Training Monday 18/1

[Douglas Higginbottom]

No snow and the first training outside the fence for ages. The reserves were already wandering out to join Brian Kidd when I arrived and there were plenty of faces I couldnt put names to but some still with that group were Trippier/Mak/Weiss/Vidal and Mee. Kidd although helping set up for the reserves and starting them off soon left them to join Mancini when the first team came out.Boyata and Ibrahim with the first team squad again.

Before they got into anything they all gathered around to listen to the boss. Couldnt hear a word!

Then they all got together in and around a penalty area as if for a corner to go over the positions he wants to be adopted. He does this in some detail occasionally moving a player around I assumed to deal with different types of corners taken.This with a group of players watching on and just taking it all in. At no time were any crosses actually knocked in, it was all theory. Briefly they also set up for crosses from deeper positions so that he could go over the line he wants them to take.

After that it was all getting into the general positions and moving around the field with Mancini conducting. He does this every session from what I have seen to ensure they are very clear on the team shape and movements as the ball is in different parts of the pitch.Then the group split into two with one just playing the ball around between themselves but the other which was basically all the defenders spending time listening to Mancini on defensive shape again.

After 5 minutes or so they all did some stretching before splitting into 2 teams for some keep ball work in a large square.Routine one touch passing and moving.

Although I had a clear view my eyes from 100+ yards are not perfect. Usually it's fairly easy to tell who is who from their movements and kicking a ball but as they weren't doing much of that it wasn't that easy to spot who was missing. The good news is that Stevie Ireland was out there as was Petrov and Tevez but sadly no Vieira. I thought I saw NDJ but not sure about him. In what seemed like no time at all they stopped and started wandering off so it was a light session today no doubt not wanting to overdo it and risk more injuries.

During the session a group of came out to watch including Garry Cook and Chairman Khaldoon ( + 2 I couldnt make out) and right at the end they were joined by Vicky Kloss and a host of others as I think they did some filming probably for a video to be shown on the OS soon.

Close to the changing rooms was 1 player working hard on his own with a physio which I think was Lescott but again it was a long way away.

Edit: Title changed :)

[blues-clues]

Cheers Doug. Great report as always. Must be glad to see the back of the snow and get back to some nice rain!

Hard to tell from range of course but did Tevez look ok? Must be the main concern for the semi.

[Wonderwall]

you should have shouted Khaldoon over doug, that would have got the ball moving in the quest for a pass ;-)

[Douglas Higginbottom]

you should have shouted Khaldoon over doug, that would have got the ball moving in the quest for a pass ;-)

Check your pm's!

[ant london]

you should have shouted Khaldoon over doug, that would have got the ball moving in the quest for a pass ;-)

Check your pm's!

i just checked....nothing

haha

[Crossie]

Do you take binoculars?

Im off work next week, thinking about going down.

[blue wine]

was robi out? if so, was he happy?

[Douglas Higginbottom]

was robi out? if so, was he happy?

Robi was there yes. He didn't look unhappy but there again he wasn't quite his usual fun self.

[Mike J]

was robi out? if so, was he happy?

Robi was there yes. He didn't look unhappy but there again he wasn't quite his usual fun self.

he needs to get his head down and start working harder.

[Nick]

Doug, im interested in how much emphasis Bob has been putting on attacking and quick/ one touch passing vs. Hughes. It does sound like it is defence, defence, defence at the moment, and i dont want our attacking play to suffer like it did on saturday.

[Original Dub]

Those of you who used to intimate that Doug's training reports were biased in favour of Hughes, should really apologise to the man, because its clear as day they have not changed.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Doug, im interested in how much emphasis Bob has been putting on attacking and quick/ one touch passing vs. Hughes. It does sound like it is defence, defence, defence at the moment, and i dont want our attacking play to suffer like it did on saturday.

I spose it does sound like a lot of defence but I would bear in mind I haven't seen all the training since the change. And of course it wasn't rocket science to work out that the priority was the defensive side. Even saying that though it's not just the defence it's the team shape and getting across the importance of the whole team in defensive situations

It's not that previously they didn't work on the same or very similar things but the emphasis has changed. There used to be quite a few warm up routines based on quick 1 or 2 touch passing and I havent seen as much of that although it's still there. The attacking routines when they have done them have been much the same.

[Biamp]

Cheers Doug, with RSC ruled out for a month that would leave us with Benji as alone striker. Is there any signs of academy strikers joining the first team?

[Bingo Lewis]

Cheers Doug, with RSC ruled out for a month that would leave us with Benji as alone striker.

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[Douglas Higginbottom]

Cheers Doug, with RSC ruled out for a month that would leave us with Benji as alone striker. Is there any signs of academy strikers joining the first team?

We havent got a reserve or academy striker of that type. Of the ones we do have David Ball is injured I believe, Robbie Mak has trained with the first team but not today and Alex Nimely is a forward with potential but not really an out and out goalscorer and probably not ready for the step up yet.

[Dubaimancityfan]

Do you take binoculars?

Im off work next week, thinking about going down.

I have a spare pair that I can send you Doug.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Do you take binoculars?

Im off work next week, thinking about going down.

I have a spare pair that I can send you Doug.

I do have some but left them in the car today. Must do better clearly

[BoltFromTheBlue]

Not using binoculars!? Doug out! hahaha, great report as always DH

[sweenyuk]

Doug, im interested in how much emphasis Bob has been putting on attacking and quick/ one touch passing vs. Hughes. It does sound like it is defence, defence, defence at the moment, and i dont want our attacking play to suffer like it did on saturday.

This question always puzzles me as one touch play weakens players such as Sweep and Petrov whose strengths are running past defenders, but yes I have seen some great 1 touch play that has got us through the middle of the field... Which style suits us best?

[Goataldo]

Doug, im interested in how much emphasis Bob has been putting on attacking and quick/ one touch passing vs. Hughes. It does sound like it is defence, defence, defence at the moment, and i dont want our attacking play to suffer like it did on saturday.

This question always puzzles me as one touch play weakens players such as Sweep and Petrov whose strengths are running past defenders, but yes I have seen some great 1 touch play that has got us through the middle of the field... Which style suits us best?

I wouldn' have thought it weakens them, it just puts emphasis on an area where they can improve, surely the point of training?

Dunno how much defensive training can stop Zabs charging into people like a raging bull though.