Assistant manager Kenny Black is looking for standards in training to improve as City move towards the start of the 2020/21 season.
Stuart McCalls’ men returned to full-contact training yesterday for the first time since March, at their Woodhouse Grove training base.
And, having taken pre-season preparations to the next stage, Black hopes to see even more progression over the coming weeks.
He said: “It has been great to get back out there. Just to be back amongst it with the fitness work and the footballs has been very good.
“The players have worked well, though we have to be careful not to give them too much, too soon - because we will be running the risk of getting injuries.
“We have been liaising with the medical department because we need to know what is required on a daily basis.
“Every day there is a thing with me and Stuart, particularly during pre-season, where we have a certain criteria that we want to go through with the players.
“Particularly when we had the footballs out for a bit longer than we have in the past week, you can see that desire and determination.
“It has been good, from day one, to have them all back and we now know when the season is going to start, so we have a date we can now focus on.
“We have got a feeling in the group that there is a desire and that determination to try and be successful this season and that is certainly what we want to do.”
Black admitted he and McCall are using pre-season to diligently instil their philosophy - ahead of the coming campaign.
The Scotsman feels this period is essential in getting off to the right start, having returned to the club while the 2019/20 term was already underway.
He added: “Pre-season will be important because we only had six games with the team last season. We had some good results and some not so good. It certainly was a mixed bunch.
“We did not really have the chance to come in and make a mark but, from the word ‘go’, we can now really set that out.
“Having them from the first day of pre-season gives us more opportunity to instil the type of football we want to play.
“It is like anything. They will all want to be winners and every game we play we will want to win and try to do the best we can. Nothing is going to change that on a daily basis.
“Even throughout the season, we do not get carried away with the victories or get too down with defeats.
“We are always looking - from a Monday to a Friday - to be the best we can be and take that into our game situation on a Saturday.
“Whether we are successful or not, we will still strive to be the best we can. This is a component we are trying to get across to all the players.”