FC Halifax Town: Extra training essential if we're going to keep up with the league, says Town boss Wild

Wild's squad are set to increase their training days from three a week to four a week next term, a move which has resulted in captain Matty Brown being transfer-listed due to the centre-back being unable to commit to the new regime.

Wild said: "We were quite loose with the extra day this year.

"For example, if we had a Tuesday game, Monday would be game prep, Tuesday you'd play and then the next time you'd see the players would be Friday.

"So it became more of a part-time model than a hybrid model, and we just fel we weren't getting enough time on the grass.

"We didn't feel like the players were as physically robust as we wanted them to be, we didn't feel like we had enough time to get our messages across.

"All those things considered led us to the point where we need to do more, so the only conceivable way is making that other day compulsory, and most of the players that we've spoken to who we're in negotiations with want that extra day.

"So it's not as though they don't want to do it, they would rather do it.

"We're not going to train in Leeds for that extra day. I'm not going to tell you where that extra day will be, but we're going to find a halfway house for some of the players who travel some distance away to make sure nobody is out of place in terms of locality.

"But we just thought 'could we do more?' Yes. Could we get players in who wanted to do more?' Yes.

"So it all just steered in that direction, and we feel next year we'll have more chance to get our message across, make them more physically robust and better for the rigours of the league."

The Town boss believes an extra day's training is crucial if Town are to remain competitive in the division next season.

"100 per cent. Over half the teams are full-time, you've got some that have the hybrid model, like us, and you've got teams within that who are full-time, and there's a limited number who are proper part-time, and they are generally down the lower end of the league.

"So if we've got aspirations of moving this club forward and keep ensuring the club progresses, then we've got to do more.

"That's the only way forward to keep up.

"That doesn't guarantee us top-end of the league, don't get me wrong. We could do more and achieve less.

"But we feel that's a big way where we can continue to keep up with the teams in this league.

"We can't keep up financially so we've got to try and keep up in other areas, such as doing more on the training ground."

Wild added: "If it was a Saturday to Saturday, we wouldn't be in Monday and we'd train Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.

"That wasn't too bad, unless we were away from home, because then you've got to factor in that generally our away trips are long distance, and whether you train before you go or halfway, or do you train at all.

"Our core sessions were becoming a Tuesday and a Thursday and we just felt that wasn't enough.

"If we had a Tuesday game, it'd be Monday and Friday. We just weren't seeing them enough.

"Then Monday, because we were playing Tuesday, was light, and Friday, because we were playing Saturday, was light.

"So we need more time on the grass with them.

"To achieve what we've achieved on what we thought wasn't enough has been fantastic, and the players deserve a lot of credit.

"But if we are to continue to try and punch at the other end of the league then we're going to have to find a way to do more."