What goes on in training?.

[First Wizard 0]

Corner practice: Is there anyone capable of takeing corners on a consistent level of competence?. Hell, even league 2 players manage to achieve this!.

Defending or lack off: Last season City coped well defending corners, crosses and long balls into the box, I know its the Premiership, but a cross is a cross yes?.

Injuries: Why are city players picking up so many injuries in training, what''s different from last year?.

I have no answers for this, do you?.

It can''t just be bad luck surely.

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

Re injuries Capt, I too have no idea what goes on.  About 4/5 years ago I asked myself the very same question.  We went through a phase of players being out for a whole season.  Bellers, Eadie, Giallanza, Abbey (twice)  All cruciate knee ligaments.  Now this season, I don''t think there has been a single player who hasn''t been injured.  It MUST be something to do with the training we do.  Are we not prepared for the rough and ready world of the Premiership?  If we''re not, it''s a disgrace and could ultimately cost us a place in the top flight. 

[ZLF 271]

[quote]Corner practice: Is there anyone capable of takeing corners on a consistent level of competence?. Hell, even league 2 players manage to achieve this!. Defending or lack off: Last season City coped...[/quote]

• Corner taking - I think they are acheiving a consistent level of competence - just not very high (either delivery of ball or quality of corner; maybe this explains the preference for the short corner!)
  
• Defending      - If the crosses dont beat the first man (see above) how can they practice defending them?? If the manager cant identify the main culprits from the matches how can be expected to focus trainers on those individuals weaknesses on the training pitch? 
  
• Is the lack of games meaning they have more rigourous sessions to maintain fitness, whereas the higher frequency of games meant match fitness was maintained in games rather than on the training field?

OTBC

[MadDan 0]

Just my point me old salior. Monday night''s game was played at a mad pace.

Are we trying introduce a squad of superfit players who will be beaten at football in the first part of the game but will hopefully make amends in the last part when the opposition tires.

Ashton has commented on he has struggled to keep up the pace. We seem to have no one who can keep the ball, slow the game down or just play it around a little.

Yet some of the set play stuff hasbeen woeful. Failure to know who is marking who at set pieces. Who can take a decent corner. And most infuriatingly the discipline that seems to have been drummed into our players that when the ball goes out of play they have to turn their heads and walk away.

I''ve lost count of the number of times the opposition is allowed to take a quick throw, keeping possession unhindred whilst we have to wait till our players are marked then spent twenty seconds looking for a free man.

Yes we will go down.This has been a harsh lesson in many ways. Next season should give us a breather and a chance to build on those lessons. it''s been a tremendous season in many ways. No lack of exitement but a growing realisation that if we can''t beat teams we are not going (or deserve) to stay up.

We hit both Chelsea and Arsenal when they have had a few stutters. Maybe we''ll take a few with us before we go but we''re not going down without a fight.

Not adopting the s''it or bust policy should mean we have a good chance of battling back to our rightful place again. A bit more wiser and a bit more prepared.

In the meantime lets hope Captain Jack can lead us in a few rousing sea chanties on saturday

[Super Shaun Carey 0]

Training starts off at 9 am sharp

The players slowly arrive, driving carefully to avoid any stone chips.

Upon departing their various 4x4''s, Porsches, etc, they then compare alloy wheels and check for stone chips.

After leaving the car, each player checks his mobile phone, rings his agent/mum/bookies/girlfriend, and then a quick twenty five minute discussion commences over the contents of each players I-Pod.

After entering the changing rooms, it can sometimes take up to two hours to get undressed. Those Patek Phillipe watches have very fiddly clasps, and sometimes even Doug Livermore has to help the younger players

Quick kick about

Home by 1.

[Temp the Revelator 0]

I don''t think that it is just us who are awful at taking corners or delivering crosses, it''s something I have been banging on about for quite some time now.  I watch a LOT of football, at all levels, and it seems to me that most teams/players struglle to get a cross in that beats the first defender - and if it does, it is not in the least bit dangerous.  I would put it down to the balls they are using, but the way the fly through the air from free kicks and the like totally contradicts this.

The only exception I have seen recently were Sheff Utd last night - their corners (the few they had) were excellent.

[BIC 0]

Hahaha SSC. Think that might not be too far off the mark with certain players.

Seriously though, I think set pieces have been our undoing this year. We''ve had hundreds of free kicks that could have been used to good effect - isn''t Hucks the most fouled player in the premiership? Not to mention all the corners too. I think we''ve scored twice from corners this season and offhand I can only think of one free kick that resulted in a goal. Not very impressive considering how many goals we''e conceded from corners and free kicks.
I could be wrong, but it seems like about half hte goals against us come from set pieces, and if that''s the case then training should be able to help.
SO WHY ISN?T IT???

[First Wizard 0]

[quote]I don''t think that it is just us who are awful at taking corners or delivering crosses, it''s something I have been banging on about for quite some time now. I watch a LOT of football, at all levels, ...[/quote]

Don''t get me started on balls!, Templeton me old mate!.