He detects a real determination in his squad to bounce back at the first attempt and says:
"I think it was the last thing the players wanted to happen but there has been a realism, once it did, to look forward to working very hard in the preseason which we have so far."
He is completing the process of discussing the situation with his players on a one to one basis and adds:
"I have spoken to some players as and when I have felt necessary; I have to say on my first day back they all came to see me anyway as I hadn't seen them since the 21st of April.
"The support I had from the players during my period of being unwell was nothing short of fantastic.
"In general the football community showed its true colours to me and really rallied round.
"The support I got from the family of football makes you realise how lucky you are to be part of the greatest game in the world and to stretch it even further the same can be said for supporters of football all around the world.
"People from New Zealand, Australia, and America sent cards and faxes and I wouldn't even know, apart from the internet, how they would know from that far afield about my illness.
"The support I had has certainly made me have a quick recovery.
"I was very pleased to get underway again and I enjoyed the game overall as I should have; we took the game by the scruff of the neck.
"We could have had a few more although we were a bit rusty in the first 15 minutes, which was only to be expected."