We’re back from down under, with things now starting to feel serious. New signings were awaiting the squad upon their return, the challenge of the Championship is now just over a fortnight away, and the level of our intentions is becoming clear as speculation gives way to transfer market moves.

So how should we assess the antipodean tour? The accurate answer splits into two sections: on and off the pitch.

Off the pitch is very easy to assess. The tour was a roaring success, and it was always going to be. The planning was meticulous, and the fans of the club, and the show, were raring to go.

In the wider public perception, we’re seen as a side which is popular in the USA. Obviously, that is the case, but it’s certainly not the whole picture.

We’ve enjoyed amazing support from around the world, with Canada, Australia and New Zealand most prominent. Heading over the equator was a recognition that while the media might focus on the States, the club is fully aware of our global reach.

One of the reasons for switching from the pattern of North American tours was the simultaneous presence of the Club World Cup and the CONCACAF Gold Cup over there. With the World Cup on the stateside menu next Summer, we might well look to further explore and develop other areas we’ve appealed to.

Michael Williamson revealed in The Athletic that the extra stock of kit and merchandise we sent over to Australia had completely sold out before we headed south to Wellington. The lesson learned, he explained, was to order more for next time! I think that answers the question of whether the tour was an off-pitch success rather succinctly.

On the pitch, things are more nuanced. First and foremost, you have to remember that you can’t measure the effectiveness of a pre-season until the season starts. If a team loses all its friendlies but hits the ground running, with plenty in the tank for the tough months ahead, then that pre-season was a massive success.

It’s all about working on the players’ condition, developing their relationships with others on the pitch and making sure they’re au fait with the tactics we’re likely to adopt in the coming season.

Perhaps the easiest way to gauge the success of a pre-season campaign is to consider the problems players have when they’re not able to enjoy an untroubled preparation for the challenges ahead.

Poor old Paul Mullin achieved miracles in 2023-24, after suffering a debilitating injury which essentially wiped out his pre-season work and had him starting back at zero with the season already in full swing.

Missing most of the next pre-season after an operation was too great a hill for him to climb though, and illustrated the priorities of a pre-season campaign.

Be honest: do you remember what the score was when we played Hanley in our opening friendly of last Summer? Or even all the scorelines from our tour of the west coast of North America, even though they were arranged for maximum impact?

I must be honest: I’m struggling. But I remember Mullin’s battle against the odds to find form without the solid foundation of a good pre-season behind him, and I bet you do too!

That’s not to say the matches were just meaningless physical exercises. The standard of opposition, and the level of competitiveness they offered was good, although attempts by some to somehow weigh up the challenge against their previous performances in the A-League were misguided.

All three of our opponents are in a different stage of their pre-season to us: their league season doesn’t start until October. Their squads are all clearly not complete yet, and neither is ours. Pitch time was given to players we’re likely to loan out or even move on, as we sought to essentially give minutes to the squad which went up last season.

Some players looked pleasingly sharp. It shouldn’t be a shock to see James McClean start pre-season looking like an absolute physical beast: that’s his natural year-long state. The right-sided Ryans, Longman and Barnett, both looked eager to impress and delivered a constant stream of service into the box. Harry Ashfield got lots of pitch time, and illustrated his exciting development. Max Cleworth remained a godlike presence.

It was interesting to see us try out a box midfield in the Wellington game. It’s a tweak to our usual formation, and while I’m not sure it’s a formation we’ll look to introduce as our regular starting shape, it’s certainly an alteration which might suit certain game states. It could also be an indicator of what sort of players we might look to bring in over the next few weeks..

Ultimately, those tactical considerations can wait for another day: the second Saturday of August, to be precise. That’s when everything will become clear, including whether heading down under will leave us on top.