Alex McLeish has praised the work ethic of his Aston Villa players during pre-season but knows that they will be judged on results.
McLeish built a strong team spirit when in charge of Birmingham and has been keen to impress the importance of togetherness and an 'all for one, one for all' approach this summer at Villa Park.
The Scot said: "What has pleased me most about our pre-season is the way the players have knuckled down to the hard work ethic and realised that it's not about any individual.
"It's about the club, it's about the team and their team-mates and working hard.
"If their team-mates are out of position, it's about filling in for them.
"They have done all those things really well. The application of the lads has been tremendous.
"But they know - as well as I do - that they will be judged on the field when the real competitive action starts."