Brian Barry-Murphy spoke to Cardiff City TV following a valuable workout in a 2-2 draw against Johor Darul Ta'zim in Murcia.
The clash was one of two fixtures the Bluebirds will play in Spain this summer, with David Turnbull and Rubin Colwill on the scoresheet at the Pinatar Arena.
“We wanted to get an idea of where the players are in terms of their understanding of the way that we want to play, and seeing how that materialises under pressure in a competitive game." Brian began.
"Tonight was a competitive game, so that gave me a lot of food for thought and it’s clear that we have a lot of work to do, as we would expect at this stage of the season.
“It was a competitive game in an environment that, due to the weather, can feel uncomfortable. To have a standard of opposition like that, who have done so well over the course of previous seasons and are unbeaten in a huge amount of games, for our lads to feel that type of game where there is stress and there is pressure, it’s very good for them.
"We can have all the training games that we want, but it doesn’t quite have the same feel of playing an opponent that you don’t quite know. There was a lot of learning for us and insight into the players when they become under pressure, where they can improve, and a lot of good signs for us moving forward."
City showed real appetite to press and win the ball back throughout the contest, with the two sides' defences coming out on top in the first half, resulting in a goalless opening period.
Brian continued: “I felt that we sometimes misinterpreted the way that we wanted to play and weren’t progressive enough in terms of how we wanted to attack and move the opponent from side to side. We were a little bit in a rush to do certain things and were unproductive.
"In the second half, you saw an improvement in that. Our understanding of how to attack efficiently was better. The players were really aggressive in wanting to create chances.
“In the first half, we were a little bit rushed to attack on one side and didn’t switch play effectively enough, but in the second half, we managed to do that more effectively, and as such the attacking opportunities were more obvious.
"That was evident in the way that we attacked to score our first goal and created the chance that gave us the free-kick for the second goal. It’s nice to get goals for the players, to give them a reward for their play and understand how important it is to have those finishing actions to make the game the way we want it.
"I think it’s good for the players to understand how much work we have to do. It’s going to be a really important process that they will go through and as long as they have an open mind and a want to develop, we will improve quickly."
The Bluebirds' wide players posed a threat throughout the contest, whilst also making contributions to the side's defensive structure.
“The demands of the way that we want to play for those wide players means that we want to attack from both wide areas, but also defend for the team," Brian explained.
"There isn’t really much discussion on that - it’s non-negotiable. The players understand the role and its importance in how we attack, but it’s just as important for the team that they defend and be a part of a strong unit, so they will get used to the way that we want them to operate.
"There’s good competition in the wide areas and as the pre-season progresses, the sense of being in the best possible shape to compete and try and start the season will be evident, and we’re very keen to have that in the squad."