Re: Training Wednesday 8/2
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:30 pm
Here goes:
1) Planning and organisation.
It didnt seem the best from the start but that's all gone now.(apart from still changing the start times at short notice) I would say it is all very carefully planned now in keeping with Mancini's meticulous nature and everything is laid out and in place early.There is a sizeable coaching team who organise and set up everything but without doubt it's to specifications laid down by the boss.
Probably no different in all of this with Hughes but maybe his team had more of a say in what the plans were.
2) Warm Ups. Probably very similar now to before.Something at the start even if gentle ( not forgetting that some gym work is done before they go out) plus stretches and fitness routines often during the overall session.Hughes implemented a significant back room sports science set up and that is still in place plus of course there were massive changes within the Carrington complex to bring the set up to state of the art. The fitness of the team was good and is even better now in terms of injury problems (touch wood)compared to every club in the prem I think.
3) Hands on. I dont think I need to say anything more than I have in training reports. Mancini takes basically everything.
4) Tactical. Again I don't need to say too much. Mancini worked really really hard on the team shape and discipline.Initially with a defensive leaning because of the weaknesses we were showing at the time and that is still happening today albeit much less.He still will take the odd session to work solely on team formation and without a ball being invloved but just to remind and rum in what he expects.I recall Petrov saying very soon after he took over that we all know what to do now and that involved working hard and defending as a team.He even said that meant him and Robinho as well.
Very funny really as if Hughes had said they didnt have to do that.Both regimes focus on short small sided games where passing/movement and touch were key but Hughes did use some 11 a side situatuions to work on things whereas Mancini virtually never has.
He does get 11 players on the field and have them pass the ball around and work on attacking a dfensive sitauations but mostly without any opposition.Whereas Hughes would work it often but with a team to play against.Hughes also tended to watch a lot of the sessions including tactical stuff and leave Bowen and Niedzvicki giving direction on the field.With Mancini it's 100% him
5) Situations. The same as above. For corners and free kicks its all Mancini and usually but not always done without opposing players getting involved.Pretty well total emphasis on where players should be.And of course it's zonal work as against man to man marking.
6) Attacking. Same again.All Mancini and mostly done without opposition but the stuff they worked on was similar.It has evolved though as we now have a much better squad and they have taken attacking play to another level. A lot of that will definitely be down to Mancini whether it's directly from what he says or a by product of him getting better quality players and his encouragement to do what comes naturally to them.
7) Team work. The situation where the team do different things at times just doesnt seem an issue but is different to what used to happen.Training didnt seem as much fun for a while but that's probably because of the specific repeated work done on the shape/formation stuff and maybe simply because everyone was working hard and making sure they impressed the new boss. Didnt work too well for some did it :)
The fact is the team are a team now and training looks and sounds like fun.
8)Intensity. The above would also explain (I think) why it seemed the intensity seemed lower in the initial weeks/months. It does vary a little now from time to time but I thinks how it should be but the intensity of the matches they play now compared to with Hughes is very similar.Possibly a little moreso now.
9) Personal chats.Does Mancini ever talk to players? Of course he does and on a very regular basis and that's only what I see on the training pitch.
And along with the intensity of the training and the fact that I am lucky enough to be inside the fencing I can say that I enjoy it more now than before.Hell look at the quality of what I am watching.We've just won a trophy and another is in reach and we have an array of magnificent footballers to watch.
So after all that waffle the answer is that the key difference is Mancini and his very hands on approach on everything.
1) Planning and organisation.
It didnt seem the best from the start but that's all gone now.(apart from still changing the start times at short notice) I would say it is all very carefully planned now in keeping with Mancini's meticulous nature and everything is laid out and in place early.There is a sizeable coaching team who organise and set up everything but without doubt it's to specifications laid down by the boss.
Probably no different in all of this with Hughes but maybe his team had more of a say in what the plans were.
2) Warm Ups. Probably very similar now to before.Something at the start even if gentle ( not forgetting that some gym work is done before they go out) plus stretches and fitness routines often during the overall session.Hughes implemented a significant back room sports science set up and that is still in place plus of course there were massive changes within the Carrington complex to bring the set up to state of the art. The fitness of the team was good and is even better now in terms of injury problems (touch wood)compared to every club in the prem I think.
3) Hands on. I dont think I need to say anything more than I have in training reports. Mancini takes basically everything.
4) Tactical. Again I don't need to say too much. Mancini worked really really hard on the team shape and discipline.Initially with a defensive leaning because of the weaknesses we were showing at the time and that is still happening today albeit much less.He still will take the odd session to work solely on team formation and without a ball being invloved but just to remind and rum in what he expects.I recall Petrov saying very soon after he took over that we all know what to do now and that involved working hard and defending as a team.He even said that meant him and Robinho as well.
Very funny really as if Hughes had said they didnt have to do that.Both regimes focus on short small sided games where passing/movement and touch were key but Hughes did use some 11 a side situatuions to work on things whereas Mancini virtually never has.
He does get 11 players on the field and have them pass the ball around and work on attacking a dfensive sitauations but mostly without any opposition.Whereas Hughes would work it often but with a team to play against.Hughes also tended to watch a lot of the sessions including tactical stuff and leave Bowen and Niedzvicki giving direction on the field.With Mancini it's 100% him
5) Situations. The same as above. For corners and free kicks its all Mancini and usually but not always done without opposing players getting involved.Pretty well total emphasis on where players should be.And of course it's zonal work as against man to man marking.
6) Attacking. Same again.All Mancini and mostly done without opposition but the stuff they worked on was similar.It has evolved though as we now have a much better squad and they have taken attacking play to another level. A lot of that will definitely be down to Mancini whether it's directly from what he says or a by product of him getting better quality players and his encouragement to do what comes naturally to them.
7) Team work. The situation where the team do different things at times just doesnt seem an issue but is different to what used to happen.Training didnt seem as much fun for a while but that's probably because of the specific repeated work done on the shape/formation stuff and maybe simply because everyone was working hard and making sure they impressed the new boss. Didnt work too well for some did it :)
The fact is the team are a team now and training looks and sounds like fun.
8)Intensity. The above would also explain (I think) why it seemed the intensity seemed lower in the initial weeks/months. It does vary a little now from time to time but I thinks how it should be but the intensity of the matches they play now compared to with Hughes is very similar.Possibly a little moreso now.
9) Personal chats.Does Mancini ever talk to players? Of course he does and on a very regular basis and that's only what I see on the training pitch.
And along with the intensity of the training and the fact that I am lucky enough to be inside the fencing I can say that I enjoy it more now than before.Hell look at the quality of what I am watching.We've just won a trophy and another is in reach and we have an array of magnificent footballers to watch.
So after all that waffle the answer is that the key difference is Mancini and his very hands on approach on everything.