Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin revealed he will hold one-to-one talks in Portugal with every player in a bid to maximise their impact.
The Swede is taking the Dons through double training sessions daily in the searing 30C heat in the Algarve.
However he is also taking time away from the training pitch to talk with, and understand, each individual player.
He is also using the time in Portugal to gauge players’ qualities and tactical knowledge.
Once he and his coaching staff have assessed the squad Thelin says they will learn how to use each player in the best way.
Thelin also aims to use the time in the Algarve to get a blueprint for each player to help them “grow”.
He said: “When you change part of the staff and some of the players it is always good to go away early.
“It allows us to understand the players and to get chats with them.
“You learn their personalities and that is important so we can find out how to make the players grow and see how they react.
“We are spending a lot of time together and they are tough sessions.
“We are also able to see the quality of the players on the pitch and their tactical knowledge.
“Once we learn that then we can use the players in the best way.”
Learning more about the players
Aberdeen are spending a week in Portugal before jetting back to the Granite City at the weekend.
Thelin has previously used the remote facilities in the Algarve with former club Elfsborg.
Dons supporters will get the first opportunity to see Thelin in the dugout with a friendly match at Peterhead on Wednesday, July 10.
Then the season begins on Saturday, July 13 with a trip to Queen of the South in the Premier Sports Cup group stage.
Thelin said: “In Portugal we get the chance to learn about the players as people.
“It is not football players, it is still human beings.
“And if you can find this connections you can push each other much more and handle and manage it better.
“It’s a good way to create team spirit.
“If you have team spirit there is more power and intensity in everything.
“That will be the base then comes the tactics, organisation and skills from the players.
“But if you have this foundation it is going to be good.”
‘The players are really pushing themselves’
Thelin is minus two of his players in Portugal, strikers Duk and Peter Ambrose.
Cape Verde international Duk was absent from the first week of pre-season in the Granite City.
Duk had been granted an extra week on his break as he was away on international duty over the summer.
He was set to meet up with the Dons in Portugal but cannot due to a medical issue.
Aberdeen’s medical staff are in regular contact with Duk.
Ambrose, who recently signed from Ujpest in Hungary, could not travel due to visa issues.
Instead Ambrose is training at Cormack Park in Aberdeen with coach Scott Anderson and the under-18 squad.
Thelin said: “At home, we have breakfast, training and lunch, but out here we get that extra time.
“It is also not so stressful.
“You can train really hard but the players will recover quickly because we have a lot of time to rest.
“Out here in Portugal they are thinking about performing and connecting.
“It is a good time and it is going really well.
“It is important for the players to have some time together as well.
“The weather has been hot but the players are really pushing themselves.”
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