Nice warm day and the first training session of the week leading up to the massive Villa game. Missing were Ade ( he was out but only jogging with a physio) NDJ,Bridge and of course Given and Taylor. The only 2 keepers were Neilsen and Karius so Gonzalez must be injured as well as I had heard.
Sadly all work was done away on the far side so I wasn't close enough to get a feel for much but it seemed pretty quiet. Various exercises followed by them all coming to the pitch behind the fence but that was only for some repeat positional/shape work. Then back again to do some stretching exercises before they had a 9 a side game. Barry left them at this stage but there was no sign of injury so just precautionary I am sure.
Nothing much to report in the game .I could hear the viking screaming out his familiar 2 phrases of stop the cross and no shot and from all I saw in his work with the keeper coach and in this short game he was in good nick. Worth mentioning though that Massimo the keeper coach was taking no prisoners today screaming at them regularly and the kepers were very clear when he was unhappy.Come to think of it nothing really new there.
Very few goals in the game but a very nice move finished it off with RSC scoring from Bellers cross.Thefinal part for today was again behind the fence and all about attacking work.Tevez , Bellers and RSC mostly getting on the end if things and giving the keeper Karius a tough time. I would expect the tempo to pick up through the week.