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Part 1 this morning as they were out early at 10.15 for some special fitness work all about power and speed. Half the squad to start with and the rest 45 minutes later. They worked around 3 different routines. One pulling a sleigh type contraption with weights added.I say pulling but it was all about short sprints with it attached around the body. Another was just about steps using rings to go left foot right foot and ending with a sprint finish and the final one with an elasticated rope attached to the waist and fitted onto the fence for them to run away from and do various exercises.

All good stuff watching them work hard. Shay's contorted face was good for a laugh pulling the weights but SWP showed how it's done with his pose at the end flexing his muscles Mr Universe style. Each session ended with a short 5/6 a side game. Everyone looked pretty fit and the only notable absence was Tevez but he is expected back for the football session this afternoon.

Cheers Doug.

Am I correct in saying the emphasis seems to have changed & there are more varied routines from the earlier defensive drills of Mancini's time, as if we're moving to the next phase or am I reading too much into your reports?

Ted Hughes wrote:Cheers Doug.

Am I correct in saying the emphasis seems to have changed & there are more varied routines from the earlier defensive drills of Mancini's time, as if we're moving to the next phase or am I reading too much into your reports?

Hard to say yet Ted although it is likely. Bearing in mind they did say on arrival how pleased they were with the fitness levels of the squad it allowed them to work a lot on the tactical aspects and especially defensive issues as was needed.The fitness issue was never ignored but so far into the season it will have been all about keeping them ticking over rather than it needing major work.

There were stories about all sorts of extra training and real hard work but largely that was rubbish. The extent there was anything extra was all about a new management team needing to get to know the players and for the players to get to know how Mancini wanted them to organise and play. There was a lot of emphasis on team shape and organisation both in open play and defending against set pieces. Even now he will do work on this to ensure it is/has become second nature in all sorts of circumstances.

Now they have had an extended break since the Chelsea match ( a lot obviously away with national teams) and I suppose it seems logical when they all get back together to reassess fitness levels before the final end of season push. As with every training session I see they are all videod and somebody in the background will assess what they see.Maybe something gets picked up from doing that maybe not but a lot of time is spent looking at the videos on training just as it is on match footage and the prozone stats that the club gets.

I will be interested to watch this afternoon and future sessions to see what is worked on and how , if at all, it has changed from the early Mancini training.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:Cheers Doug.

Am I correct in saying the emphasis seems to have changed & there are more varied routines from the earlier defensive drills of Mancini's time, as if we're moving to the next phase or am I reading too much into your reports?

Hard to say yet Ted although it is likely. Bearing in mind they did say on arrival how pleased they were with the fitness levels of the squad it allowed them to work a lot on the tactical aspects and especially defensive issues as was needed.The fitness issue was never ignored but so far into the season it will have been all about keeping them ticking over rather than it needing major work.

There were stories about all sorts of extra training and real hard work but largely that was rubbish. The extent there was anything extra was all about a new management team needing to get to know the players and for the players to get to know how Mancini wanted them to organise and play. There was a lot of emphasis on team shape and organisation both in open play and defending against set pieces. Even now he will do work on this to ensure it is/has become second nature in all sorts of circumstances.

Now they have had an extended break since the Chelsea match ( a lot obviously away with national teams) and I suppose it seems logical when they all get back together to reassess fitness levels before the final end of season push. As with every training session I see they are all videod and somebody in the background will assess what they see.Maybe something gets picked up from doing that maybe not but a lot of time is spent looking at the videos on training just as it is on match footage and the prozone stats that the club gets.

I will be interested to watch this afternoon and future sessions to see what is worked on and how , if at all, it has changed from the early Mancini training.

Thanks Doug. All interesting stuff anyhow. Keep up the good work!

Thanks Doug, hope they give you lunch before the afternoon session!?

Good to see some intense training, I think we were a bit worried when the sessions got down to 20 minutes keepy-uppy just before Chelsea. But it worked and obviously Bobby knows a bit about getting the balance right.

Working against a force - be it gravity or an elastic band - is a lot harder and more beneficial than just running on the flat. Either that or he expects Sunderland to pull the shirts a lot!!

Cheers Doug look forward to the second part.

Part 2 was still minus Tevez but also missing Nedum and Boyata who I guess might be involved in the reserve game tomorrow night at Alty. Routine kind of session with a couple of one and two touch keep ball circles to start with and then a similar kind of thing within a small pitch. Just focussing on touch, movement and quick passing. 3 new guys involved were Chris Chantler , Frederic Veseli and Reece Wabara. At some point they were helping out with the keeper training being used to fire in the crosses and shots as required before they joined in the football practice with the rest.

After these exercises Mancini took a team away to a full pitch to work primarily on attacking play passing the ball out from defence through the middle and mostly wide before finding the right ball inside the box.There was also some defensive corners work with Mancini doing the corner taking with either foot depending on whether he wanted inswing or outswing. As per the norm he did hit the front man a lot but they did use those to work on the fast break from defence.

Whilst the team were working on that with Mancini the rest played a 5 a side game close by the fence which was fast and furious. I thought Wabara and Veseli showed up quite well. Less chance for Chantler as he was playing in the middle where there was so little room to move. The groups then switched around so I got a closer look at the main squad for the next game playing 5 a side.Good fun for sure with the only negative when Vinnie had to leave the field with what looked like a hamstring concern. Nothing serious I am sure but just playing safe.

Good competitive fun during this including where SWP clearly tripped Bridge for a penalty but after much banter and argument the decision was he dived! SWP was well pleased.Two games were played here and it was 1 each with some players wanting a decider but the coaches called it a day. Just Bellers and SWP staying out for a short while for some finishing practice against Shay. Shay won overall but Bellers finished with a beauty.

thx doug

it really worrys me that tevez hasnt been training alot lately! will he be back tomorow?

blue wine wrote:thx doug

it really worrys me that tevez hasnt been training alot lately! will he be back tomorow?

I am sure Tevez will have kept his fitness levels up. As they said he might have been out in the afternoon I don't think there is anything to worry about. I didn't get a chance to ask but my guess is he might have been doing other work inside. ( that's me being positive)

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:

blue wine wrote:thx doug

it really worrys me that tevez hasnt been training alot lately! will he be back tomorow?

I am sure Tevez will have kept his fitness levels up. As they said he might have been out in the afternoon I don't think there is anything to worry about. I didn't get a chance to ask but my guess is he might have been doing other work inside. ( that's me being positive)

We should have more to worry about him having depleted enegry levels after all this shagging he has been doing..............

Allegedly

Super read yet again Doug