Inside Information

[canarydan23 4,060]

Nothing major, but a well-placed source has said the players were only given a two-week break and after that were told to wear Apple watches and given daily instructions that would be tracked on the watches, with a £2,000 fine for each day they failed to do so.

Also, Duffy and McLean were very unprofessional and arrogant during their returning physiology tests, acting like it was pointless and that they were above the tests.

[Mello Yello 2,302]

An Apple a day sends the squad's malingerers on their way....

[How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,192]

1984 😱

[crispeduk 282]

If true and I have no reason to either believe or disbelieve it, I'm a bit uncomfortable with this in the same way that Elastic Man is. But any people who push back against the new boss’s ideas in any workplace are riding for a fall as they then have to deliver every time to justify that resistance, so if this is the case here we can expect nothing less than full commitment on the pitch all the time. Think that might be a windbag way of agreeing with Mellow 🙂

Edited July 8, 2023 by crispeduk

[SwearyCanary 1,179]

Not worried about this, it’s a job where their physical fitness is key to success after a season that was hugely disappointing. I’m not hugely sure on the fine, but meh, if it gets a ticket up then then whatever. I suspect they fine each other much more for the bants anyway such is the volume of cash flowing between them. 

[Google Bot 3,298]

Duffy and McLean sound like a pair of cops who are willing to break the rules if it means getting their man, I like it!

Where can we watch Series 1?

[cambridgeshire canary 6,789]

ONLY a two week break? Free apple watches?

 

Poor dears how ever will they cope

[TheGunnShow 5,989]

Ah yes, Cr-apple watches and S-hitBits. They'll be more fecked up more often than our physio's table.

[RobJames 889]

For the amount they get paid - around the same for a week as many get for a year then so be it. As much as it is on the players to conform, it will be on the club/Wagner to deliver the goods. Farke did it twice without, keeping a watch on them, or their wrist as it is.

[Mr Apples 1,325]

1 hour ago, Google Bot said:

Duffy and McLean sound like a pair of cops who are willing to break the rules if it means getting their man, I like it!

Where can we watch Series 1?

They've only got 24 hours...one last chance, or they are finished in this town. 🤣

Apples

Edited July 8, 2023 by Mr Apples
Spelling

[RobJames 889]

1 minute ago, Mr Apples said:

They've only got 24 hours...one last chance, or they are finished in ths town. 🤣

Apples

Do you make watches by any chance ?

James

[Well b back 3,274]

Is this the first anti McClean thread of the season ?

[Christoph Stiepermann 1,151]

I've shared this before but nobody paid any notice. I know this because one of the non-playing staff likes to use the fact that he's really close to a lot of the members of the first team to impress girls and shows/sends them videos of him partying with them. We allow players to drink and have nights out mid-season and even before some important games. One that particularly annoyed me was when they had a heavy night out in London after beating Spurs in the FA cup only a couple of days before they lost to Sheff Utd away in our first PL season. That was a winnable game and they should have been 100% focused and professional leading up to it. Yeah the Spurs win was great but for me you celebrate things like that once the season is finished. 

It's not all of the squad and not necessarily the ones you'd expect either but for me if we want to be a PL team we shouldn't allow heavy drinking mid season. I'll admit I've not seen or heard of anything after about 2021 or so but this happened under Webber's watch so I doubt that things have changed and we have a lot of the same players since then. You can argue that they're young men and have a right to do what they want in their free time but at the level we want to reach I'm not comfortable with it. Arsenal fans probably thought that their players gave their all and were ultra professional before Wenger took over but it was only when he came in and made them act like professional athletes that they actually kicked on and showed what they were capable of. 

I've watched a few podcasts/interviews with ex players  as well who have also hinted that players are allowed quite a few nights out going back a few years. So this is no secret and not really inside info which is why I don't mind sharing it. I'm sure it happens at most EFL clubs but i would have hoped that if we want to make the most of 'marginal gains' and achieve something above expectation that players should be 100% professional all year round. 

[AJ 1,224]

5 hours ago, Christoph Stiepermann said:

I've shared this before but nobody paid any notice. I know this because one of the non-playing staff likes to use the fact that he's really close to a lot of the members of the first team to impress girls and shows/sends them videos of him partying with them. We allow players to drink and have nights out mid-season and even before some important games. One that particularly annoyed me was when they had a heavy night out in London after beating Spurs in the FA cup only a couple of days before they lost to Sheff Utd away in our first PL season. That was a winnable game and they should have been 100% focused and professional leading up to it. Yeah the Spurs win was great but for me you celebrate things like that once the season is finished. 

It's not all of the squad and not necessarily the ones you'd expect either but for me if we want to be a PL team we shouldn't allow heavy drinking mid season. I'll admit I've not seen or heard of anything after about 2021 or so but this happened under Webber's watch so I doubt that things have changed and we have a lot of the same players since then. You can argue that they're young men and have a right to do what they want in their free time but at the level we want to reach I'm not comfortable with it. Arsenal fans probably thought that their players gave their all and were ultra professional before Wenger took over but it was only when he came in and made them act like professional athletes that they actually kicked on and showed what they were capable of. 

I've watched a few podcasts/interviews with ex players  as well who have also hinted that players are allowed quite a few nights out going back a few years. So this is no secret and not really inside info which is why I don't mind sharing it. I'm sure it happens at most EFL clubs but i would have hoped that if we want to make the most of 'marginal gains' and achieve something above expectation that players should be 100% professional all year round. 

Yes they get paid a lot of money, yes they are professional footballers but above all they are human beings. Would you like to be told by your employer that you're not allowed a social life apart from 1 month of the year? Wouldn't think so. 

[SwearyCanary 1,179]

3 minutes ago, AJ said:

Yes they get paid a lot of money, yes they are professional footballers but above all they are human beings. Would you like to be told by your employer that you're not allowed a social life apart from 1 month of the year? Wouldn't think so. 

Don’t see where it says they’re not allowed a social life, just that their social life should not involve jeopardising their physical conditioning too much. Pretty sensible. 

[How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,192]

What stops the players taking off the watches and leaving them in the gym....or strapped round the dog?

Then going down the Pub 

😀

[TheGunnShow 5,989]

6 hours ago, Christoph Stiepermann said:

I've shared this before but nobody paid any notice. I know this because one of the non-playing staff likes to use the fact that he's really close to a lot of the members of the first team to impress girls and shows/sends them videos of him partying with them. We allow players to drink and have nights out mid-season and even before some important games. One that particularly annoyed me was when they had a heavy night out in London after beating Spurs in the FA cup only a couple of days before they lost to Sheff Utd away in our first PL season. That was a winnable game and they should have been 100% focused and professional leading up to it. Yeah the Spurs win was great but for me you celebrate things like that once the season is finished. 

It's not all of the squad and not necessarily the ones you'd expect either but for me if we want to be a PL team we shouldn't allow heavy drinking mid season. I'll admit I've not seen or heard of anything after about 2021 or so but this happened under Webber's watch so I doubt that things have changed and we have a lot of the same players since then. You can argue that they're young men and have a right to do what they want in their free time but at the level we want to reach I'm not comfortable with it. Arsenal fans probably thought that their players gave their all and were ultra professional before Wenger took over but it was only when he came in and made them act like professional athletes that they actually kicked on and showed what they were capable of. 

I've watched a few podcasts/interviews with ex players  as well who have also hinted that players are allowed quite a few nights out going back a few years. So this is no secret and not really inside info which is why I don't mind sharing it. I'm sure it happens at most EFL clubs but i would have hoped that if we want to make the most of 'marginal gains' and achieve something above expectation that players should be 100% professional all year round. 

Yes and no, I'd argue the odd night out after a big win (not every time) would do far more for morale in improving team performance than is lost in fitness. 

Reminds me of one from one of Garry Nelson's two books, I think it was Left Foot Forward where his Charlton Athletic team had pulled off a cup shock and the manager (was either Alan Curbishley or Alan Pardew) strictly enforced one can of beer afterwards, which Nelson thought a bit counter-productive as he said something on the lines of "if they'd let us celebrate that one, the whole team would have gone out and died for him the next match"... they'd have absolutely ran themselves into the ground and competed.

I'd agree with the notion that it should be the exception and not the rule, but in a season where we were struggling, I'd accept a morale-booster here and there.

[king canary 7,654]

12 hours ago, How I Wrote Elastic Man said:

1984 😱

Fascism is when professional athletes have to keep physical condition in check.

[hogesar 9,724]

Idah and Gibson live pretty local and during pre-season have seen them walking (Gibson normally with a pram! - i guess there could be a baby in there, or the whole squads apple watches) on separate occasions and I'm pretty sure both have had nothing on their wrists. Gibson certainly. Would seem weird to take them off for a walk but who knows.

[Mello Yello 2,302]

It's all about self-discipline...You don't see many (if any) lardy Jockeys....

Wire the players jaws together and just allow them strawberry slimfast...(although other weight loss concoctions are also available)...

[TheGunnShow 5,989]

1 hour ago, Mello Yello said:

It's all about self-discipline...You don't see many (if any) lardy Jockeys....

Wire the players jaws together and just allow them strawberry slimfast...(although other weight loss concoctions are also available)...

Urgh. Chocolate tastes far better, especially when made with milk!

[Mello Yello 2,302]

Just now, TheGunnShow said:

Urgh. Chocolate tastes far better, especially when made with milk!

Choccy?....It's just Diarrhoea with aspartame.... 

[TheGunnShow 5,989]

1 hour ago, Mello Yello said:

Choccy?....It's just Diarrhoea with aspartame.... 

Strawberry looks like watered period blood with aspartame.

[Mello Yello 2,302]

Just now, TheGunnShow said:

Strawberry looks like watered period blood with aspartame.

I won't go into detail regarding banana.....

[cambridgeshire canary 6,789]

1 hour ago, AJ said:

Yes they get paid a lot of money, yes they are professional footballers but above all they are human beings. Would you like to be told by your employer that you're not allowed a social life apart from 1 month of the year? Wouldn't think so. 

How dare players celebrate a win and have fun! Why, back in the good old days of football players just trained 24/7! They would never party, down pints of beer or smoke or anything like that 😉

[Daz Sparks 1,179]

10 hours ago, Well b back said:

Is this the first anti McClean thread of the season ?

Nah...

If you look hard enough, they are pretty much end to end since he's been here WBB.

[canarydan23 4,060]

26 minutes ago, hogesar said:

Idah and Gibson live pretty local and during pre-season have seen them walking (Gibson normally with a pram! - i guess there could be a baby in there, or the whole squads apple watches) on separate occasions and I'm pretty sure both have had nothing on their wrists. Gibson certainly. Would seem weird to take them off for a walk but who knows.

I doubt the targets they were set involved making sure they got their steps in.

[canarydan23 4,060]

7 hours ago, Christoph Stiepermann said:

I've shared this before but nobody paid any notice. I know this because one of the non-playing staff likes to use the fact that he's really close to a lot of the members of the first team to impress girls and shows/sends them videos of him partying with them. We allow players to drink and have nights out mid-season and even before some important games. One that particularly annoyed me was when they had a heavy night out in London after beating Spurs in the FA cup only a couple of days before they lost to Sheff Utd away in our first PL season. That was a winnable game and they should have been 100% focused and professional leading up to it. Yeah the Spurs win was great but for me you celebrate things like that once the season is finished. 

It's not all of the squad and not necessarily the ones you'd expect either but for me if we want to be a PL team we shouldn't allow heavy drinking mid season. I'll admit I've not seen or heard of anything after about 2021 or so but this happened under Webber's watch so I doubt that things have changed and we have a lot of the same players since then. You can argue that they're young men and have a right to do what they want in their free time but at the level we want to reach I'm not comfortable with it. Arsenal fans probably thought that their players gave their all and were ultra professional before Wenger took over but it was only when he came in and made them act like professional athletes that they actually kicked on and showed what they were capable of. 

I've watched a few podcasts/interviews with ex players  as well who have also hinted that players are allowed quite a few nights out going back a few years. So this is no secret and not really inside info which is why I don't mind sharing it. I'm sure it happens at most EFL clubs but i would have hoped that if we want to make the most of 'marginal gains' and achieve something above expectation that players should be 100% professional all year round. 

It's obviously a while ago now, but have you read Iwan's book? From that it sounded like they were constantly getting pissed up, and it didn't stop us winning the title.

[Nuff Said 5,173]

22 minutes ago, TheGunnShow said:

Urgh. Chocolate tastes far better, especially when made with milk!

And a few spoons of sugar?

[hogesar 9,724]

4 minutes ago, canarydan23 said:

I doubt the targets they were set involved making sure they got their steps in.

No but I figure it'd be part of continuous monitoring? That's what it sounds like from your OP anyway.