Training Thursday 7/1

[Douglas Higginbottom]

In case you didn't know it's bleedin cold out there!! But I had heard training was on at 3pm so went along to see who was out there.
The keepers and a group of reserves were working when I arrived but slowly the first team came out. Minus Lescott/Nedum/RSC/Stevie but good to see SWP back again. The rest of the first team regulars were there plus Vidal/Boyata/Ibrahim/Tutte/Cunningham and Mak. Petrov was out there but not actually in with the rest but doing 1 to 1 stuff so I assume recovering from an injury.Nedum came out later for some 1 to 1 work with a physio as well and I though Bridge did too but couldnt be certain.

Once they had all gathered they did the beep test thing again.All very gentle and with rests every so often to do some stretches. They then just split into pairs to do simple pass and move stuff to keep moving before splitting into two teams for a passing game. Not quite sure how it worked but the aim seemed to be all about moving the ball around quickly with no more than 2 touches. Bellers got a knock early on in this but it didn't seem too bad.

After this the defenders all went in. Probably a 35/40 minute session for them leaving the rest to split into two groups for some plays involving midfield thru to attack and a shot on goal. Mancini set these groups moving to ensure they knew what he was expecting.An extra few seconds were needed as Robinho went in for some gloves ( thicker ones probably as I am sure he already had some on!) The 2 groups if I remember them were Tutte,Weiss,NDJ,Bellers,Tevez,Mak and down at the other end Silvinho,Benjani,SWP,Robinho,Ibrahim,Barry. Nothing new in the the passing /crossing movements and the hard part as ever was getting the crossing right to keep the momentum.

Mancini swapped players from group to group and their positions as well.Good to see SWP out there and looking fine and the first thing he did when he came down to my end was take off to meet a cross from Silvinho and with a crazy overhead ( almost) kick smash it home for an amazing goal. He did get applause from most of the players and when he got up asked if he could go in now! Two minutes later he raced down the right to cross , messed it up and said " my f..... ankle" so all is clearly not 100% yet. It seemed to be his left ankle.

Quite a good session but it only lasted about 70 minutes before they all went in. Bloody wimps.

Only 2 of the players were in shorts!

[The Man In Blue]

how's Abdi Ibrahim looking? heard some good things about him, and he looked none too shabby the couple of times i have seen him.

as always, top man doug.

[Beeks]

Cheers Dougster

You're a braver man than me staying out in this weather...has been consistantly -11 temp in manc all day!

[Fidel Castro]

SWP was probably just blaming the shit cross on his ankle
Only 2 players in shorts? Disgusting...

My guess is NDJ & SWP

[shortagain]

Doug, can't decide if you are a hero or mad, but then you are city through and through so probabley both. Thanks for the info, always an interesting read.

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Cheers Doug top read as always , glad to hear SWP back just hope he didnt hurt his ankle again with that cross.

[Chinners]

Cheers Doug, I suppose there were a few reporters there today

[steve isle of man]

is there any news on how jonno's knee op went the other week? Haven't seen any yet. Hope the lad is bearing up. Miss his chubby cheery Todd-off-Coronation Street-but blonde haired face.

[Goataldo]

Good stuff as per...

Sounds positive, providing that SWP isn't too bad. In this weather you'll be able to knock up a ramp for the when they're behind the iron curtain!

Who had the shorts on then? It does irk me a bit when players wear gloves and the like, but I must admit I'd probably go for the thermal option in this weather if only to guard against pulling a muscle!

[Douglas Higginbottom]

As every training session has been behind the fence for weeks now it's been impossible to speak with anyone for anything so no news on Johnno or transfers.

Only one photographer there today in hope of a Vierra picture as most I expect would be at COMS where he is more likely to appear.

One of the players in shorts was Cunningham tthe young left full back and the other wasn't NDJ or SWP.
SWP probably had more extra clothing on than most but definitely not more than Tevez.

[Blue Blood]

Cheers for that doug, quality report as usual :D

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Twas Bellers in shorts.

[Twobob]

you're crazy DH ;-) great to read though and thanks again!

More proof that DH needs a pass and a big bloody heater too!

[Haz]

you're crazy DH ;-) great to read though and thanks again!

More proof that DH needs a pass and a big bloody heater too!

Or at the very least a big pair of ladders and a thermos!

[Beefymcfc]

Eh Doug (see what I did there - ADUG....ADUG, anyway), no need to tell you how much people think of you with regards to these reports and the dedication you show to them and this board, however I do have a question that I would like you to answer with your personal thoughts, if you don't mind:

As you are the man on the spot, and have been for a while now, how as the training changed from the Hughes era and do you think it is better, and more productive?

Cheers in advance our kid.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Eh Doug (see what I did there - ADUG....ADUG, anyway), no need to tell you how much people think of you with regards to these reports and the dedication you show to them and this board, however I do have a question that I would like you to answer with your personal thoughts, if you don't mind:

As you are the man on the spot, and have been for a while now, how as the training changed from the Hughes era and do you think it is better, and more productive?

Cheers in advance our kid.

Someone else asked that Beefy and it really isn't easy to answer. Partly because it's a bit early to say but also because i havent actually watched that much since Mancini came in because of the weather and the fencing.

Taking that into account here's a few thoughts :)

Right at the start he will have been clear that the problem ( from looking at resulats and of course listening to informed opinion) was the defence. So he focussed pretty well all his initial work on the defence. Not rocket science I am sure is the cry but there again how come Hughes hadn't solved it? He didn't from what I saw spend loads of time on the training pitch working at defensive situations , hitting crosses and corners in etc but from what I have seen he has:
1) got the full backs sitting in position more.Hardly at all have we seen the full backs getting far forward and leaving gaps at the back so that when we lose the ball we are still in good shape.
2) He spent a lot of time personally with the whole squad walking around the field with them around him and simply talking to them about shape. About how to press the ball as a team and no doubt how every player in the team is vital to that and not just those nearest the ball. I think Gareth Barry mentioned this approach somewhere.
3) From corners we seem to now have a zonal approach rather than a man marking approach.

Of course it's so far so good. We havent let a goal in yet and not really looked like it either.With the quality we have going forward we have been able to leave it to them to score the necessary goals BUT it's early days and we have only played Stoke ( who were poor on the day) Wolves who basically didn't have an attack on the night and Boro who don't have an attack at all.

Plus we have had some good fortune along the way with deflected goals , contentious off side decisions and a Benjani goal ( maybe that last one being the luckiest of all!)

I don't think for a minute Hughes told the full backs to race forward and leave gaps at the back.No doubt at all that when some race forward others will have had instruction to cover the spaces but the bottom line was that it hadnt' worked very well as we all know. Add to that players were making crazy individual mistakes that havent happened in the last 3 matches or should I say we havent been punished for. Again I say lets wait a little longer before we go OTT. I would like to see us play better teams and beat then too and teams with more ability from set pieces to see how we cope with zonal defence.

I have seen us work on the training pitch on 2 occasions on defending corners with Mancini. Maybe he has done it 10 times though and talked about it a lot as well , I wouldn't know.

2 other things on the training specifics. First they don't seem to do the same amount of warming up and stretching before getting into anything serious. Plus there have been many times I have watched as players have been out there in freezing conditions but doing virtually nothing. Again I stress I haven't been there anything like all the time they have trained but this has been noticeable to me.I am no fitness coach but it made me fear they might get a few strains and the like.

The other thing is how little competitive , intense training they have done with a ball. Mancini's priorities were in defence so this wouldnt be a great surprise but it is something that has stood out to me. Apart from 1or 2 brief ( 1 today) exercises there has been little competitive football played when I have been there.

Is it better , more productive some will say look at results so clearly yes to a point but we will know better in a month.

[Ted Hughes]

Nice work Doug. Dedication beyond the call of duty, well either that or masochism.

[Nige]

Doug, you're a mad man. But thanks for the update.

[Wonderwall]

no more news from VK then. We need a raised platform fund I think!!

cheers for the great work as ever doug.

[john@staustell]

Well done Doug. I've noticed in matches that when an oppo player has the ball he's not only faced with a defender or 2 in front but when he turns there are 2 City players pressing him from the other side too. Noticeably different.

I was starting to feel sorry from the players working late when I heard the V8s roar off at 5.30pm in that daft SKY bugger's report, sitting outside Carrington hoping to see Vieira in a blacked-out limo!

Thanks goodness they only started work at 3! Or was that the second session of the day Doug?