Defender Jacob Greaves believes the Blues are showing the ideas new manager Gary O’Neil is seeking to instil more with every game, Town having run out 1-0 victors over Ligue 1 Le Havre this evening.

Greaves played the second half alongside new signing Issa Diop at the heart of the defence, helping to limit the French side to virtually nothing in the way of threat over the entire 90 minutes.

The 25-year-old was last at Portman Road for the 3-0 victory over QPR which secured promotion back to the Premier League and the former Hull City man was pleased to be back.

“It was nice, obviously being back at Portman Road, I’ve missed it,” he said, having spent much of his summer working on his golf handicap. “The pitch was beautiful, a nice, warm day as well.

“And to win 1-0, nice against good opposition, a clean sheet and trying to take on the ideas that we’ve been trying to learn in training with a new manager, a new style.

“It’s nice that it’s coming into play now and, hopefully, in the two more games that we’ve got left in pre-season we can show even more stuff.”

Asked how things have been under new boss O’Neil during pre-season, Greaves added: “The energy’s being top class, to be honest, I’ve really enjoyed it. The sessions have all been good, really fun as well, but obviously a lot of tactical work with the manager trying to get his authority in the way that he wants to play.

“It’s been nice and fresh, a whole load of new ideas, new faces as well. Obviously we’re still trying to get used to it, but I think that the [implementation of the] ideas have got better each game.

“You probably saw tonight, the patterns and stuff like that are coming into play. But I’ve really enjoyed it, it’s been good and hopefully we can kind of start the season well.”

Reflecting on pre-season as a whole in what have been sweltering conditions both in Suffolk and during the pre-season trip to Spain, the centre-half admitted O’Neil has put them through their paces.

“It’s actually been rarely tough, to be honest,” he continued. “I’d say it’s probably been one of the hardest pre-seasons that I’ve had.

“A lot of double sessions in Spain as well in the heat. You’d have a hard session in the morning and then it’s just runners on in the afternoon and you’re getting back to your room just dying to fall asleep, but you know you’ve got to pick yourself up.

“But that’s what pre-season’s about and it’s been really enjoyable. All the sessions have been refreshing, lots of kind of disguised running drills where you think you’re not really going to be running, but then somehow the gaffer finds a way to get us running.

“But the squad’s being brilliant as well, all the new faces are fitting in really well. I think it’s an easy group to come into and hopefully that should give us a head start going into the Premier League.”

Photo: TWTD