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Fitness Fanatic
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A very interesting feature in the Guardian on Mancini's fitness programme at City ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/sep/23/roberto-mancini-training-methods-manchester-city) in which the former conditioning coach Raymond Verheijen criticises the current Eastlands methods, which appear to have a touch of the Archie Knox about them.
RV reckons that, under Mark Hughes, "City played each game with the same team. The team had the best Prozone [computer data] statistics of the Premier League during the first part of the season. The players had the highest number of sprints and the highest total sprinting distance of all the Premier League teams." This doesn't bode too well for us against Fulham.
Has anyone any idea what sort of day-to-day programme Moyes and Round oversee at Finch Farm? Nothing too facetious, please!
Guy Hastings, Posted 23/09/2010 at 22:34:25
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First - start off with flexing, stretching, etc.
Second - running, sprinting,round the perimeter, etc., in different groups.
Thirdly - defensive moves practised - free kicks, corners, etc.
Fourth - appeared to be short square passing in a limited space with "piggy-in-the-middle".
Fifth - five-a-side on an extremely short pitch - players swapping out quick succession
Last - warm-down
No hoof-ball practised! No long passing, etc practised.
What do they normally do at Finch farm?
9.10 AM : Ozzy tries eating 3 weetabix in a vain attempt to build up enough strength to kick a ball.
9.15AM : Moyes & Round sit down with a sorter & 11 blue, pink & white shapes & spend the next two hours trying to fit the pieces into their correct positions, failing miserably. At 10.30 AM there's an unhappy incident where Moyes actually puts a square peg in Round's hole ...ouch !!!
9.15AM - 11.15 AM : Pienaar phones round estate agents in London, whilst the rest just do their usual routine.......
mostly drifting around aimlessly without direction or motivation.
11.15AM Second Pukka pie van delivery for the Yak.
11.30AM : The chairman pops in to tell the players how lovely they all are & David what a great job he's doing...
"Oh & by the way, the players in that video you lent me WOW !"
11.31 AM : Proper work starts now as the team undertake games of :
1# Passing for beginners ( More remidial school than School of science )
2# Find the stiker (Just where is he hiding today ?)
3# Where's the defence ?
4# Who can hoof it highest
11.50AM Yak leaves early for lunch & Moyes leave's for his daily chore of cleaning Sir Alex's car over at Carrington.
As he rinses his sponge he looks depressed, after all.... he's been "Worried for some time" he may not get the Man' Utd job after all !
Fitting Osman into Saturday's game plan, then getting annoyed as to why Tim Howard can't play up front with Arteta dropping back as goal keeper.
- Hoofball practice - longest 'hoofer' makes the team
- Lunging tackle practice. This class is taken by Distin, it is about getting really high, two footed lunges, but missing ball and player so they don't get sent off...
I've got Barcelona on tape here......"
"Nice one Roundie baby, get the lads in.....show them the Messi clip."
"The clever goals or the creative passing one Dave?"
"No. The lazy fucker not trackin' back one......"
"Hey Roundie, has Richard Dodd called?
Gotta keep in touch with the fans .....keep it real"
Still, nice to see that were not the only team with injury problems.
To be fair to us, I think generally our fitness is one of our strong points; we do seem to score a fair number of goals towards the end of games.
In a 3 hour session involving a over 1000 attempts on goal, Mucha and Howard never let a single goal in. Tony Hibbert commented that he was "completely knackered " afterwards.
I suppose the real joke is that you could substitute the "real" forwards for Hibbert at the moment.
Ian
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1 Posted 24/09/2010 at 01:04:47
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Tracking back
Keeping shape
Defending high balls
Defending low balls
Man-Marking
Closing down
.
.
.
Er... what's missing?
ATTACK, ATTACK ATTACK!!!!