Following a three day programme of fitness testing for the Bluebirds, we caught up with the gaffer to ask how things have been progressing.

In the first part of an exclusive two part in-depth weekend interview on the Official Cardiff City website (second part over Saturday/Sunday), we look at the last few days, where Dave has had a chance to look at his new batch of players and also get down to business with making sure his squad can get as fit as possible before boarding the plane to Canada on July 12^th.

The second part will be released over the weekend, with Dave also talking about the Canada preparations and plans, plus his progress in the transfer market.

We're back into our pre-season campaign with the lads all back and undetaking tests Dave. Can you fill us in on your activity over the last few days?

It's been a mixed bag really, because we've had three days of testing. We've not had all of the group together; some of them have been at the university doing fitness tests and some of them have been with us at the training ground in Treforest.

We've swapped them around and basically had three days of testing. So far, fingers crossed we've finished that on Friday afternoon and everyone has come through looking lean and raring to go.

And then it's back to full sessions on Monday with all of the players getting together as a group. Have they been enjoying their sessions in their small groups so far?

I hope so. From what the lads have been saying and the feedback we've had, everybody is looking forward to the new campaign. I'm not so sure that they're looking forward to the pre-season, but certainly the campaign ahead of them.

But they know that they've all got some hard work ahead of them if they're going to be fit enough and strong enough to go through forty six league games.

Things are changing in terms of coaching personnel, what with Martyn Margetson the new 'keeper coach. Has he been adapting to his new responsibilities well enough?

Yeah, Marg' has done really well. We all know that he's experienced enough. He's been under a lot of coaches in his time, so he knows what it takes. He's still training with us as well, because he is a third goalkeeper for us.

He's also got to keep up his own fitness levels as well, but the experience he's got and the knowledge that he's gained over the years - hopefully this will be used to help the 'keepers that we have in the football club.

Tell us how the new players have been fitting in so far.

I was talking to Michael Chopra on Friday morning and he's said that it's the toughest three days he's had in a pre-season, which we're now only really starting.

The most important thing is that we get the boys to a level of fitness, which as I said is going to stand them in good stead for a long haul.

But also it's important that we don't pick up injuries and little niggles or strains. That's down to the coaches to make sure that we do everything right and we start everything the right way.

And of course we have those two games in South Wales on the 11^th where those unable to get to Canada will get to see their new players first hand for the first time. It'll be a good night and a good addition before leaving the country and then getting back for that home fixture at Ninian Park.

Yeah, I've always done it. It's something that I think is important that all of the pro's get a game for as long as they can - whether it's ninety minutes or not. But one thing is that you don't want to be chopping and changing as they all need to get a run around on a full size pitch.

I tend to split the group and mix first team players with some of the younger players and pro's. From that they all try and get at least eighty, eighty five, even ninety minutes under their belt. After that, the very next day we're off to Vancouver where everybody is going to get a game.

I don't think that there's anything worse than teams chopping and changing; bringing on and taking off players after forty five minutes here or twenty five minutes there and then another twenty minutes later into the game. I think that the players just want to try and play as long as they possibly can.

So by the time we play the two games we've got on the same night the players should be running up to seventy five, maybe eighty percent.

In our next part of the interview set to be launched over the weekend, Dave moves on to Canada preparations and his idea onto how the trip will go, the opposition that the Whitecaps, Sounders and others will provide us. He also talks further on his transfer activity progress including Jason Koumas and what he wants to do with his squad by the time we board the plane.