It seems like Gardner wants to have a fall out with the new manager already, claiming that the squad is fit and any statement otherwise is a load of rubbish. Bloody unprofessional of Gardner to publicly challenge the new manager on this. Should of talked to him about it in private if his has an issue with PDCs statements or he'll end up in the stands longer than the 2 game match ban. http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11695/8627060?
Interesting. Either Di Canio will appreciate his honesty (he was like this himself as a player), or he'll feel this is an early chance to make sure everyone knows who is boss. I can understand Gardner's point of view though, his professional integrity is being questioned. Its just maybe something he should have wait until after the next pre season to comment on. That's when you'll know whether it was a load of bollocks as a player. Maybe he feels fit as a fiddle but Di Canio will show them how to be fitter again. Time will tell.
In past world cups the likes of Spain, Italy and Germany were all fit but when you compare their fitness to say the South Koreans or Japan you could clearly see the teams from the far east were super fit! I reckon that's what's happening here and I think what will piss PDC off with Gardener here is that he doesn't even realise his own fitness capabilities let alone the rest of the squad.
It's simple really. If they are all fit, why do they look so knackered in the second half? I think PDC will show them what fitness is, the same way Keano did.
He didn't say they weren't fit he said 'not the fittest', 2 different things, but unquestionably, as Sid says above, we fade in games. Chelsea are the best example I feel, physically, of what a top team should be like, all tanks, all full of running, even if there are better football teams in the league, Chelsea always strike me as being the team in best physical nick. I still genuinely believe the players we have are good enough for 8th-12th, so summats gone tits up this season, if it's not fitness Gards, what is it? Mentality? The biggest problem to fix? Or are the players just ****? If I was Gards, one of our players of the season, and becoming a real favourite of mine, I'd take the fitness thing
Gardner added: "It's not the start that I wanted, but it's not a yellow card. It was a fair tackle. He's just rolled around and forced the booking." Mentalist, it was a red card all day long, never mind just a yellow.
Look at it again mate. reasons it was a fair tackle 1 He won the ball 2 his foot wasn't over the ball. 3 He stayed on his feet. I will concede however he should have been booked for the challenge on David Luiz and if he hadn't been booked earlier, would have been booked then.
Think you're looking at a different challenge there!? Stayed on his feet?! Didn't go over the ball?! Wow.
Spot on, the actual Di Canio quote was...... "I'm not going to say they're not fit, but it's not the fittest team in the world," To my mind he's saying theirs room for improvement fitness wise, which truth be told would go for 90% of the teams in the Prem. Di Canio being misquoted, disgraceful.
