Only seven days in to Pools pre season workout and already Peter Hartley is convinced that huge strides have been made by the Club.
The defender was in great spirits when he popped in to Victoria Park this afternoon on the hunt for a new pair of boots that are due for delivery.
And before we'd even had the chance to ask him a question about the pre season programme, he'd grabbed a seat and was enthusing about his first week back.
"It's very technical work compared to last season; I don't think we'd had the ball out at all by this stage last pre season," explained Hartley, fresh from a summer trip to Cuba.
"But this year on day one we were doing running and fitness stuff, but also some technical work with the ball as well which was brilliant.
"The new coach Mick Wadsworth has made a massive impact and a very positive one too. You can tell that he has been places and worked with some top players just by the way he speaks to you.
"It really is different class what we're doing at the moment on the training field, even compared with some of the work we were doing at Sunderland in all honesty.
"It's different every day, for instance today we were working on how we can cope with other teams, how we can counter-attack and cause problems and put the opposition under pressure. It's working our minds as well as our bodies.
"From my point of view I am waking up every morning looking forward to getting to the training ground and working hard.
"It's a lot of hard work and it's very physical but I'm really enjoying it - you don't tend to see your family much because when you get home you're ready for bed!"
The squad jet off to Holland on Sunday evening for their first taste of match action on a tour which takes in games against Almere City and FC Den Bosch.
And Hartley says the lads are keen to get some game time under their belts as the foundations are laid for what they are confident can be a successful season.
"Holland can't come quick enough now. There are some new lads in the mix at training and they've done well and fitted in with the lads quickly.
Fabio (Fabian Yantorno) has some great touches on the ball, Muzza (Paul Murray) is different class, and Evan (Horwood) is also showing the quality he has.
"We have a good group of lads here and we're all a year wiser and we know each other's games so hopefully that will help us enjoy a good pre season both in terms of results and the football we play.
"Nobody is guaranteed a place in the side, that's one thing that's very clear to me already.
"The standards have been set higher, the bar has been raised and all round there is a really positive feel on the training ground which can only be good for everyone."
While the big kick-off remains just over a month away, the 22-year-old admits that eyes are already wandering to the opening game of the campaign at Rochdale.
And he insists that the team must start as they mean to go on by being more difficult to beat on their travels this term.
"From day one the gaffer told us that everything we did in pre season was geared towards that Rochdale game," he revealed.
"He wants us to go there and work our socks off and get the right result to set us on the way to a more positive season.
"More away wins was one of the targets he mentioned and that has to be our aim - even before I came last season it was an area that the Club have struggled with so we have to improve.
"I've got a good feeling going in to the season and I think we can have a really good year."
