I thought the pre-season training had been particularly arduous this year to get their fitness up to unprecedented levels in order to facilitate a 96 minute gengenpress all over the pitch????
I'm taking the "glass half full view" that CH is breaking the new players in carefully, trying to get the balance right between getting the new players used to the pace and physicality of the PL while still retaining faith with the players that did so well last year, keeping squad morale high...