Are we set to be the "fittest team in the league"?

[cambridgeshire canary 6,833]

Sounds good if true.

Edited June 27, 2023 by cambridgeshire canary

[Mello Yello 2,306]

Here's hopping.....

[dylanisabaddog 5,021]

A damning indictment of Smith and Shakespeare. 

[Danke bitte 967]

My concern with this is, more intensive training usually equals more injury. Farke had intensive methods and we often had injury periods 

[Flying Dutchman 744]

15 minutes ago, Danke bitte said:

My concern with this is, more intensive training usually equals more injury. Farke had intensive methods and we often had injury periods 

But despite the injuries, we also got out of this division in 2 out of 3 attempts, as Champions. And with a reputation of scoring late goals.

It seems its not a terrible tactic to be fitter than your opponents, certainly towards the end of crucial games.

[Fuzzar 1,705]

25 minutes ago, dylanisabaddog said:

A damning indictment of Smith and Shakespeare. 

"That's enough running lads. Your tea is going cold and we bought doughnuts."

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

I think its become clearer that apart from exceptional stars, you need to be much more of an athlete to be a successful footballer in a successful team. Fitness is a key part of that. 

[lake district canary 4,551]

22 minutes ago, dylanisabaddog said:

A damning indictment of Smith and Shakespeare. 

Indeed. He reduced training, which seems unbelievable. How that was supposed to help anyone, I dont know. The argument - presumably - was that players would be fresher for games, but that is an old school attitude. 

It all points to being the desperation Webber had from sacking Farke and having to go for Smith as the only viable candidate. It feels just as shocking today as it did eighteen months ago. It was one thing sacking Farke, but then not having a decent follow on replacement was ludicrous. 

[The Real Buh 3,486]

We were so lacking under Smith in fitness. It’s so essential.

[Top corner 230]

My brother in law came to one of the games with me last season & he said that one of the biggest thing which he noticed between us & the opposition was how unfit we looked compared to the opposition, how much faster the opposition looked & how much stronger the opposition were.

[NFN FC 1,123]

28 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

Indeed. He reduced training, which seems unbelievable. How that was supposed to help anyone, I dont know. The argument - presumably - was that players would be fresher for games, but that is an old school attitude. 

It all points to being the desperation Webber had from sacking Farke and having to go for Smith as the only viable candidate. It feels just as shocking today as it did eighteen months ago. It was one thing sacking Farke, but then not having a decent follow on replacement was ludicrous. 

How else would he have freed up enough time for golf? 

[pete 320]

Believe it when I see it, good to hava fit squad for a coach with sound coaching ideas.  Is that Wagner?

[Michael Starr 522]

Would also explain the criticism from some with the notion that "whenever we conceded, we gave up". Partly confidence but also partly fitness and the inability to drive a game back into our favour.

[The Real Buh 3,486]

2 minutes ago, Michael Starr said:

Would also explain the criticism from some with the notion that "whenever we conceded, we gave up". Partly confidence but also partly fitness and the inability to drive a game back into our favour.

We were being coached by an overweight guy called “shakey”

[The Raptor 1,248]

36 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

The argument - presumably - was that players would be fresher for games, but that is an old school attitude. 

From personal experience I've found the opposite is true. The more you train the better you feel.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,865]

6 minutes ago, Michael Starr said:

Would also explain the criticism from some with the notion that "whenever we conceded, we gave up". Partly confidence but also partly fitness and the inability to drive a game back into our favour.

I was thinking the same. We always started brightly for the first 10-20 minutes during Wagner's reign, even the terrible run at the end, but then tailed off from there. Maybe it was a lack of fitness rather than a fragile mentality. 

[hogesar 9,768]

2 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

I was thinking the same. We always started brightly for the first 10-20 minutes during Wagner's reign, even the terrible run at the end, but then tailed off from there. Maybe it was a lack of fitness rather than a fragile mentality. 

I'd put it down to both, particularly towards the end when our inexperience was a little obvious.

[The Raptor 1,248]

They kind of go together. If you know you can run around for 100 minutes with a decent intensity its not on your mind. If after 70 minutes or so you're knackered you're going to think about that rather than picking up a player at a corner or spotting a gap you can put a pass in to start an attack.

[Barry Brockes 148]

I read somewhere that one of the big six clubs, might be Arsenal, now actively recruit young athletes into their set--up as opposed to recruit young footballers on the grounds that it's easier to coach good athletes to be good footballers than it is the other way round. Presumably this recognises the increasingly important role that athleticism plays in the modern game.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,865]

6 minutes ago, hogesar said:

I'd put it down to both, particularly towards the end when our inexperience was a little obvious.

Yep, agreed.

[Capt. Pants 4,298]

Music to my ears.

We certainly weren't putting a shift in last season and as mentioned very few late goals or evening a sustained effort to create them.

 

[norfolkngood 1,092]

39 minutes ago, Barry Brockes said:

I read somewhere that one of the big six clubs, might be Arsenal, now actively recruit young athletes into their set--up as opposed to recruit young footballers on the grounds that it's easier to coach good athletes to be good footballers than it is the other way round. Presumably this recognises the increasingly important role that athleticism plays in the modern game.

There is some truth in that 

Norwich scouted and signed a friend's son a CB because he is very good footballer but also because dad is a massive unit like sol Campbell size not a ouch of fat on him 

they even asked the boy is that your dad standing behind the goal ! 

i suppose hoping the boy who was very quick and good would also be his dads build and height  

[norfolkngood 1,092]

I Do not think it is quite as easy as making the team fitter as every club has Top fitness coaches and chefs etc 

think it was Gary Neville who said Man utd got fit doing work with the ball mostly not just running 

A good manager with get us playing better not a fitness coach 

[lake district canary 4,551]

8 minutes ago, norfolkngood said:

I Do not think it is quite as easy as making the team fitter as every club has Top fitness coaches and chefs etc 

think it was Gary Neville who said Man utd got fit doing work with the ball mostly not just running 

A good manager with get us playing better not a fitness coach 

Ron Saunders was the classic fitness freak - and that worked to get us promoted, but the only way we could stay in the top league longer was with John Bond, on who's arrival the players were amazed they were actually allowed to train with the ball......

A combination of the two is the ideal -and it worked for Farke who reached the ceiling of the players' abilities. Smith came in and lessening the only thing that we could use to our advantage - our fitness - was utterly ridiculous. 

[hogesar 9,768]

16 minutes ago, norfolkngood said:

I Do not think it is quite as easy as making the team fitter as every club has Top fitness coaches and chefs etc 

think it was Gary Neville who said Man utd got fit doing work with the ball mostly not just running 

A good manager with get us playing better not a fitness coach 

It's more different styles of fitness to suit styles of play. You could see us counter-press high up the pitch in Wagners early games when we had a full squad. As injuries mounted up and players with less minutes got on the pitch, they couldn't press on triggers and ended up leaving spaces particularly in midfield. Wagner then clearly stopped us doing that when we lost so many players which is where he was then accused of not having a discernible style.

[Worthy Nigelton 1,079]

Great news.

[Yobocop 1,105]

1 hour ago, The Real Buh said:

We were being coached by an overweight guy called “shakey”

Doesn’t work mate does it? Because that was the the same guy who coached Leicester to become premier league champions 

[Ward 3 374]

3 hours ago, dylanisabaddog said:

A damning indictment of Smith and Shakespeare. 

Also didn't help they are both fat lazy bastads

[ZLF 275]

Fit enough to last a game would be a start, esp with wagners preferred intensity.   

Fittest prob not needed but fit and able to deliver instructions with discipline as a team is what we need

[The Real Buh 3,486]

2 hours ago, Yobocop said:

Doesn’t work mate does it? Because that was the the same guy who coached Leicester to become premier league champions 

It still hurts how wrong you were, doesn’t it?