The Light Blues have been back on the training pitch since June 30, but stepped up their preparations for the new campaign with a first friendly as they took on Partick Thistle behind-closed-doors at the weekend.
Speaking to the official website after the team gained valuable minutes on the pitch against the fellow SPWPL side, the Head coach said: “It was a really good exercise for us. Obviously the last couple of weeks we have used just to give us a platform within a training environment to try and gel the group as quickly as we possibly could and we have managed to do that really well.
“Creating a competitive environment and also utilising a fair number of the academy kids in that first week certainly and a number of them coming into today as well as the pre pro ones.
“It is just really important for us now at this stage that we kind of integrate and get up to match speed. Certainly bringing in a number of new faces and looking to try pick up where we left off last season in terms of the squad and the players that remained.
“We felt we were in a really good place and it was nice to see that coming together this afternoon.
“It always feels much better when you get into a game environment rather than a training environment.
“I think you can always be a little bit too critical and really zoned in and focused on certain elements of the game within a training environment but once you see it in an 11 v 11 you can see the quality that we have got and how good we are looking.”
All five of the team’s summer signings featured in the outing, with the former Scotland international giving an insight into how the arrivals have settled into the squad of the past few weeks.
She continued: “They have been great, the emphasis for us was always wanting to bring good players to the club which we managed to do, but more importantly we wanted to bring in good people and good characters.
“Ones that we are going to integrate and replace the ones that we lost last season because the harmony that we had within the group was absolutely first class last year.
“All that was missing was the final touches in terms of lifting silverware so it was really important that the ones that we lost we replaced them with the same type of quality and characters and maybe just a few different qualities in there as well which I think we would have seen in the game today.
“The steel, character and a bit more aggression, determination and focus across the pitch which was good.
“They have settled in really well, it probably feels like they have been here a lot longer than a couple of weeks which is a credit to them for the transition coming here but also the group that remains that have obviously welcomed them in and allowed them to settle as quickly as they have and you could see that in their performances today as well.”
All eyes will be focused on Rangers’ return to competitive games when they are in Champions League second round qualifying action on August 5, with Crichton hoping to have the side as well equipped as possible for their challenge against the Czech outfit.
She added: “It was important that we tried to be smart in terms of the pre-season plans and we might be kind of pushing ourselves and stressing ourselves a little bit quicker in terms of the programme than we would have liked.
“One to allow that break in terms of the end of last season to make sure that the players had enough time off.
“They were rested and recovered and ready to go for another grueling season, but also really important that within the five weeks that we have got them back that we ramp it up at a good pace and intensity.
“It is great in terms of the game against Partick Thistle today and one that we enjoyed.
“It is just important that we keep the momentum, it has built really nicely over the last couple of weeks and certain games allow you to do that and allow you the opportunity to then reflect, analyse, prepare and probably get into that game mood and mentality as quickly as we possibly can.
“Credit to the players I thought they were excellent today and have been since they have come back in on pre-season, but they understand the pressures and demands and we have not got an awful lot of time to get ourselves ready for what we will be a huge test.”
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