Everton fans have once again been criticising Sam Allardyce after the Everton boss disputed the length of Sigurdsson’s injury in classic Big Sam fashion.
Everton have suffered their fair share of injuries this season, with key figures like Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman missing large parts of the season through injury.
Their latest hit to the squad might be the most significant one yet, as Gylfi Sigurdsson is set to be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a knee injury. The Icelandic international hurt his knee in the contest with Brighton, but continued playing despite the injury.
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The 28 year-old was then sent to see a specialist, with reports suggesting he could be out for six to eight weeks. In his press conference today, Sam Allardyce suggested otherwise.
Big Sam has certainly not endeared himself to Everton fans since taking over from Ronald Koeman, and fans have been disappointed by his uninspiring tactics and failure to grasp the values of the club.
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As the manager jokes whoever put the Sigurdsson statement out will be in trouble, Everton fans have used it as a chance to say his own job should be in trouble.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Southampton have been the surprise package this season, and find themselves sitting in 2nd place in the Premier League table after ten games, having only dropped points in three of their games so far.
The Premier League has been crying out for an ‘outside of the top four usual suspects’ team to challenge for the title for a while now and it looks like if it is likely to happen at all, it will most likely be this season.
In recent history we have seen clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea, who’s records pre-billionaire ownership were not as fruitful until major money was invested, only then did they start to win various titles and trophies. However, it has been a while since we have seen just a normal team that have risen to the top on purely their own merit, hard work, and their own financial steam without any significant outside help.
Southampton are a great club who came up to the top tier of English football from League 1 with successive promotions and did a great job in getting to where they are now. Where many clubs would have been content with mere survival and a steady approach to life in the top flight, the Saints decided to take it one step further and aim even higher since their promotion.
They are a club on the rise, one that is always seeking to improve their current position rather than be content with having the same sort of season year in, year out and hope for the odd cup run to bring them potential glory.
Not many would have thought that their intention this season was to be a title challenging team, and by no means are they actually competing to win the Premier League crown, but more so aiming to win as many games as possible and finish as high up the table as their own merit allows them to.
No one would have given them a chance of even surviving this season before August, considering they lost their manager to Tottenham Hotspur after such a good campaign last season and then their best players were poached in what can only be described as a massive fire sale during the summer transfer window.
However, the new manager, the new players and the existing squad all came together, rolled their sleeves up and simply got on with it.
It would be foolhardy to think that at the start of the campaign Ronald Koeman sat his team down and told them to go out there and make sure they were competing for major honours. At the same time it would be pointless assuming that he told his team to make sure they survived the season at all costs and set them a target of anything above 17th place is a bonus.
What Koeman has done in fact is adopt a far simpler philosophy, one that should be in all the textbooks out there in manager training school (if such a thing exists) and in all the sports psychology books; the notion that each team of 11 players on any given match day scenario is a team of human beings who are both competing to win the game of football, and therefore both have an equal chance of being victorious.
You have not seen this Southampton team approach any game with fear, despite the fact they were weakened over the summer with so many key players leaving. They are not looking too far ahead, just one game at the time and they are looking to try their best to win every game they compete in regardless of the opposition.
It is exactly this that has propelled them to the position they are in now, and the correct, winning mentality that they possess will be the key to any success they may have.
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Granted that on paper they are no where near being considered for European qualification or should they be given a second thought in terms of the league title, but things that are on paper – well, they are only worth the paper they are written on.
Southampton have got a great togetherness about them presently that has stemmed from the days in the third tier of English football. They have got the right attitude of wanting to improve and they are showing that it does not always take a multi-billionaire to inject instant success to a club.
Are Southampton serious title contenders this season? Yes, why not? They are up there through merit and hard work, fully deserved. There is no reason why they cannot continue to maintain the same levels of performance and results, even if they dip in form from time to time, there is no reason that they shouldn’t be up there come the end of the season, despite what is “on paper” or what logic tells you to think. Watch this space!
Champions Manchester City and stubborn Stoke City are the only two teams in the Premier League that on average, concede less than one goal per game. While the defensive backline of clubs up and down country has come under fire recently, I would argue that the man between the posts should take his share of the blame. It’s certainly worth asking why so few clubs possess a prominent goalkeeper in the prime of their career?
Take Manchester United for example, a side undergoing their routine, awkward transition between two reliable goalkeepers. At 22 years of age, David De Gea boasts undeniable potential but is raw to core, whereas his colleague Anders Lindegaard is six years his senior but has limited experience at the summit of European football. Sir Alex Ferguson has chopped and changed repeatedly this season, with both men apparently allergic to the number one jersey.
In the wake of their chaotic 4-3 victory over Reading last week, the United boss described it as “agony” and the “worst defending of this season”. A goalkeeper can only be as good as the defence in front of him and the tinkering in both departments has surely hampered rather than helped their title bid.
The defensive frailty is a real concern for those in the red half of Manchester, having already shipped 21 goals this season, three more than struggling Sunderland. Just one side in Premier League history has gone on to win the championship after conceding as many after fifteen games. Unsurprisingly, it was the Red Devils in 1996/1997, but the average for the league’s eventual winners is a mere 11, the current total of fierce rivals Manchester City.
Speaking of Roberto Mancini’s side, even the seemingly faultless Joe Hart has found himself thrust under the intense glow of the media spotlight. Journalists have been queuing up to lambast England’s ‘saviour’ for nurturing an inflated ego, which has allowed errors to creep into his game. However, I would argue he is simply a victim of his own and indeed the nation’s painfully high standards.
Outside the top two, is there a sole candidate that has been consistent, assured and won more points for his team than he has lost? Perhaps such a thing can’t exist within the rigours of modern football. By my calculations, there are only six definitive first choice keepers that find themselves in the optimum 27-32 age bracket. Cech, Reina, Al-Habsi, Foster, Federici and Vorm should by definition, present the perfect blend of experience and physical maturity.
And yet the standout names on that list – Chelsea’s Petr Cech and Liverpool’s Pepe Reina – have both suffered a severe dip in form this season. Neither shot-stopper installs the same degree of confidence or air of authority as years gone by, with only 11 clean sheets between them all season. Perhaps I am being over critical but at 30 years of age they should be at the peak of their career, not sitting at the top of a very slippery slope, encouraging the whispers that they’ve entered a state of decline.
At present, West Brom’s Ben Foster is arguably the leading light in the division with Swansea’s Michel Vorm hot on his heels, although he has been confined to the treatment table in recent weeks. Wigan’s Al-Habsi and Reading’s Adam Ferderici on the other hand are strange characters, one minute sublime and the next surreal, as infuriating as they are dependable for their managers.
The majority of shot-stoppers are either too juvenile – De Gea, Szczesny and even Krul – or a matter of weeks away from being ushered into a retirement home – Friedel, Jaaskelainen and Schwarzer. There is a growing sense that while the Premier League can showcase some of the best attacking talent in the world, it can’t do the same at the other end of the pitch.
There is another angle to this subject which points to the lack of English options in the Premier League, with only John Ruddy providing any real competition to Joe Hart. Ben Foster’s retirement and Rob Green’s resignation to the bench at Loftus Road means Roy Hodgson has had to dip into the lower leagues. However, England U’21 goalkeeping coach Martin Thomas insists he is working with the best batch of ‘safe hands’ for nearly a decade.
Alongside the already renowned Jack Butland, Hull City’s Ben Amos, Middlesbrough’s Jason Steele and Norwich City’s Declan Rudd have thrived on the international scene.
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“It’s not only those four, there’s also other lads like Alex Smithies of Huddersfield and Wes Foderingham who’s at Swindon,” explained Thomas.
“The best part of around 65 goalkeepers, a majority who are English and under the age of 26, are playing in the Football League every week. All you hope is they can do well enough to take the next step and eventually work up to the Premier League.” (FA)
Perhaps then this is simply a transitional period, similar to when teams enjoy phases of success before enduring a rebuilding process. The return of the formidable goalkeeper could be just around the corner, and then we’ll be forced to complain that we don’t see enough goals.
Jamie Carragher suspects there is something going on behind the scenes at Everton after Idrissa Gueye confronted Jordan Pickford in the defeat at Burnley.
Everton added yet another miserable result to their awful away run on Saturday as they completely capitulated in the second half, allowing Burnley several clear cut chances and eventually losing 2-1.
Ashley Williams was sent off for a ridiculous swinging elbow at Burnley’s Ashley Barnes and Sam Allardyce was given yet more stick from the Everton away support.
It’s clear all is not well at Goodison Park, and Jamie Carragher’s comments on Monday Night Football won’t have done much to make Everton fans feel better.
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As well as criticising the Everton performance, Carragher suggested there must be some sort of conflict between players on the training ground.
Ashley Barnes found Burnley’s equaliser after Jordan Pickford failed to come out and clear the long ball, and Idrissa Gueye’s angered reaction intrigued Carragher.
Carragher said:
“For him to run 20, 30 yards to remonstrate with the goalkeeper, that’s not a one off.
“There must be something going on behind the scenes between them. If someone did that to me I’d have them by the throat, Pickford just lets it happen.”
Carragher discussed England’s goalkeeper dilemma with Gary Neville on Monday Night Football, and both agreed the young stopper needs to work on his positioning and be more commanding.
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Time will tell if there is anything in the reaction from Gueye, but any sort of conflict between the players can surely only mean bad things for Sam Allardyce.
Everton fans, let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
Despite their woeful defensive record last season – which ultimately cost them a first Premier League title – Liverpool appear to have done little to solve the problems over the summer. The weekend loss at West Ham illustrated all of the problems of last term, as Martin Skrtel struggled aerially while Simon Mignolet was once again erratic in goal.
It’s clear something has to be done, as the addition of Dejan Lovren – one of the division’s better centre-backs across 2013/14 – has done little to stem the flow of goals at the wrong end for the Reds.
Here are FIVE signings Brendan Rodgers could make to sort out the problems…
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CLICK ON VICTOR VALDES TO REVEAL THE FIVE
Football – Manchester City v FC Barcelona – UEFA Champions League Second Round First Leg – Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England – 13/14 – 18/2/14Victor Valdes – FC Barcelona Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…
Liverpool may not have to wait until January to get Valdes on board, making him a potential quick fix to their goalkeeping woes. The Spaniard is currently a free agent after a knee injury blocked his Bosman move from Barcelona to Monaco over the summer, and Brendan Rodgers’ side are already thought to be close to agreeing a contract with him.
The 32-year-old has been erratic down the years at Barca, but having won just about every prize available to him at club and international level along the way, he would command a great deal more respect from Liverpool’s backline than Mignolet.
Joe Hart
Rumours over the weekend suggested that Liverpool are chasing Hart. The England international’s future at Manchester City is anything but clear, with Manuel Pellegrini having signed Willy Caballero over the summer to add further doubt to the stopper’s situation.
Contract talks with City are on-going, and Liverpool are said to be pondering a stunning bid to snatch him from their rivals in January. Like Valdes, Hart would gain more respect from the Anfield backline, which would certainly help to improve their organisation.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos
Football – Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal – UEFA Champions League Group Stage Matchday Four Group F – Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany – 6/11/13Borussia Dortmund’s Sokratis Papastathopoulos looks dejectedMandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Arsenal were linked with the Greek utility man over the summer, and reports suggested that Dortmund were open to a deal. Should Brendan Rodgers be looking for cover in every position – which, let’s face it, he must be right about now – the Sokratis is a genuine option.
The 26-year-old can play in any role along the backline or in defensive midfield, and has bags of experience at international level as well as in Italy and Germany. Bids of around £10m-£15m could be enough.
Kevin Strootman
//www.youtube.com/embed/_Wq8cQ-ldJo
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This would double bubble for Liverpool, who could snap up a long-term replacement for Steven Gerarrd and get one over on bitter rivals Manchester United at the same time. The Red Devils are known to be chasing the Dutchman ahead of January, bit Brendan Rodgers could swoop to beat them to the punch.
Strootman is currently out with a knee injury, but should he return to full fitness before the winter period then a move away from Roma, despite their protestations, could be on. Champions League football at Anfield may tempt him to reject United.
Ron Vlaar
Football – Aston Villa v Parma – Pre Season Friendly – Villa Park – 14/15 – 9/8/14Ron Vlaar – Aston VillaMandatory Credit: Action Images / Craig BroughEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
‘Concrete Ron’ has enjoyed a fine latter half of 2014, performing well at the World Cup and slotting seamlessly back into Aston Villa’s impressive rearguard. Man United and Southampton were linked with Vlaar over the summer, and despite talk that the Villains won’t sell, he could be available for the right price.
The Dutchman would certainly bring a commanding presence to Liverpool’s backline, even if his pace may not suit Rodgers’ high-octane game.
Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn believes that Arsenal will be plunged into crisis should they fail to beat their North London rivals this weekend.
Winterburn has insisted that only a victory in their Premier League clash at The Emirates will be a satisfactory result for Arsene Wenger’s side, and three points will go some way to re-establishing some momentum to their season.
The Gunners have only secured two victories in their last seven outings and are languishing 11 points behind the current Premier League leaders Manchester United.
Both sides are sitting in seventh and eighth places respectively and will be looking to secure a positive result to push up the table towards the coveted top four places.
“I thought this season that Arsenal would be stronger than last season, even though they lost Robin Van Persie. I like the togetherness of the squad,” Winterburn told Alan Brazil’s breakfast show on TalkSPORT.
“My one slight worry was where they would replace all those goals. They would need [Olivier] Giroud to start scoring straight away and would also need the midfield players around him to possibly to get into double figures. And it just hasn’t happened like that.
“From a positive start, it’s now turning into a bit of a crisis already. They really need a positive result [against Tottenham] and a positive result means a win”
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Arsenal face Tottenham this Saturday lunchtime and will be hoping to replicate their 5-2 win they achieved over their rivals at The Emirates last season, where they produced a sensational comeback, after conceding 2 early goals.
Newcastle United fans in the Tavern will be desperate to see Mike Ashley splash the cash this summer as they look to progress up the table next season.
Against the odds Newcastle managed to finish tenth in the table last year amid rumours of Raphael Benitez’s displeasure at the lack of funds available and Mike Ashley trying to sell the club. If Benitez can make some smart signings this summer, especially up front, the Magpies could well challenge for a top ten spot next season.
Mike Ashley has been fairly frugal with his money in the past but he simply has to give the Benitez some financial backing thus summer or risk losing him.
Newcastle are in dire need of goals, and if they can keep this player fit they could have a potential star on their hands.
That star in question is Liverpool’s forgotten man, Daniel Sturridge.
Sturridge is entering the final year of his contract and according to reports is available for £15 million. The 28-year-old is firmly down the pecking order at Liverpool due to his poor injury record which he again showcased at West Brom last season where in his short loan spell, he only managed six appearances in the league.
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In the past, Sturridge has attracted interest from Sevilla and Inter Milan, who could well be interested in him again. With Aleksandar Mitrovic’s future up in the air and Dwight Gayle failing to perform, a move for Sturridge could well be a wise move. If Newcastle can get the former Chelsea and Manchester City man fit and anywhere near to his best, they could well have a striker that could propel them into the European places.
Chelsea forward Willian produced a man-of-the-match display and scored his side’s goal in the Blues’ 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, and Manchester United fans have urged their club to sign the Brazilian, rated at €32m (£28.3m) according to Transfermarkt.
The 29-year-old had already hit the woodwork with two brilliant efforts when he finally scored in the 62nd minute following an impressive finish to give Antonio Conte’s men the lead, but Lionel Messi netted his first ever goal against the west London outfit to snatch a draw for the La Liga leaders.
Willian hasn’t always been popular with the Stamford Bridge faithful this term following some inconsistent performances, and he hasn’t been a regular in the starting XI under Conte either, although that may change following his most recent display.
Man United supporters were quick to have their say on the Brazil international via social media, and while one said he “would thrive with Sanchez and Lukaku”, another said he’s “better than Hazard imo and one of the best players in the world”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
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It was all going so well for Louis van Gaal until the season actually started.
The Dutchman warned it wouldn’t be a smooth ride for Manchester United as they transitioned towards a new 3-4-1-2 system, but few anticipated the former Premier League champions would be without victory in their first three games of the season – including a shock 4-0 defeat to MK Dons in the Capital One Cup last night.
Quite obviously, the quality of the Red Devils squad needs to be improved. And although there’s just five days of the transfer window remaining, that’s still more than enough time to get some business done.
So, with that in mind, here’s a list of SIX stellar signings to turn United’s form around and keep Louis van Gaal in the job.
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JAN VERTONGHEN
Why aren’t Manchester United smashing down Daniel Levy’s door, trying to work out a deal for Jan Vertonghen?
The Tottenham centre-back is one of the Premier League’s stand-out defenders and further showcased his qualities at the World Cup with Belgium, but the only rumours we’ve heard this summer are in regards to a new five-year contract.
Fortuitously, there’s been a lot of talk but the 27 year-old is yet to sign on the dotted line. After missing out on Mats Hummels, who is now Borussia Dortmund captain, Manchester United need to weigh in – Vertonghen is not only proven in the top flight but represents exactly the style of defender the Red Devils should be looking for this summer.
Firstly, the former Ajax product – extra brownie points with van Gaal – can play at centre-back or left-back, as he did for Belgium at the World Cup to great success, making him theoretically ideal for the left side of a back three.
Secondly, Vertonghen is a front-footed defender who gained his standing in England by playing out of the back and scoring goals during his first season at White Hart Lane, the vitals of which are detailed below:
Thus, he would suit the central berth in a back three well too. Here’s a look at the Spurs star in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/LVgHB_IGKpk?rel=0
In my opinion, Vertonghen would be perfect for United, adding top quality and perhaps most importantly, leadership, to their struggling defence.
Admittedly however, this late in the transfer window, Tottenham will demand a small fortune for their key defender.
Another centre-back worth Louis van Gaal’s consideration is Brazil international Dante.
Manchester United have taken a look at the Bayern Munich defender before, and now that the German champions have secured a deal for Roma sensation Mehdi Benatia, the timing is right for the Red Devils to revive their interest.
Since moving to the Allianz Arena in summer 2012, the 30 year-old has claimed an incredible eight trophies, including back-to-back Bundesliga titles and the Champions League, whilst he also made it into the 2013 ESM Team of the Year.
Dante endured a disappointing World Cup, as he found himself at the heart of Selacao’s 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany, but his club form over the last two years has been incredibly consistent, as detailed below:
Here’s a look at the 6 foot 2 defender in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/-yO0SYaI-UQ?rel=0
As you can see, his greatest gift is winning the ball back and quickly moving it in the right direction. Manchester United need a defender like that right now, who can give a consistent supply to midfield.
Clearly however the German champions will only sell at the right price – they issued Dante a one-year contract extension in March to protect his value. How much can United justifiably spend on a 30 year-old?
JUAN CUADRADO
What I find most concerning about this current Manchester United side is the overall lack of pace and threat in-behind. Prior Red Devils teams have been filled with explosive wide-players or poachers, whilst Louis van Gaal had Arjen Robben stretching play for Oranje at the World Cup.
In my opinion, the best remedy for that would be Fiorentina road-runner Juan Cuadrado, whom the Old Trafford outfit have been strongly linked with for much of the summer:
United’s interest follows an impressive World Cup campaign, where the Colombia international claimed four assists – the most of any player at the tournament – including this set-up to James Rodriguez:
His form in Serie A last season was equally proficient, as detailed below:
Combining pace, athleticism, trickery and netting prowess, this goal typifies the South American:
//www.youtube.com/embed/DUlRxcSaxZo
He’s also incredibly versatile and was utilised in a plethora of positions by the Florence outfit last season:
Mooted as a potential successor to Dani Alves at Barcelona, the 25 year-old would be perfect for the right wing-back role in United’s 3-4-1-2 system.
And the summer window may be drawing to a close but the £32million-rated midfielder has offered Manchester United great hope in signing him after revealing a move could still happen before September 1st:
ARTURO VIDAL
There’s no two ways about it, Manchester United NEED to sign Juventus midfielder Aruto Vidal this summer. Not least because his aggressive, relentless box-to-box style, as shown in the below stats, is exactly what United have lacked in midfield for the last few seasons:
That ability to contribute in both defence and attack, whilst possessing the stamina to compensate for a lack of numbers in midfield, will be vital for the Louis van Gaal’s 3-4-1-2 plans. His goals are important too – Tom Cleverley, Marouane Fellaini, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher netted just twice collectively last season but no midfielder has bettered Vidal’s 28 goals in Serie A since joining the Old Lady in 2011. Perhaps most importantly, Vidal’s emergence as one world football’s most complete midfielders has come via his dominant, all-action displays at the heart of Juve’s 3-5-2 system:
The 26 year-old performed well in the same formation, albeit in a more advanced role, with his country at the World Cup too. That experience in a three-at-the-back system could prove vital amid Louis van Gaal’s philosophical revolution at Old Trafford. Here’s a look at Vidal in action: //www.youtube.com/embed/r8iKLIacxxw?rel=0 It’s no secret that the Red Devils have been chasing after his signature all summer, and recent speculation suggests talks with Juventus over the £50million-rated midfielder’s future are finally underway:
DALEY BLIND
Louis van Gaal needs an ally, a player who understands his direction and philosophy perfectly, and Manchester United need someone who can fill the multitude of gaps in their squad.
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Netherlands international Daley Blind fits both requirements perfectly. Following a Player of the Year award-winning campaign with Ajax, he excelled in the left wing-back role at the World Cup, as detailed below:
His defining moment being this assist to Robin van Persie against Spain:
But in truth, Blind is a utility man, capable of featuring in a variety of positions across the midfield and defence:
The 24 year-old’s arrival would significantly bolster the depth of Manchester United’s squad. Recent speculation suggests Ajax are prepared to let the Oranje star leave this summer:
But the Daily Mail claim the Red Devils are yet to make an official offer:
MARCO REUS
Jurgen Klopp has once again dismissed reports that Marco Reus will be allowed to leave this summer, but until Borussia Dortmund tie down their star forward to new terms, top clubs including Manchester United will be determined to prize him away from Westfalen. With the exception of missing the 2014 World Cup through injury, the 25 year-old’s career has continually soared since joining the Black-Yellows in summer 2012. Last term he was absolutely lethal in the final third, as detailed below, earning him the Bundesliga’s Player of the Year award:
The Germany international creates and scores goals, but his technical qualities are underpinned by his blistering pace. Here’s a look at Reus in action: //www.youtube.com/embed/rlYrndbblKk?rel=0 The former Monchengladbach star can play anywhere across the front or as a no.10. That would allow Louis van Gaal to switch to his more favoured 4-3-3 formation and also offer him another option up top. Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie undoubtedly remain first choice but Reus poses a different, more penetrating threat. Furthermore, as previously stated, Reus’ rumoured contract situation is incredibly enticing. The Mannschaft forward allegedly has a bargain-rate £20million release clause:
That’s not set to come into effect until next summer, but Dortmund will be well aware that they’ll get a much bigger mark-up on Reus if they sell now.
With a permanent boss finally appointed, Chesterfield are looking to climb the League 2 table on the back of a new style of play and an improved training culture. But is fitness really the answer? asks Will Strauss
For the third time this season, Chesterfield FC has a new manager. Having dispensed with the services of John Sheridan and subsequently given his assistant, Tommy Wright, a go, the club has now appointed former Accrington Stanley manager Paul Cook on a two and a half year deal.
Cook seems like a decent enough appointment: he is enthusiastic, forthright and had a decent playing career with the likes of Wolves and Coventry. His managerial record, so far, isn’t up to much though (unless you happen to hold the League of Ireland in particularly high esteem). But the former Southport and Sligo Rovers boss does have a reputation for getting his teams to play exciting attacking football and that will go down well with most people in this particular corner of North Derbyshire.
Cook is said to have got the job partly because of the progressive style of football that his Accrington team played against the Spireites in a 4-3 reverse earlier this season and partly because of his enthusiasm and attitude towards training. A theory confirmed by owner Dave Allen last week.
“Footballers are paid as full-time footballers but I don’t see many of them training too much and that is the culture [Paul] is going to bring to the club,” he said. “We’re going to have a different culture down at Chesterfield. They’ve got to embrace the Di Canio method. [Swindon] train six days a week. They’re superfit. If you’ve got talent and you’ve got superfit you’ll start to win games. If you’ve not got so much talent but you’ve got superfit you’ll be better than you were if you weren’t superfit won’t you?”
A Bit Of Previous
Sound point though this may be, it doesn’t really say much for the previous regime or for other clubs around the country.
On that very point Allen said: “[Currently the players] go in two hours on a Monday, two or three hours on a Tuesday if they’re not playing, have Wednesday off, train Thursday, train a little bit on Friday, play Saturday and have Sunday off. It’s not enough.”
Results in the last 18 months would suggest he could be right. In being relegated from League 1 last season Chesterfield lost more than 25 points from winning positions – most notably shipping late goals against relegation rivals Scunthorpe and Wycombe when well placed to pick up more points than they eventually ended up with.
It could be suggested that this was down to an inability to ‘go the distance’ fitness wise. It could also be argued that it was down to a number of other factors such as confidence, decision-making and communication.
Equally, in our most recent league game, a horrific single goal defeat at home to bottom-of-the-table Barnet, I would say (from my less-than-lofty position in the West Stand) that some of the players were looking a bit ‘leggy’. There was no drive, no thrust and an inability to ‘go again.’ Our best players were two youngsters, Tendayi Darikwa and loanee Chris Atkinson, and the evergreen Terrell Forbes. The rest were simply not at the races. The consequence? Having created enough chances to win two games of football, we conceded another late goal and lost 1-0.
Survival Of The Fittest
The upshot of all this is that the team, under Cook, is now doing extra training each week and even the odd bit of pilates.
Anyway, all of this got me thinking. Do the fittest teams always do well over a season? On the one hand, Swindon (the team praised by Allen) are certainly doing OK in League One. While on the other, Oxford United (one of Swindon’s local rivals), with their newly appointed strength and conditioning coach and their pre-season ambition to be the “the fittest, the fastest and the strongest in League Two” are just one place and one point above the Spireites, a team now considered to be quite the opposite.
Let’s look at another example. Older readers will appreciate this.
When Liverpool were winning things under the great Bill Shankly, Roger Hunt, the England centre forward, said that the secret of their success was that they “were the fittest team in the country”. Those players won the league in 1964, 1966 and 1973 (albeit in an era when smoking, drinking and eating steak before a game was almost universally encouraged).
What does science say about it? Well, apparently very few people have successfully studied the connection between fitness and winning. But there is some evidence.
Thomas Karapatsos, the editor and founder of Soccer Mastermind, reports* on a study involving 320 male players from three different English leagues. He says the research concluded that: “team performance and success was not directly related to the level of fitness. Other factors such as player’s technique, tactics, formations, psychology, mindset and injuries need to be evaluated.”
Go back to 1999 and there is further evidence. In their report ‘Physical Fitness, Injuries, and Team Performance in Soccer’**, six Scandinavian sports scientists set out to investigate the relationship between physical fitness and team success.
Weak Relationship
Testing 306 players from 17 teams in the two highest divisions in Iceland they found that: “the relationship between team average performance on the various [fitness] tests and team success expressed as final league standing was generally weak.”
Instead, they concluded that incurring fewer injuries during a season equates to a higher league position (really? hold the front page!) and, more interestingly, that the higher a team can jump (yes, jump) the better they’ll do (which goes some way to explaining how well Stevenage and Sheffield Wednesday did last season).
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‘This does not mean,” they add, ‘that a team with superior fitness would not have a definite advantage when playing an opponent with less physically fit players. [But] the ability to transform this fitness advantage to a real performance advantage would depend on a number of other factors, such as motivation, and technical and tactical skills.”
I’m not entirely sure what any of this proves. I personally think that Cook and Allen are right: the first team squad does look like it needs to train more. But hopefully this is not just about fitness or about how far and how fast they can run but also with a view to avoiding injury, rehearsing set-plays and working better as a unit.
Well I certainly hope it is. As science seems to think that improved oxygen intake levels alone are not going to be enough to get Spireites up the table.
As well as writing about his first love, Chesterfield FC, Will is currently generating articles for Dencroft, the concrete garages company.