The inside track on Pompey's Croatia camp

Portsmouth players and staff are currently in Croatia for pre-season training

Given the weather back in England this summer, complaints about excess heat are likely to be met with limited sympathy.

But it is hot here in Medulin, in North-West Croatia, with a weather warning in place for temperatures likely to reach the mid-to-high 30s.

I was a sweaty mess stood in the shade watching training yesterday.

The session was long and intense, working that hard in these conditions puts a big physical demand on players.

Midfielder Callum Lang has already described it as the toughest pre-season he’s been part of.

These are the important hard yards needed to prepare for a nine month season in the gruelling Championship.

The intense competitiveness of professional footballers has been on display.

There was a desperation to win every drill and small-sided match, with offside calls contested as if three points were on the line.

Captain Marlon Pack and head coach John Mousinho were both regularly reminding everyone to keep pushing themselves and ensure standards didn’t slip.

The challenge ahead for Portsmouth is a big one. The disparity between the Premier League and the Championship is well known, but the gap between the Championship and League One has also grown considerably despite Ipswich achieving a monumental set of back-to-back promotions. That felt like a one-off.

Portsmouth begin their Championship season away at Elland Road against Leeds United

Much was made of Pompey’s early recruitment last summer, with 9 new arrivals before the pre-season tour to Spain.

Things have been a bit slower this time around, with five signings made, including young Reuben Swann, who’s set to move away on loan.

Making additions was always going to be more challenging this off season. In League One Portsmouth were the big fish, with the size of the club providing considerable pulling power and financially they had one of the division’s bigger budgets.

This time around, Pompey are a medium-sized fish in a division where other clubs will be able to blow them out of the water financially, particularly the clubs in possession of parachute payments. It’s a tough market to work in.

Loan additions played a big role last season, and the Blues will need to utilise that market skilfully once again, even if the chances of Abu Kamara returning seem remote.

Regan Poole and Tom McIntyre will feel like new signings. Poole didn’t feature after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. McIntyre broke his ankle less than an hour into his debut in February.

Poole’s return date isn’t set as yet, while a minor knock to McIntyre saw Mousinho and first-team coach Zesh Rehman join training yesterday.

Pack has called for other players to step up into leadership roles following the departures of Sean Raggett, Joe Rafferty and Joe Morrell.

The character the three players brought to the squad leaves a gap that others must now fill.

The intensity of the preparations for the new season highlights that Portsmouth knows the challenge they will face this season.

Realistically, staying up will be a decent season; anything more is an exceptional effort.