Yes, because that's probably what they meant. It's a jump from "having a pre-season where the manager can work with the squad would have been better than not", to "pre-season results are important".
We're all still waiting to hear why we had a better chance of getting promoted last season than we do this coming season. I'd also be interested to hear your critique of Lallana and why you're, "not convinced", if you have time.
Thanks and kind regards.
Toodle-pip.