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STEVE Bruce is a creature of habit, and for the third July in succession, he will begin a campaign as Hull City manager in the Algarve sunshine tomorrow.
These traditional training camps are what he knows and what he likes. Formally marking an end to the excesses of summer with intense sessions through morning and night, Bruce learns where he and City find themselves ahead of a return to business in August.
Past years have not always been as bright as their surroundings. In 2012 it was in Portugal where he discovered the limitations of a Championship squad inherited a month earlier, while in 2013 there was the daunting reality his newly-promoted side still needed improvements ahead of a Premier League return.
The next week, however, should see Bruce in a far more relaxed mood.
Adding Robert Snodgrass and Tom Ince to a squad that earned FA Cup runners-up medals in May, not to mention tying up a permanent move for last season's loan star Jake Livermore, the City boss has acted early to improve an already distinguished group.
More new faces are needed ahead of the new season beginning in the Europa League in 22 days, with a central defender and left-back still sought, but Bruce can feel a sense of gratification when surrounded by his improving squad over the coming days.
He and City have never had it so good.
Where two years ago the likes of Paul McKenna, Seyi Olofinjana and Mark Cullen were trying to win over their new boss on the very same pitches, Bruce returns to a base on the outskirts of Portimao to work with a squad that now boasts 18 full internationals and eight players with experience of European football.
Those figures could yet be embellished by the arrival of Michael Dawson from Spurs and Dundee United's Andy Robertson if Bruce has his way in the transfer market, but a promising squad is already taking shape.
Portugal will provide the yardstick. This time last summer City had strengthened like the Premier League newcomers they were. Recruitment was astute but modest until Tom Huddlestone's late arrival for £5.25m and the first seven signings through the door cost little more than £6m.
As well as the free transfers of George Boyd, Maynor Figueroa and Steve Harper, there was Ahmed Elmohamady (£2m), Curtis Davies (£2.25m) and Allan McGregor (£1.8m) all added to Bruce's ranks in time to feature in the Portugal camp.
Danny Graham, the disastrous loan signing from Sunderland, also arrived to join his team-mates on the Algarve.
Yannick Sagbo followed soon after before Huddlestone and Livermore signed up in the week of the curtain raiser at Chelsea in a summer where it was all about the numbers.
Almost every new face played a part in staving off relegation back to the Championship, justifying their recruitment, but there is little question that shopping has been done at a much higher level 12 months on.
Following the trend first set in January with the £14m capture of Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long, Bruce has raised the bar dramatically in the course of a year. With Livermore signed up for good at £8m, Snodgrass brought in at £7m and Ince for a sum still to be decided, the last five new faces into the KC will eventually come with cheques written for over £30m.
City are no longer the little fish in the Premier League's pond.
Only Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have shelled out more so far this summer, meaning the £67m earned through TV revenue last season has not been allowed to gather dust.
The frugal will worry City have overpaid in 2014 but money talks louder than ever. Ross McCormack's £11m move from Leeds to Fulham yesterday was timely proof of that.
City are certainly stronger than the side that finished 2013-14 with a cruel defeat to Arsenal at Wembley.
Snodgrass and Ince have effectively replaced Robert Koren and Matty Fryatt. Both of the former favourites will be missed by supporters but few could argue with the calibre of their replacements.
Get Dawson to fill the void left by Abdoulaye Faye and City will almost be good to go if left-back Robertson can also be persuaded to flee south of the border.
Supporters will inevitably want one more signing right up until the transfer deadline has passed on September 1, but Bruce can get down to work tomorrow knowing his squad is already nearing completion.
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