Paulo's training shake up

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Anyone who can criticize the Manager before we even kick off,, the new season, must be a complete idiot.

[Wymsey]

Is it true we are about to move our training ground around Loughborough Uni? Don't see anything wrong with current one.

[davieG]

Is it true we are about to move our training ground around Loughborough Uni? Don't see anything wrong with current one.

Using the search function will find you this - http://www.foxestalk.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=60004&hl=loughboro&st=0

[Fox92]

Anyone who can criticize the Manager before we even kick off,, the new season, must be a complete idiot.

Have been thinking the same for the last week or so.

[Thracian]

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."

At least that sounds like a step forward. Some of the basic technical shortcomings of our players and their apparent lack of preparation have been painful to watch as I've said on many occasions. It would have been fun to watch Wayne Brown having to pass the ball! But, we'll see in the end. They said Capello was good but I have never seen such a shambles and such inept, unimaginative football from an England team.

Exactly what people have to do to fail on their coaching coarses is a mystery given the seemingly low standards. Don Revie had his faults but if Leicester could play like his Leeds team that would do for me. Get the ball and keep it - simple! Oh yes, and score goals. Not so simple, at least with our recent approach!

[Guest Bilo]

To be fair - and I don't wanna sound disrespectful. - but our strikers are a cut above yours. We scored 21 [twenty one] goals more than you did last season. We had 3 players in double digits.

I realise that the football at the Liberty were dull to watch, but believe me when I say that we are used to dull mediocre football. Under Pearson we played some decent stuff, but at times it was dull as well. It's just a case of wait and see what happens when the season starts.

Agree.

You can only work with what's in front of you, and with all due respect, Kuqi and Cotterill just aren't going to put as many away as Fryatt and Gallagher. I know you can't go on what managers say in the press with too much confidence but Sousa's words about 'positive football' and 'winning mentality' lead me to believe he will utilise the superior attacking options he has here, as well as build on an already strong defence.

[ArnarGunnlaugsson]

Fryatt, Gallagher, Campbell (eg against Forest for Blackpool) - all capable of match winning displays and banging 2 in against sides at this level. Far too early to speculate that Sousa will dumb down the team considering he's already got some talent there and he may bring in some more.

Maybe Sousa played that way at Swansea as it was his best hope with the resources he had. Doesn't mean it will be the same at LCFC. We'll know more in September.

[okie fox]

Funny you mention this, I was worried when I read one of the players reports on returning to training. The players have said they were surprised when returning to training they ran with the ball (ball exercises) instead of running flat out for fitness.

I understand drills like running with the ball help control, technique etc but a solid fitness core is the most important foundation to lay before concentrating on the basics.

I trust that they know what they're doing though.

Why can't you get fit running with the ball? Are there no drills that combine running and passing?

[Unabomber]

Why can't you get fit running with the ball? Are there no drills that combine running and passing?

You can run faster without the ball, and most of the fitness drills can't be done with a ball

[Flynny]

At least that sounds like a step forward. Some of the basic technical shortcomings of our players and their apparent lack of preparation have been painful to watch as I've said on many occasions. It would have been fun to watch Wayne Brown having to pass the ball! But, we'll see in the end. They said Capello was good but I have never seen such a shambles and such inept, unimaginative football from an England team.

Exactly what people have to do to fail on their coaching coarses is a mystery given the seemingly low standards. Don Revie had his faults but if Leicester could play like his Leeds team that would do for me. Get the ball and keep it - simple! Oh yes, and score goals. Not so simple, at least with our recent approach!

Thracian you know Sousa's record on this in the past, right? I'd like to think that's because he likes to get his defence working well and the passing going first, and Swansea did have a lot of chances that they passed up, but if you're expecting more goals than last season I think you might end up disappointed. Perhaps if we score the same amount, keep a few more clean sheets and play attractively the results will seem a bit more emphatic and it'll be a little more entertaining.

I'm still gobsmacked that you were disappointed by last season though! Fair enough to say we did well but lacked a little bit of ambition but you genuinely seem slightly gutted about the way we went about things. I genuinely think Pearson was trying to move away from direct football as much as he could last season but found the squad a bit limited. We looked good when the 4-3-3 was working but a couple of losses and we had to go straight back to 4-4-2 with Howard up there to get the confidence back.

[Edmund]

If we make a mistake he is there shouting at us in Portuguese.

I don’t know what he’s saying but I’m sure it’s not nice.

This made me laugh.

[poopbutt]

are they incapable of running with the ball for technique and touch, then later on running for fitness. let me guess, not enough time.

i would like to see more focus on players being able to use both feet, still mystifies me that people are so one footed at the highest levels of the game. especially as i can use both feet and only made it to county level. it's not that hard.

[marbelladave]

Thracian you know Sousa's record on this in the past, right? I'd like to think that's because he likes to get his defence working well and the passing going first, and Swansea did have a lot of chances that they passed up, but if you're expecting more goals than last season I think you might end up disappointed. Perhaps if we score the same amount, keep a few more clean sheets and play attractively the results will seem a bit more emphatic and it'll be a little more entertaining.

I'm still gobsmacked that you were disappointed by last season though! Fair enough to say we did well but lacked a little bit of ambition but you genuinely seem slightly gutted about the way we went about things. I genuinely think Pearson was trying to move away from direct football as much as he could last season but found the squad a bit limited. We looked good when the 4-3-3 was working but a couple of losses and we had to go straight back to 4-4-2 with Howard up there to get the confidence back.

I agree with your observations, but offer a different conclusion...

We switched to 4-3-3 when it became clear that we were being found out playing 4-4-2 (Howard ineffective, getting over run in central midfield etc, etc.) The new system looked promising from the off but regressed with Pearson putting more emphasis on defense resulting in a pretty uninspiring 4-5-1. Despite the change, Pearson continued to call on the players to get the ball forward quickly, despite the fact that on the occasions we tried the passing game we actually looked quite decent at it. We soon ended up with a packed midfield that was routinely bypassed by balls hoofed from the the back to a small lone frontman, usually Waghorn. Is it any wonder we could not win a game for weeks? Pearson had to bring back Howard as his brave new system fell about his ears, it got us to the playoffs but in no sort of form to be really competitive, then the brown row finished us off!

In effect I think a fair number of the players wanted to be more expansive, it was Pearson and his tactics that was a 'bit limited'.

[CosbehFox]

it was Pearson and his tactics that was a 'bit limited'.

...which was understandable as everyone seems to forgot it was only Pearson's second full year of management.

[marbelladave]

...which was understandable as everyone seems to forgot it was only Pearson's second full year of management.

Agree entirely...

in the last year or so I have criticised Pearson for his cautious, sometimes dour tactics even going so far as to suggest that he let someone else, ie another coach, look after the match day set up and tactics, however I have always been positive about the way Pearson managed the club in all other respects and remain surprised we moved him on.

With assistance in the matters mentioned above and a bit more experience at this level, I think he will go on make a top class manager.

[Webbo]

I agree with your observations, but offer a different conclusion...

We switched to 4-3-3 when it became clear that we were being found out playing 4-4-2

There wouldn't be any point changing if every thing was going well. Surely it's a good manager who can change his tactics when necessary. I seriously doubt that Pearson would have been told how to play by the players.

[jimmer]

Do we still have the fittness coach we had under Pearson?

One thing that really impressed me was the sports science Nigel reportedly brought to the club. They would train with heartbeat monitors to make sure everyone was doing enough. I for one would very much like to see that continue.

Getting the players to adopt more ball control and a passing aproach is good. But fittness is key for them to last the campain. Unsure on this aproach, only time will tell