Now i assumed that all the Blues players not on international breaks at the moment would be spending time with Rooney, learning about what it is he wants, the new formation, motivational talks, tactics. no fear front foot football techniques ... etc and getting fitter fitter and fitter and even more fitter (since he says they ain't fit)
but ... i just read that they've ALL been given 10 days off (yes ALL players) and aren't expected back in until next Tuesday. They have personal diet sheets and are expected to keep fit etc ... but what the actual feck ?
As i said ... this is only what i've just read elsewhere - so i don't know if it's true ------ but if it is i'm pretty feckin' outraged by it
Anyone know the actual truth - for definite ?
Now i assumed that all the Blues players not on international breaks at the moment would be spending time with Rooney, learning about what it is he wants, the new formation, motivational talks, tactics. no fear front foot football techniques ... etc and getting fitter fitter and fitter and even more fitter (since he says they ain't fit)
but ... i just read that they've ALL been given 10 days off (yes ALL players) and aren't expected back in until next Tuesday. They have personal diet sheets and are expected to keep fit etc ... but what the actual feck ?
As i said ... this is only what i've just read elsewhere - so i don't know if it's true ------ but if it is i'm pretty feckin' outraged by it
Anyone know the actual truth - for definite ?
Story repeated here ... not just on a forum - in the Daily Mail
[www.dailymail.co.uk]
It seems as though it's fairly common. A bit damned if you do damned if you don't.
Have the break and it's "we should be using this time to get a grip"
Don't have the break and it's "the players won't like that a break they were expecting to have has been cancelled. Morale lowered even further"
Personal opinion, 10 days feels a little bit too long given the situation thats unfolded in the last month but given a lot of sides do this (I didn't know they did until this article) then I'm not bothered by it.
They should be in working on fitness and patterns of play with the odd day off for recovery but then again our 2 main coaches , the defence ones who we need most are off on internationals đŻ
It seems as though it's fairly common. A bit damned if you do damned if you don't.
Have the break and it's "we should be using this time to get a grip"
Don't have the break and it's "the players won't like that a break they were expecting to have has been cancelled. Morale lowered even further"
Personal opinion, 10 days feels a little bit too long given the situation thats unfolded in the last month but given a lot of sides do this (I didn't know they did until this article) then I'm not bothered by it.
There was a manager .. Jean Tigana ... at Fulham who was massively successful for a time until he sort of lost his marbles. but he got Fulham promoted as Champions and regularly around 13th in the Prem.
While they were being successful, after the physical training, he made the players play full matches without the ball at less than walking pace - talking to them about where he wanted them to be positioned, what to do in ever circumstance. They spent over 2 hours a day ( he had them at the training ground from first thing until late afternoon) walking, standing, talking, visualising and learning where to be under what circumstance, how to keep shape, where to make runs etc. I remember Fulham players saying they thought he was nuts to start with but they soon realised that it was working, and it wasn't exerting them - it was training their minds to think exactly, in matches, how he wanted them to think
Jean Tigana = shame he did actually go nuts, he was quite revolutionary and the Fulham team played some beautiful football while he was in charge.
10 days off !! WTF !!!! they could at least be learning even if thy aren't training
They were the best championship side I've ever seen, John Collins what a player.
They were the best championship side I've ever seen, John Collins what a player.
yep.... 101 points, plus 58 goal difference
[stats.football.co.uk]
RibeyeThey should be in working on fitness and patterns of play with the odd day off for recovery but then again our 2 main coaches , the defence ones who we need most are off on internationals đŻ
They have been given fitness plans and I'm sure it will be obvious to the staff who has and hasn't stuck to it. Thinking the infamous 30%/30%/30% quote. Those that haven't put in the work will not be here much longer.
We are about to head into the busiest spell of the season. For some players this will be their chance at Christmas as they will be busy now through into January.
The length of break isn't something that would've been decided on after the full time whistle at Sunderland. Possibly even plans from Eustace's time. It sounds like it is common in our division.
The alternative is to pull everyone in, cancel their breaks and piss everyone off with double sessions.
John Eustace never used to send them all home during international breaks
[www.birminghammail.co.uk]
Birmingham City wonât take their foot off the accelerator during the international break as head coach John Eustace insisted: âThereâs no time to switch off.â
Blues clinched an enormous victory over Queens Park Rangers at the weekend to boost their hopes of beating relegation. With eight Championship games to come after the international break, Blues are nine points clear of the drop-zone in 17th place.
Eustace will report to Bluesâ new temporary training ground in Henley-in-Arden this week to work with those who havenât been selected for international duty.
It seems like the November international break is seen a little differently because of the intense schedule after it.
Not sure what we did for it last year?
Never mind last November it was into the world cup break. I'm sure we never trained all the way through it though.
RagsThey were the best championship side I've ever seen, John Collins what a player.
yep.... 101 points, plus 58 goal difference
[stats.football.co.uk]
Great team to play as on CM I remember. Louis Saha, Zat Knight, Boa Morte, Lee Clark, World Cup winner Karl-Heinz Riedle!
What's this about tigana going nuts??
Okay ... as i remember it ... Mohamed Al-Fayed (bonkers) was the Chairman at Fulham and he had a massive row with Tigana and started these rumours that Tigana had been over paying for players and pocketing the difference. I think the accusation was about £millions going to agents who were then giving the money back to Tigana. Al-Fayed fed stories to every National newspaper. Except no-one knew for certain that it was Al-Fayed making the stories up and feeding the Press all these rumours
So the rumours grew and grew and Al-Fayed used it all as a reason to sack Tigana --- but it was all completely made up - so Al-Fayed started the false stories and then used those same stories as a reason to sack him.
Al-Fayed was telling everyone he was going to sue Tigana for the £millions missing etc etc etc and pretty much destroyed the bloke's reputation.
Then all of a sudden the charges against Tigana were dropped. It was all lies. No-one could prove that it was Al-Fayed who started the rumours but according to Private Eye at the time they had people confirming it
So ... Tigana then sues Al-Fayed - but because he couldn't prove defamation (because no-one could prove it was Al-Fayed to the point that they had evidence that would stand up in court) instead he sued him for wrongful dismissal and won £2 million plus after costs etc - a lot of money 20+ years ago
At the hearing for wrongful dismissal Tigana spoke about how he has suffered what he thought was a nervous breakdown as soon as the rumours started. Tigana then took about 2 years away from football before ever managing again.
Well, that's how i remember it all - some parts may be hazy
Never mind last November it was into the world cup break. I'm sure we never trained all the way through it though.
i don't know - and i wasn't trying to score points in the Rooney v Eustace debate --- all i know is that you have got a load of players who aren't "understanding" what is required of them, and what is expected of them, and how the manager wants them to play .... then if I was the manager i would be using every single opportunity to solve that.... at least on a couple of those 10 days