Beddy just made an observation on the Burnley thread that trying to stop us from playing is a tiring business. It's tough enough trying to stop a slick passing unit but how much tougher is it when the team in question is, to a man, in peak physical condition? When our XI walked out against Leeds, I thought I was looking at a squad of action men! Compare this to the last ten minutes of the Cardiff v Leicester match at the weekend where the pitch was littered with players puffing and blowing and I wonder how big a factor this has been in our fantastic start. Not only are we properly "up for it", we also seem to be properly "fit for it". How many points is that worth over a season?
Nigel made the remark in his post-match interview on Saturday that Saints were alot fitter than the opposition and hence the result should have been different. This will stand us in good stead over the course of 90 mins and the season.
Yeah, I think it has made a significant contribution towards any advantage we may have over other teams. Season long tiredness will become a factor too, but luckily it should affect everyone, to a certain extent.
I'm sure most remember the Strachan era very well! I believe we had a fairly average premier league side then to be honest with a decent defence mostly! We used to win games 1-0 2-1 and play fairly boring football by the current teams standard but score goals towards the end of games when teams got tired and weakened! We were so fit then I don't think I have ever seen anything like it and I put our league position, cup final, and euro spot mostly on that! Think we are getting that way with Nigel, they look fit, healthy and enjoying it! This will win games simply on this and Burnley was an example where we had a bit of an off day but after seeing the replays on the footy league show feel gutted we didn't win it in the last 15 mins when burnley were asses against the walls!
Generally speaking, improved fitness levels lead to fewer injuries, which can only be a good thing for us. Also, if you are already physically fit and you do sustain a musculoskeletal injury, you tend to heal faster. Obviously Nigel's experience as a physiotherapist has not been wasted!
Like tc I too remember fitness being a crucial element of our success under wee Gordon. When we beat Spurs 4-0 (not boring) we were still closing down in the final minutes. Beattie was awesome at rattling defenders, and I loved his 92nd minute winner at West Ham when we had been under the cosh for 70-80 minutes. It was his stamina that got him that goal. Like others, I can see that in this team but now with some genuine excitement added. I don't know how far this squad will take us, but the ride is going to be great
Jose Fonte is not happy. He used to have the gym all to himself (and Radhi) but now it's crawling with nippers like Lallana, Morgan, Cork, Martin...even Kelvin has been spotted in there!
Yes, it's great to see how "tuned up" the lads are at the moment. I got shouted down for being (reasonably) concerned at the fact the players looked tired having only played 4 games for the season, but in retrospect I suspect that that was because they were pushed a lot harder than they're used to in pre-season, and the results are paying off now. Good work Nigel.
I am fit for an old'un, I wake up and do my exercises, one two one two one two, then the other eyelid.................
The further we get in the Carling Cup and FA Cup will test the players high fitness levels. So far he has been resting players in the Carling Cup but with a realistic chance of getting to the quarters i am hoping he will put the first team out against Palace.
Pre-season is about a mixture of working and recovering. The sports scientists are suggesting that the old skool managers have got the balance wrong and many of them are reluctant to change their ways. Too much heavy work leads to players exhausted, in bad nick and more likely to sustain soft injuries. They've adopted a technique from a Dutch bloke (can't remeber his name) but his methods have a good record and some top players use him as a consultant during pre-season. It's done the trick so far.
Yes, we were a fitter side under Strachan, than after he left, and do you recall how many times we let in a sloppy goal in the last few minutes during that period? Doesn't seem to happen now that the lads are really fit again. Coincidence? I think not!
couldnt agree more, say what you want but its clearly a massive factor - tired legs and tired minds leak goals.
It's no coincidence that the great champions such as Manchester United and the Liverpool of the 80's all tend to score goals right at the end of matches, often to save a point. They're very fit in comparison to the lesser teams. It's a key thing, and thank the lords of physiotherapy that we're on top of that right now. It *could* be the difference between a serious promotion push and just falling short.
