will allow us to do a lot of other stuff.
“I’ve still to work out a schedule, but, if we go, there will be evening sessions when we can work on things like shape and tactics, and being able to do that so early will be a big bonus.
“It’s that kind of stuff that takes longer to do in this country. Even in summer, we can’t guarantee the kind of weather you need and, when boys are going home every night, you have to accept you can’t keep them late every day.
“If we’re in Malta, the entire focus will be on football and that will give us a great opportunity to put in some quality work.
“It will certainly be no holiday, because last season we won a lot of games late on because we got the fitness right during the pre-season and we’ll be looking for the same again.”
Meanwhile, having added Mark Gilhaney and now Darren Young to his squad, Alex’s signings are set to continue with the capture of goalkeeper Rab Douglas and possibly Livingston’s Robert Snodgrass.
It’s understood the Douglas deal is virtually done, though Snodgrass is holding talks with several other clubs as well. |
