Alan Stubbs talks to www.themillers.co.uk...
Rotherham United manager Alan Stubbs says he will look to use his full squad for today’s opening pre-season friendly against Parkgate FC.
Stubbs looks set to utilise new signing Anthony Forde for the first time, as he looks to field a squad using a mixture of first team players, development players and trialists for today’s 12pm kick off.
The Millers boss also confirmed he will look to change things as much as possible at half-time, as he looks over his squad ahead of the pre-season tour to Poland.
“Everybody will be involved; the plan is to get everyone 45 minutes,” Stubbs told www.themillers.co.uk
“There will be two different teams; there will be a lot of changes at half-time. It will be a mixture of players in the two teams, so it won’t be one half solely of first team players. We will try and balance it out best we can so it is two competitive teams each half.”
Stubbs has admitted he has been impressed with the fitness levels of his squad ahead of today’s first friendly.
The Millers travel out to Poland tomorrow for two further fixtures as Stubbs and his staff look to up the tempo ahead of the Sky Bet Championship curtain raiser against Wolves on August 6th.
“The most pleasing thing for me is that the players have come back in really condition,” Stubbs commented.
“The fitness work for them has probably not been as taxing as I was planning. From that point of view we are delighted, they look in good shape, and we are obviously looking forward to the games and I am sure the players are too.
“The players know when the games are coming around they are coming to the end of the fitness work, so from that point of view they will get the vast majority of their fitness from the games.”