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Just been speaking to someone who was speaking to one of the Town players yesterday.
He reckons this is the fittest he has ever seen a squad at pre-season. The new players are raring to go and moral is genuinely high. I guess we have to wait to see what happens on the pitch, but as we suspected, MJ seems to be getting it seriously right off it.

I won't be judging us on friendlies though, good or bad. But let's hope the good feelings are justified.

UTM

Fitness is so crucial in the modern game and is usually the difference between mid table obscurity and promotion contenders or mid table and relegation fodder.

Under Slade we looked so unfit and Jolley improved fitness during his short spell in charge. It is clearly an area he is focusing much of his interest on as we now have 2 coaches in this field.

Massive part of the game now. Not just stamina to see things out (concentration levels affected by tiredness) but also agility, ability to accelerate etc without causing damage. Even if your squad doesn't have the highest technical ability fitness and organisation can counteract a lot of that (modern version of the old Wimbledon approach).

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Massive part of the game now. Not just stamina to see things out (concentration levels affected by tiredness) but also agility, ability to accelerate etc without causing damage. Even if your squad doesn't have the highest technical ability fitness and organisation can counteract a lot of that (modern version of the old Wimbledon approach).

Very true. These are all areas that can be measured so that each individual can be assessed and guided accordingly.

Can people please stop having a go at Slade, he had all the players fitness figures on his laptop, if he had been given the time he would have explained it all at the infamous fans forum.

Quoted from Gaffer58

Can people please stop having a go at Slade, he had all the players fitness figures on his laptop, if he had been given the time he would have explained it all at the infamous fans forum.

I know he would but I didn't fancy being stuck in McMenemys for 72 hours while I lost the will to live!

Quoted from Gaffer58

Can people please stop having a go at Slade, he had all the players fitness figures on his laptop, if he had been given the time he would have explained it all at the infamous fans forum.

It is alright having the data but it is what you do with it that really matters!

Fitness is key as others have alluded to on here.Sadly though some players in the lower leagues and I would assume even in the higher dont have enough discipline and drink to much (from speaking to a lower ex pro ) which compromises their performance on the pitch.

Hope the current Grimsby Town batch of players want it enough and do themselves and the club proud this season .

Quoted from Rick12

Fitness is key as others have alluded to on here.Sadly though some players in the lower leagues and I would assume even in the higher dont have enough discipline and drink to much (from speaking to a lower ex pro ) which compromises their performance on the pitch.

Hope the current Grimsby Town batch of players want it enough and do themselves and the club proud this season .

Pretty sure Ronaldo is and has always been tee total, has his own cryogenic chamber to help his body recover which has helped him play at the top level for most of his career as a result.....
George Best wasnt tee total, Gazza wasnt tee total...etc etc

Ronaldo is younger than Rooney. Shows what laying off the booze and fags does for your career.

Quoted from psgmariner

Ronaldo is younger than Rooney. Shows what laying off the booze and fags does for your career.

Ronaldo is 8 months older than Rooney and looks like he could have another World Cup in him yet. Although Rooney is England's record goalscorer, his tournament record is terrible. I can't remember many decent performances from him in the last 3/4 years either.

To remain the best takes dedication.

Not taking any sides but, because Rooney has played all his career in the competitive and physical Premier where we're always told they play more games wouldn't that knacker Rooney before Ronaldo.

Quoted from moosey_club

Pretty sure Ronaldo is and has always been tee total, has his own cryogenic chamber to help his body recover which has helped him play at the top level for most of his career as a result.....
George Best wasnt tee total, Gazza wasnt tee total...etc etc

Your right. Have to admire him even though I think Messi is still better ;)

Rooney developed physically much younger than Ronaldo - he was built like a fully grown man at 16 whilst Ronaldo was still a take at 21. He's then aged a lot earlier as well. The fags and the booze and the lack of comparable ability probably haven't helped either.

Quoted from psgmariner

Ronaldo is younger than Rooney. Shows what laying off the booze and fags does for your career.

Incredible how a top level athlete can smoke.To know how bad smoking is for you and still do it is sickening.Remember reading that even light smokers who smoke up to 5 cigarettes a week raises the chances of you getting cancer by 5-10 % :-/

Quoted from Civvy at last

Just been speaking to someone who was speaking to one of the Town players yesterday.
He reckons this is the fittest he has ever seen a squad at pre-season. The new players are raring to go and moral is genuinely high. I guess we have to wait to see what happens on the pitch, but as we suspected, MJ seems to be getting it seriously right off it.

I won't be judging us on friendlies though, good or bad. But let's hope the good feelings are justified.

UTM

They’ve only been back 3 days🤔

Quoted from Gaffer58

Not taking any sides but, because Rooney has played all his career in the competitive and physical Premier where we're always told they play more games wouldn't that knacker Rooney before Ronaldo.

I've never understood why that gets trotted out. The premier league has the same amount of teams as La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1.

The Premier League has more foreign players than English players so we can't say that the England players have played more games than any other nationality. All of their players play the same number of games nowadays.

Just watched a program on Sky tonight which followed some of the young Lions. It showed one Southampton player coming back from a long injury. The Saints training complex is out of this world. It must have cost tens of millions to set up. There is every type of sports and fitness expert there to help him through his recovery. It also followed Jack Butland through his recovery from serious ankle injury. He even went to Dubai to a specialist sports injury clinic, complete with its own MRI scanner to help his recovery. It was a real eye opener to see the lengths that top clubs go to.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

They’ve only been back 3 days🤔

Exactly my point. It would seem that MJ has signed players that still look after themselves close season. Thus fitter than previous squads at this stage. Dedicated, as opposed to just earning a living. Some players let themselves go a bit then work on it pre-season. Apparently, not this bunch !!

For about 7/8 years now, Ronaldo has been at the top very top of peak fitness, a complete athlete. Rooney has never been that. Rooney has always been big and upon getting older, he bilked up and lost his pace. Ronaldo, on the other hand, bulked up and kept his pace, which is pretty phenomenal really.

It helps if the player themselves want to get fit. Summerfield's energy levels were far higher than most of last years squad that is what you want but with more goal scoring efforts on target.

Not fitness related as such but no goalkeeper coach yet?

Jolley said he could go for a job share type with an experienced guy doubling up as number 2 keeper as turned down by 1st choice.