We may not be building to a game today, but it has been an incredibly busy week for everyone at the club as we go through the process of putting last season to bed and preparing for the challenges ahead.

I think there may be a misconception that after the last match of the campaign we all go off for three months and then report back for pre-season.

In reality, our planning for 2022/23 started more than a year ago and has been gathering pace every week since January.

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Clearly you focus most of your energy on the here and now and the matches you are playing, but you always have one eye on the summer.

That willingness to learn and improve is a key part of any successful football club.

Those improvements may be physical: the training ground is being transformed already with new pitches, medical facilities, and other upgrades.

No detail is missed. We had a walk through this week to check the flow of when players arrive each morning: where do they go first, where do they pick up the kit, what times do they report, how can we make their daily routine more efficient.

It may be as trivial as arriving slightly earlier or eating the right things when they get to us, but all of those small details need to be right.

That attention to detail continues in the offices. All of the staff have been in this week for meetings and reviews.

We get on extremely well, which is so important, but we’re also brutally honest with each other and push each other all the time to improve.

You would be amazed at the analysis we do in terms of sports science, medical and performance.

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I guess all fans really want to hear is that the work going on right now will allow us to be better in the new campaign.

We’re asking you to buy season tickets again, and you want to know that you’ll be watching not just exciting football but also a team pushing for promotion, right?

Nothing is certain in this beautiful game of football.

League One will be amazing next year, with some big clubs joining a division where so many teams will tell you they belong higher up.

Nobody deserves that by right, you have to earn it.

We have solid foundations after going so close for three years, and amazing people working so hard.

We also have amazing fans who we hope will get a bit of a break, but then be back to play a part in helping us achieve what we all want next time around…

This will be my last Oxford Mail page for a while, but I wanted to thank the newspaper and its readers for your continued support.

I think the club’s relationship with the Mail is such an important thing for both parties.

I see other clubs falling out with their local newspaper but so far I haven’t had to ban James Roberts from the training ground. Well, I suppose Covid did that for me!

I think there’s a balance where the paper can ask challenging questions and, if they feel it’s justified, criticise us. That’s exactly how it should be.

But we also welcome the chance to talk to the people of Oxfordshire via this page and by working with the Mail every day.

I’ve enjoyed putting this column together each week and hopefully it gives you a little insight into life behind the scenes.

IF we have entertained you along the way then that’s great. I look forward to doing the same when we return for pre-season.