Paulo's training shake up

[Collymore]

I've just watched the foxesplayer interview with Sousa, which to be fair did probably give £2.99s worth of joy for the first time ever!

Anyway, Paulo highlights his training method as something that he feels is going to be a big change at the club. He said that he's already told the players what he intends to do and that he has great confidence and belief in whatever this is (something he picked up from UEFA and the portuguese FA from what I can tell)

Any ideas

[RedHux]

Passing along the floor.....?

or.....pre match meals in Nandos.

Defintely one of the two.

[Webbo]

I've just watched the foxesplayer interview with Sousa, which to be fair did probably give £2.99s worth of joy for the first time ever!

Anyway, Paulo highlights his training method as something that he feels is going to be a big change at the club. He said that he's already told the players what he intends to do and that he has great confidence and belief in whatever this is (something he picked up from UEFA and the portuguese FA from what I can tell)

Any ideas

Practising diving?

[jonthefox]

cupping hands at referees, spitting at cameras, or maybe even paying some dumb american to have your child and pay her a shedload to keep schtum.

or maybe its just holding the ball for 85 mins.

[CKB]

Anyway, Paulo highlights his training method as something that he feels is going to be a big change at the club. He said that he's already told the players what he intends to do and that he has great confidence and belief in whatever this is (something he picked up from UEFA and the portuguese FA from what I can tell)

Playing in stylish suits?

[lcfcsam]

Will be interesting to see how the players adapt to a slower, more possesion based style under Sousa. Can't see the likes of Big Steve buying into it.

[CKB]

Will be interesting to see how the players adapt to a slower, more possesion based style under Sousa. Can't see the likes of Big Steve buying into it.

Steve might have a big part to play if Paulo likes the big man up front which i've heard he does?

[Koke]

I suspect it will be a a lower quality sort of Spanish Catenaccio style of football. Keep possession. Pass it side ways, backwards, across the defence, back to the keeper, over the to the right back, into midfield, back to the defence. Repeat. Repeat.. It will be quite a culture shock for many of our fans.

1-0 to Leicester and all that. Get used to it.

[Guest Bilo]

I suspect it will be a a lower quality sort of Spanish Catenaccio style of football. Keep possession. Pass it side ways, backwards, across the defence, back to the keeper, over the to the right back, into midfield, back to the defence. Repeat. Repeat.. It will be quite a culture shock for many of our fans.

1-0 to Leicester and all that. Get used to it.

Maybe, but even if this the case; 1-0 win > 4-3 defeat.

[Koke]

Maybe, but even if this the case; 1-0 win > 4-3 defeat.

Yes agree, I welcome it. It certainly beats the "Hoof it to Howard, knock it down to Fryatt and score" style. If we keep 70% of the possession and win most games 1-0, I will be very happy.

But I doubt many Leicester fans will welcome this sort of style. We will hear a lot of groaning and moaning on here and at the Walkers in the coming season.

[maddog]

Personally i think we will go from the Barca/Stoke style of last season to a Spain/Argentina style of play.

[Ozwin]

We played like Barcelona last season? What were you smoking?

[lildave3]

Yes agree, I welcome it. It certainly beats the "Hoof it to Howard, knock it down to Fryatt and score" style. If we keep 70% of the possession and win most games 1-0, I will be very happy.

But I doubt many Leicester fans will welcome this sort of style. We will hear a lot of groaning and moaning on here and at the Walkers in the coming season.

Spain bore me to tears. I know it not popular to say that Spain are boring, but they really are. They bore the living cock out of me with their Spanish Catenaccio. Pass it sideways 4354358 times at a snails pace. Score a goal and suck the life out of this game.

ZzzzzzzzzzZZzzzzzzzz

[Guest Bilo]

Yes agree, I welcome it. It certainly beats the "Hoof it to Howard, knock it down to Fryatt and score" style. If we keep 70% of the possession and win most games 1-0, I will be very happy.

But I doubt many Leicester fans will welcome this sort of style. We will hear a lot of groaning and moaning on here and at the Walkers in the coming season.

Yeah, this is very true. I think the more possession based football built on a strong defence would help us in the Premiership if we were to be promoted aswell. The route one football we resorted to at times last season would have been badly exposed if we had been promoted, Stoke are very much to the exception to the rule in that instance. The patient build-up will pay dividends in my view, long term anyway.

You're right to say a lot of fans wouldn't like it though, I remember being next to a bloke at Plymouth who screeched 'Nooooooooo!' every time the ball went backwards from midfield. I feel sorry for the poor bastard who has a season ticket next to him, I felt like feeding him his liver after 23 minutes never mind 23 games.

[RizLCFC]

I've just watched the foxesplayer interview with Sousa, which to be fair did probably give £2.99s worth of joy for the first time ever!

Anyway, Paulo highlights his training method as something that he feels is going to be a big change at the club. He said that he's already told the players what he intends to do and that he has great confidence and belief in whatever this is (something he picked up from UEFA and the portuguese FA from what I can tell)

Any ideas

Is that the freeview interview or when you sign into foxesplayer because I've got an account but I can't seem to find the video? Thanks

[Legend_in_blue]

This style of play is going to go down badly with the "up and at 'em" mentality a lot of fans have at the Walkers.

Patience isn't a word I'd associate with many of them and no doubt the moans and groans will begin after the slightest of poor results.

I can see certain players flourishing though. Fryatt, Gallagher, King, all technically pretty good and should fit in well to the new approach.

If we can get this passing game going well and inject pace when needed we'll do very well. Odds on our promotion are 4-1 apparently.

[Koke]

Difference is we don't have Villa, Pedro, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso etc I expect more from them that 500 sideway passes. If our lads Wellens, King, Gallagher can even manager to attempt to play a possession keeping style of football, I won't complain. I will be quite happy.

I know what I said contradicts itself, but I'm taking the quality of players available into context.

[Collymore]

Is that the freeview interview or when you sign into foxesplayer because I've got an account but I can't seem to find the video? Thanks

It was when you log in but strangely they have removed it.

[Bugg]

It was when you log in but strangely they have removed it.

Probably because they have noticed how everyone has clocked on about Sousa's Burrda jumper.

[Koke]

Yeah, this is very true. I think the more possession based football built on a strong defence would help us in the Premiership if we were to be promoted aswell. The route one football we resorted to at times last season would have been badly exposed if we had been promoted, Stoke are very much to the exception to the rule in that instance. The patient build-up will pay dividends in my view, long term anyway.

You're right to say a lot of fans wouldn't like it though, I remember being next to a bloke at Plymouth who screeched 'Nooooooooo!' every time the ball went backwards from midfield. I feel sorry for the poor bastard who has a season ticket next to him, I felt like feeding him his liver after 23 minutes never mind 23 games.

I think so too.

I suspect Sousa will pack the midfield, little triangles with the ball, slow sideways passes and massive possession to completely choke the life out of the game and ensure the other team cannot score. It will be built on a solid defence, which we have - and with decent technical players like King, Wellens, Gallagher and Fryatt, I think this new implementation can work.

But as you said, it will certainly dividend the fans, and many won't like it.

[Ashley]

Players will be drinking wine before training & games.

[Foxhateram]

I Really hope he does not come in and try and change too much! I enjoyed last season we played football that at times was slick and fast but also had times where we hoofed a lot.

The point though is that it was varied dependent on the opponent. I don't want to see this passing continental style of football, it is boring! The point in football is to entertain. People around seem to be saying that spains style of play in the germany game was thrilling,

I personally cannot see where passing the ball around in the middle of the pitch is going to get you, unless you have someone who can play a killer pass across the defense then it wont work, and i fail to see a player of that standard in our squad and more importantly a player that will read that pass and have the pace to get on the end of it.

Those who are saying we just play hoof ball i am not sure that is entirely justified to be honest. In both seasons Nigel was here then we played some brilliant football in spells as well. One touch and quick football in some cases, and players like Dyer ran at defenses. If we go down this route of continental football it will kill off the flair of Dyer, King etc.

I will reserve judgment until i see the first few games but i really hope we dont change things around too much. After all we had a bloody good finish last season lets not change a winning team around too much shall we.

[davieG]

I Really hope he does not come in and try and change too much! I enjoyed last season we played football that at times was slick and fast but also had times where we hoofed a lot.

The point though is that it was varied dependent on the opponent. I don't want to see this passing continental style of football, it is boring! The point in football is to entertain. People around seem to be saying that spains style of play in the germany game was thrilling,

I personally cannot see where passing the ball around in the middle of the pitch is going to get you, unless you have someone who can play a killer pass across the defense then it wont work, and i fail to see a player of that standard in our squad and more importantly a player that will read that pass and have the pace to get on the end of it.

Those who are saying we just play hoof ball i am not sure that is entirely justified to be honest. In both seasons Nigel was here then we played some brilliant football in spells as well. One touch and quick football in some cases, and players like Dyer ran at defenses. If we go down this route of continental football it will kill off the flair of Dyer, King etc.

I will reserve judgment until i see the first few games but i really hope we dont change things around too much. After all we had a bloody good finish last season lets not change a winning team around too much shall we.

I can't be asked to go into whole passing versus hoofing debate but you mentioned Spain and Dyer, well Villa (not saying Dyer is anywhere near this guy) runs at defences but he doesn't have to do it from his own half like Dyer has to and is therefore not totally knackered by the time he gets within sight of goal.

As for Spain, if you take the Germany game as an example the reason Spain's type of play seemed excessive is because until Spain scored there was only one team, Spain interested in playing - anyway I said I wasn't going to debate this.

[Foxhateram]

I can't be asked to go into whole passing versus hoofing debate but you mentioned Spain and Dyer, well Villa (not saying Dyer is anywhere near this guy) runs at defences but he doesn't have to do it from his own half like Dyer has to and is therefore not totally knackered by the time he gets within sight of goal.

As for Spain, if you take the Germany game as an example the reason Spain's type of play seemed excessive is because until Spain scored there was only one team, Spain interested in playing - anyway I said I wasn't going to debate this.

Yes agreed, i know this could be debated forever and different people have different ways they like to play the game that is what makes it such a beautiful game. There is no set way to play it. You make a very interesting point about Villa and yes when he got the ball he did run at the defence nicely, but i also felt that spain held the ball for too long in their own half. In previous games and last nights in spells they have had a nice balance where they have passed the ball around but also got the ball froward quickly and effectively on the counter attack.

The type of passing game that is slick and quick is effective and works nicely. I would just hate to see us become a one trick pony where we pass around in the center of the park but get no where with the ball which is the danger of playing this way. Opposition teams will just sit 10 men behind the ball and clog up the final third so there will be little space to play the 'killer' pass or do a villa/dyer type run.

Anyway it can be debated forever. I like passing football just got to get the balance right.

Good luck Paulo! I respect you already as you have the same name as me. Well near enough anyway Paul = Paulo in Portugese.

[davieG]

From the Merc

Paulo Sousa says he shocked his new players during their first pre-season training session yesterday morning by breaking out the footballs, writes Rob Tanner.

Sousa, who was unveiled as City's new manager yesterday, has vowed to play attractive, passing football and said all training at Belvoir Drive would be done with the ball.

The players returned form their summer break yesterday to meet the new management team of Sousa, assistant Bruno Oliveira, coach Chris Powell and match analyst Nelson Jardim, with Mike Stowell remaining as goalkeeping coach.

Traditionally, the first couple of weeks of pre-season is designed to improve physical fitness, but Sousa said he was working to improve quality immediately.

"The first training session went very well," he said. "It was a different approach from what I understand from their past. We approach it straight away with the ball. I saw they were a little bit anxious about that. But they coped quite well and everyone was delighted.

"I think they were responsive. I have a lot of confidence in my process. I always have a lot of confidence in my players."

Sousa admitted it would take time for the players to adapt and adjust to his approach, but he was confident the players are capable of learning.

"You don't push too much too early because when you change managers it is not easy at the beginning," he said. "To win, it is easier if we play positive football, because I think we can win more often and it will be easier when we reach the Premier League. We will be ready to compete.

"I will work to develop the players, I give them all the resources I can to make the better decisions. Then to get them to make the correct decisions, tactically, mentally and physically. With this we can achieve everything we want. I can say to the supporters that my team will have the same style as them – emotional and very passionate, and with a lot of expectations in our players. That is what they can expect from me.

"The minimum I expect of the players is they have the same ambition as me, because I am a person with a lot of ambition and they must be the same.

"Secondly, they must approach training and the games with a winning mentality. I want to win every game and for that we must approach the training properly.

"We want to develop and improve, make them better players to help us, myself and the club, to achieve the targets we expect."