A calmer Anthony Joshua will be stepping into the ring on Saturday night, according to his head trainer, Rob McCracken, one who will be better prepared to avoid the mistakes that led to his downfall in the first fight with Andy Ruiz.

McCracken believes that Joshua caused his own problems when losing the first fight in New York, leaving himself wide open when rushing in to finish off Ruiz after knocking him down in the third round.

But he also believes that Joshua was not as focused as he should have been after the opponent for his WBA, WBO, IBO and IBF heavyweight title defence was switched to Ruiz following Jarrell Miller’s failed drug tests, when he was constantly being asked about facing Deontay Wilder.

“He is certainly calmer and more focused on trying to improve and change things around,” McCracken said. “Some might think he should have had an easy one back but he doesn’t want to and you can’t just have three warm-up fights when you are Anthony Joshua, it is not realistic.

“It’s not an excuse, but it was difficult when Miller failed the test. For a week we didn’t know who it was going to be and then he just got into the mindset of ‘just get this out of the way’.  That’s human nature. When you have made six defences and all the Wilder stuff is going on, it just makes it all difficult.”

McCracken believes much of the criticism since the fight has been unfair. Some were calling for Joshua to sack McCracken, while others criticised the size of Joshua’s entourage after the boxer published a picture in the dressing room of him with over 20 people. Neither is he worried about bringing in new members of the team, as they have done this time to vary Joshua’s padwork

“It’s not true really,” McCracken said when asked if the entourage had got out of control. “He has a lot of mates who are just the mates he grew up with who come up for his fights.

“You have got quite a strong support team of nutrition, physio, analyst, which is what everyone has in the modern day, then I am the head coach and over the last 3-4 years others have helped out. He has worked with GB coaches, professional coaches.

“Social media changed the way people look at fights. Carl Froch used to do pads with his amateur coach when he was with me. People get fixated on certain stuff, as if there is a magical cure, ‘you change this and you will always win’. That just isn’t real.”

McCracken, who has trained Joshua since he first joined the Great Britain amateur squad, likes to keep a low profile but says that he has not been hurt by any of the criticism aimed his way.

“I don’t concern myself with people these days who have to have an opinion because they make a living off having an opinion,” McCracken said.

“If he wins, don’t worry about me, I’m anonymous. At this level, you’re going to take stick. The Manchester United manager is going to take stick if they lose, this is the equivalent. You’re going to get stick, it comes with the territory. Most of it is nonsense. You’ve got to do the right thing, do what you think is the right thing, be professional and help the boxer perform on the night and keep him safe.”

Joshua’s preparation effectively finished with his final sparring session, of six rounds, on Tuesday. Lighter and more mobile, McCracken believes that Joshua must use his height better to beat Ruiz this time. And he must stay focused.

“He has to be on it this time, otherwise Ruiz is going to be all over him,” McCracken said. “You have to control him., use that reach and nullify him up close.”