MUCH has been made of the fact we have got so many games coming up in such a short-space of time.

It will be energy sapping and it will really test the squad to its limits.

Even the state of the pitch and how it will stand up to the run-in has been talked about.

One thing though that we have yet to mention is how having all these games to play can actually hamper our pre-match preparations.

You have to give credit to the players for the fact we have been down to both Plymouth and Exeter in midweek, travelling 1200 miles there and back, and while we have come away from Devon with nothing we deserved something from both games.

The games are tiring in themselves but so too is the travelling and such long trips in effect wipe out at least two days of the week for us.

If you are travelling to places like Exeter and Plymouth on a Saturday, it's not so bad because you have got the rest of the weekend to recover.

When we travel in midweek though, the players are off at least for one day after the game, sometimes two.

If we did come in the following day we wouldn't get any quality work out of the players, who are both physically and mentally tired, and so your preparations for your next game are less than ideal.

We have to try and strike a happy medium and keep the players as fresh as possible, and that is without injuries to contend with.

Indeed, it should be remembered that those involved at Exeter and Plymouth who are currently playing for the reserves do not even get a day off.

There were five players in Tuesday night's squad featuring for the reserves last night against Doncaster Rovers.

Similarly, when we came back from Plymouth two weeks ago five players were also needed to play for the reserves the following day

We came back the day after the match from Plymouth, so the players then had endured a six-hour journey down and prepared for the game in case they were needed.

In the end, only Stuart Wise was but players still have to prepare themselves mentally as much as physically even if they are on the bench.

We then travelled back from Home Park the next day, getting back to York at around 4pm.

Just three hours later and five of the squad were playing in the reserves.

Of course, if everybody was fit, the lads who have been substitutes for the first team wouldn't be required to play in the reserves.

But at this moment in time, it's all hands to the pump.

On the bench for the reserves last night were the likes of Lee Grant, Bryan Stewart and Adam Arthur.

Although they will be first-year trainees with us next season they haven't left school yet.

It is worth comparing then this week with last week - which I would call the perfect week.

We had no midweek game and two brilliant days of weather which meant we could put some quality time in on the training pitch.

It was perhaps no coincidence then that we had a good result against Darlington on Saturday.

Unfortunately, that sort of week doesn't happen enough from point of view. Indeed, it has probably happened just once this year and that was it!

I'm writing this column having returned from Exeter at 3.30am on Wednesday morning and I am still trying to come to terms with the fact we didn't get anything from the game.

An indication of just how I feel is the fact I was far more disappointed on Tuesday night than I was after the 4-0 defeat at Cheltenham.

On returning to Bootham Crescent yesterday, we were preceded by the supporters' coach and I am sure the looks on the supporters' faces were a mirror image of mine. But I can assure everyone whatever they were feeling I was feeling it even more.

Updated: 09:56 Thursday, March 21, 2002