NEIL McDonald is looking to strike the right summer balance as Blackburn Rovers bid to make sure they start the new Premier League campaign in style.

Rovers’ assistant boss has taken the reins for the start of pre-season training at Brockhall, as manager Sam Allardyce combines an extended break with continuing his striker search, and is determined to continue last season’s progression.

Even as the country’s media were laying into England’s fallen flops, Rovers’ stars were being asked to put their summer holidays behind them on Monday as they became the first top flight side to resume training.

Their international stars are still to return but, having broken into the top 10 last time around, McDonald knows there is some hard work ahead to continue their improvement.

He said: “We had a terrific season last season but to improve on that we have to get off to a better start than we did to bring more confidence and to allow the lads to express themselves.

“We also have to score more goals and if we can get that bit fitter it will enable us to go a bit further and make us harder to beat.

“There is a lot to work on.

“We will play plenty of football and do plenty of fitness work and bring it all together ready for the games.

“It is great to be back. We have all had a good break, hopefully everyone has recharged their batteries and we are raring to go again.

"It is another six weeks before it starts so we are gradually building up.”

Fitness tests and light training have been the order of the day at Brockhall over the last few days, before they fly off to a training camp at altitude in Austria at the weekend.

But, while running is obviously high on the agenda over a gruelling next few weeks, Rovers’ squad will still be allowed to see their fair share of the ball as well.

McDonald said: “We have to build fitness up and we have to build the football side up.

"We have to look at roles and responsibility in the team as well as the individual.

“We will be doing all of that as well as the usual fitness and physical stuff.

"We have to get ourselves ready to win games and we have to win more games than we did last season.

“It is good to get the balls out because the lads always respond when the balls come out.

"We will give them plenty of time to have that feeling and get their touch back.

“So we are trying to compliment their fitness work with the touch of the ball and everyone enjoys the ball.

"Hopefully they enjoy it.”