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Good Morning. It's Thursday 28th September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road
Price reintroduced Bielsa style fitness regime
Speaking on the latest episode of the Leeds Utd podcast, Head of Medicine and Performance Rob Price admits that worrying comments made by Luke Ayling on the penultimate day of last season, caused him to step in, and reintroduce a Bielsa style fitness regime.
Following the 3-1 defeat at West Ham last season, Ayling all but admitted that the fitness levels of the squad had fallen to an unacceptable level, and Leeds were especially being punished in the second half of games, when fitness levels were dropping off.
Leeds had gone from one of the fittest teams in the Country, to one of the poorest. How this was allowed to happen is anyone's guess. The club have access to all the latest hi-tech equipment allowing them to monitor and analyse every movement of every player!
After a ten day break after the Spurs onslaught, Price sent every player an individual training programme, and to make sure they were doing it, screenshots had to be taken! Price wanted every player to be in tip-top condition when they reported back for pre-season, and he wasn't disappointing.
Days after Farke's appointment, Leeds bought high performance and fitness coach Chris Domogalla on board. The two had been working together since 2017, and soon got the players fitness levels back to where they should be.
“They’re good. Even the players have said it, their general fitness levels last season dropped off. We were trying to push that from the backroom staff but ultimately a lot of the training comes down to what the coach wants to do in those sessions. We decided over the summer, before we knew who’d be the new manager, that we were going to give the lads a programme that meant that whoever was coming in to take them, they would be at a really good level.
“We gave the players around 10 days off after the last game against Tottenham and then they were sent programmes. Almost like in the Covid era, they had to screenshot every day and send in what they were doing.
“We did really specific programmes that went almost back to the Bielsa days because we know what levels they were at. They came back into pre-season in a really good condition when Daniel and staff arrived, we only had a five-week pre-season this year which is a week less than we normally would, but because we’d done the background and the prep work before they were in a good condition when the coaching staff arrived.
“His staff and his fitness coach Chris (Domogalla) have been excellent. They know how he wants to play and what needs to be achieved to allow the players to do that. We’ve actually got a real synergy between the Leeds staff and Daniel’s staff, our principles and beliefs of what the fitness levels should be are at the same level. It’s nice to work in that environment.”
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You’d be really shocked if Leeds are not challenging for top two
Former player, now pundit, Don Goodman has heaped praised on Leeds Manager Daniel Farke, claiming the German has had to overcome a 'really unsettled pre-season.' but has still managed to turn things around on the field of play!
It would be fair to say their's little loved lost between the former Baggie and the Leeds faithful. This very much could be the first compliment he has paid to the Whites since taking up broadcasting three years ago.
He gushed over Farke's forward line, insisting their options going forward are 'brilliant' and he would be 'really shocked' if they're not challenging for automatic promotion, come May:-
“Yes I think so, in those forward areas we’re starting to see genuine Championship quality. Quality that’s probably too good for the Championship in Joel Piroe,” “I’m glad that Georginio Rutter has found his feet and found his confidence, throw into the mix (Wilfried) Gnonto and more behind that as well, their options are brilliant.
"Look, it was a really, really unsettled pre-season with all the comings and goings, contract clauses, and who was going to be there when the transfer window shut. “Very, very difficult for Daniel Farke, and he kept his counsel. I was really impressed with the way he handled himself, and he backed himself knowing that it was only a matter of time before everything started to click into gear.
“You look at it now, and you see a team that, again like Leicester, you’d be really shocked if they’re not up there challenging for the top two, and at the absolute minimum, top six. As a Leeds lad, I’m really pleased to see things have settled down.”
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Harrison shines on Toffee's debut
Jack Harrison turned on the style on his Everton debut last night, as the Toffee's knocked Aston Villa out of the league Cup.
The 26yo has been out of action all Summer, but managed 65 minutes last night, earning himself a respectable 7.2 rating from both 'Whoscored' and 'Sofascore'. He joined Everton on a season long loan mid August after Aston Villa pulled out of a move to sign him due to his hip injury, that they claim they were not aware of. It is not known whether Everton will still be able to activate his £16m activation clause in January or next Summer.
Joe Thomas, the Everton correspondent for the Liverpool Echo was delighted with Harrison's debut performance, and praised his 'shrewd attacking play'.
“Jack Harrison showing no signs of rustiness at all here. He is relentless on his debut, giving Pau Torres nightmares in this first half.”
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