Training Tuesday 20/11
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 1:41 pm
Massed camera ranks out today as it's the pre CL game and 20 players on show.All but Clichy basically as Rodwell was back after his 45 minutes against Stockport last night. I did go along yesterday but there were only 11 players out with most of the team v Villa having a day inside.
Keepers out first as always and Massimo already waiting to give them a hard time.I think that's a given with Massimo as he won't let anyone get complacent.Just the 3 with Massimo but I think I saw Gunnar Neilsen going to work with the EDS.Is Gunnar really still with us? Everything just felt right within the team today.They did a warm up jog, a few exercises and stretches and there just seemed a good buzz around the group. The argentinian contingent with Aleks,Yaya with Samir and Garcia,Vinnie with Jack,Kolo with Razak and Sinclair and good to see Mario back and looking focussed.
Then it was over to another pitch for some tactical and shape work pre the Real game. Adam Drury was used for a while as a wide player running at defenders ( he's good at that) just to give them a feel for you know who.Then it was back over for more exercises.Quire what Carlos did or said to Yaya I don't know he was chasing after him with some intent and a big smile but failing.
Into a passing game which started with one touch ,right foot only ,switching to left foot only and then 2 touch.The ability of the players,especially Yaya,Silva,Nasri to receive difficult balls under pressure but still maintain control and lay it off is just special and great to watch. The pass/move ,press game evolved into trying to score in the 5 a side nets and it was 2 goals from Kolarov and Dzeko that won the game. There was one sweet bit of skill from Sergio when he was tight in a corner and it was just one touch allowed.He used the defender as a wall and then laid of a neat pass to a teammate as the defender couldnt sort his feet out in time to stop him.
A few more fast feet exercises before the game and early on it was Panti showing great form with excellent saves from Barry,Mario and Edin and when Sinclair went round him he had to go so far he had no angle to score! Some things don't change as the wind was making it hard to play any longer passes and Joe Hart was constantly heard giving instructions to his back 4.The ref today was Gregucci,pretty good too.It was developing into a really good competitive game and bearing in mind it was 11 a side on half a pitch there was little room to play.
The first goal came from a great break by Barry onto a neat pass and he rounded the keeper to score easily.The almost immediately a great SS cross was headed in superbly by Edin.Zaba took Edin out in the area but no pen and all smiles.Joleon was in really commanding form today but Sergio got a goal back cutting across the area from the right to smash a beauty inside the far post.SS was blatantly pulled back by Vinnie but Fausto as lino gave nothing against the skipper.That was about that.
I wondered about some free kicks but Mancini took the entire back line for some extra work on defending free kicks coming in from the angles. Kolo stayed out and it just seemed it was talking with Razak.I left then but it seemed likely that Sinclair ,Milner and maybe Aleks would have some shooting practice but it would have to be without a keeper.
Enjoyable to watch today.Happily the rain stayed off but no doubt it will be there for the match tomorrow as is the norm.
Keepers out first as always and Massimo already waiting to give them a hard time.I think that's a given with Massimo as he won't let anyone get complacent.Just the 3 with Massimo but I think I saw Gunnar Neilsen going to work with the EDS.Is Gunnar really still with us? Everything just felt right within the team today.They did a warm up jog, a few exercises and stretches and there just seemed a good buzz around the group. The argentinian contingent with Aleks,Yaya with Samir and Garcia,Vinnie with Jack,Kolo with Razak and Sinclair and good to see Mario back and looking focussed.
Then it was over to another pitch for some tactical and shape work pre the Real game. Adam Drury was used for a while as a wide player running at defenders ( he's good at that) just to give them a feel for you know who.Then it was back over for more exercises.Quire what Carlos did or said to Yaya I don't know he was chasing after him with some intent and a big smile but failing.
Into a passing game which started with one touch ,right foot only ,switching to left foot only and then 2 touch.The ability of the players,especially Yaya,Silva,Nasri to receive difficult balls under pressure but still maintain control and lay it off is just special and great to watch. The pass/move ,press game evolved into trying to score in the 5 a side nets and it was 2 goals from Kolarov and Dzeko that won the game. There was one sweet bit of skill from Sergio when he was tight in a corner and it was just one touch allowed.He used the defender as a wall and then laid of a neat pass to a teammate as the defender couldnt sort his feet out in time to stop him.
A few more fast feet exercises before the game and early on it was Panti showing great form with excellent saves from Barry,Mario and Edin and when Sinclair went round him he had to go so far he had no angle to score! Some things don't change as the wind was making it hard to play any longer passes and Joe Hart was constantly heard giving instructions to his back 4.The ref today was Gregucci,pretty good too.It was developing into a really good competitive game and bearing in mind it was 11 a side on half a pitch there was little room to play.
The first goal came from a great break by Barry onto a neat pass and he rounded the keeper to score easily.The almost immediately a great SS cross was headed in superbly by Edin.Zaba took Edin out in the area but no pen and all smiles.Joleon was in really commanding form today but Sergio got a goal back cutting across the area from the right to smash a beauty inside the far post.SS was blatantly pulled back by Vinnie but Fausto as lino gave nothing against the skipper.That was about that.
I wondered about some free kicks but Mancini took the entire back line for some extra work on defending free kicks coming in from the angles. Kolo stayed out and it just seemed it was talking with Razak.I left then but it seemed likely that Sinclair ,Milner and maybe Aleks would have some shooting practice but it would have to be without a keeper.
Enjoyable to watch today.Happily the rain stayed off but no doubt it will be there for the match tomorrow as is the norm.