WELL it wasn’t Jurassic Park but training at Wanderers definitely had some bite yesterday.

Whether he had the words of renowned Dutch fitness coach Raymond Verheijen playing on his mind, or whether he was determined to show the scattering of Austrian onlookers that he means business, Whites boss Neil Lennon made sure there was absolutely no let up in the rolling hills of Pallau.

Verheijen had a pop at Wanderers on Tuesday via Twitter – responding incredibly to a photo of an exhausted Darren Pratley, then preparing for his third training session of the day, with this barb: “Pre-season of @OfficialBWFC is just one of many examples of how far coaching is behind in JurassUK Park. Accumulation of fatigue. Injuries.”

It appears his comments have not gone unnoticed.

Lennon bristled his way through the training session, the first of two in the day, concentrating first on crossing, then defensive shape.

Flanked by Johan Mjallby, Garry Parker and Iain Brunskill, the Whites coaching staff left no doubt in the players’ minds what they wanted. If they didn’t like something, they most certainly said so.

And that suggests this season it’s going to be Lennon’s way or the highway for a good number of players here in the pre-season camp.

Although slightly cooler than the day before, the thermometers were still showing a toasty 28degC, meaning every sprint sapped that little more energy.

The players returned at 5pm for another session, helped no end by the fact the heavens had opened and left the pitch much slicker than it had been for the previous couple of days.

There were fun elements thrown in too - like boxing and kayaking - but make no mistake, Wanderers are being pushed hard here in Austria – yet there is method behind the madness.

These are the pre-season routines that have served Lennon well, that brought three league titles in Scotland. And Lennon, a born winner if ever there was one, is not for changing his ways.

The manager questioned whether his players were fit enough at the end of last season and while he had no luck on the injury front – the fact some performances dropped in the final months of the campaign has not been forgotten.

If, as seems the case, he has to work with what he has got, he needs to make sure he has done everything he can to get them in condition.

The players are responding too. For them, it’s a necessary evil. I’m yet to speak with a single one who enjoys pre-season but hopefully I’ll be speaking with the same lads in January and February and hearing how it did them the world of good.

He is also backed by a proven and experienced medical team, led by Mark Leather, who are unlikely to have taken kindly to their credentials being questioned on the basis of a single photograph.

The problem for Lennon at present is that while he continues to work with the squad at hand, he will surely need to add more bodies before the start of the season.

Others are almost certainly to move in the opposite direction.

Medo Kamara is here in Austria, the suggestion being he wants to try and earn a regular first-team place next term. But for both he and Jay Spearing to be offered a second chance would be a real surprise.

Spearing impressed – at least to my untrained eyes – and his organisational skills have clearly not left him despite a spell down the road at Blackburn Rovers.

New boy Derik Osede joined in briefly before doing some work with the physios. Likewise Zach Clough sat this one out, working primarily with the medical team.

Josh Vela was the only other player in the 26-man party who was missing, the midfielder back in the hotel feeling ill.

Lennon wants his players up to speed quickly, warning them at one point: “You’re playing a very good team on Saturday, so no excuses.”

Wanderers kick-off their summer preparations against Sturm Graz – and at first glance, they look in decent shape.