Warnock: Rovers need a flying start (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Warnock: Rovers need a flying start

1:00pm Saturday 25th July 2009

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STEPHEN Warnock has stressed the importance of a flying Premier League start as he casts half an eye on Rovers’ ‘October from hell’.

The defender should feature in this afternoon’s pre-season friendly at Leeds United as their preparations step up a gear ahead of the big kick off on August 15.

While knowing a good league start guarantees nothing, having won last season’s opener at Everton, Warnock admits a solid beginning can act as a springboard to a productive campaign.

After an opening salvo that sees Rovers face a number of winnable matches, games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United await them in October - not to mention an East Lancashire derby against Burnley.

Having spent the majority of last campaign battling to preserve their top flight status, the last thing Warnock & co want is a repeat this time round, and the former Liverpool man knows the first six weeks could prove vital.

He said: “Last season we won the first game and everyone got a little bit carried away. But it is always important to get points on the board as soon as possible.

“I think we have got a tough October and we need to get points on the board as early as possible. The last thing we want is to go into those games without many points under our belt.

“We know if we want to push for Europe we have to win as many games as possible and get up there as early as we can and sustain that.”

Rovers have enjoyed a solid start to pre-season, hammering Cambridge 4-0, drawing with Roma and Nacional, before losing to Croatian outfit Split as they now start the English leg of their summer.

Warnock though insists results are relatively immaterial, claiming the major purpose of the close-season fixtures is getting them ready, physically and mentally, for the challenges ahead.

“The results don’t matter,” said Warnock. “It is just getting your fitness levels right and building yourself up so that you get your sharpness back and then are ready for that first game of the season.

“Last year, Tottenham won God knows how many games in pre-season - thumping teams left, right and centre. Then they got beat in the first game of the season and did poorly after that. It resulted in their manager going early on.

“Pre-season doesn’t mean anything results wise but it means something for the players in terms of getting their fitness right and for the manager to see how sharp the players are.

“I enjoy getting back into pre-season. It has been a short break but I enjoy getting back in because you miss it. The day you don’t miss it is the day you should hang your boots up really.”

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