Fitness

[Mem]

It's widely reported that our preseason was a bit of a shambles - I thought we looked unfit whereas spurs under pochittino looked super fit and we simply couldn't keep up. The lack of motivation and passion is a concern but lack of fitness is also inexcusable

[jmelanie]

I think the unfitness was due to too many of the newly signed players coming straight into the team, without any proper preseason training behind them.

[winalotto]

Your never really fully fit at the start of the season anyway , you wont get match fit till you play at least 6 competitive matches , pre season has changed now , players keep themselves in better shape , come back with less work to do, you dont run in pre season like you used to , its more games to play now, what i didn't understand is when we played 2 games in 2 days why we didnt play more first team players at Southend that didnt play at Orient the night before, they could have had at least 45 mins there , they go out to Ireland and play (with all due respect ) 2 pretty average teams , where the really get through the games at walking pace.

[Jimmy Floyd Rabbit]

Your never really fully fit at the start of the season anyway.

Isn't that what pre season trainings for?

Meant to be grueling so you are in tip top shape from day one.

Going into it with the mindset of not being fit for 6 games is amateurish.

[jmelanie]

Your never really fully fit at the start of the season anyway , you wont get match fit till you play at least 6 competitive matches , pre season has changed now , players keep themselves in better shape , come back with less work to do, you dont run in pre season like you used to , its more games to play now, what i didn't understand is when we played 2 games in 2 days why we didnt play more first team players at Southend that didnt play at Orient the night before, they could have had at least 45 mins there , they go out to Ireland and play (with all due respect ) 2 pretty average teams , where the really get through the games at walking pace.

Last season there were a number of behind doors games. Doesn't this happen in the premiership?

[Nick]

This.

I think it's safe to say pre season was a bit of a balls up and almost a waist of time!

[winalotto]

Isn't that what pre season trainings for?

Meant to be grueling so you are in tip top shape from day one.

Going into it with the mindset of not being fit for 6 games is amateurish.

No , pre season is to get you up and running so to speak, but your never truly there for the first few games , thats why you'll get injuries towards the end of the games, players get tired towards the 60/70 minute mark , its why you want to catch a big team early because you know when these teams are up and running it will be even harder to get a result, playing pre season you can never really create the intensity of the games you play for points ( especially in the prem league) and we also have players that have done very little in pre season so they will take even longer to get there , im surprised we haven't organised a game behind closed doors, maybe we have , we should have done, even if its against the 21s

[Jimmy Floyd Rabbit]

Interesting take on it.

Personally for me we should of had some stronger pre season games, more fitness & we might have been in better shape. Saying that we looked ok last Saturday albeit against inferior opposition than Spurs.

[chippy]

Don't think the opposition in pre season has done us any favours. Having said that both sides we have played so far have played European games and started pre season earlier than us and have both looked sharper and fitter because of it. I think next Saturday will be a better gauge of wher we are at with other premiership sides.

[SuperHoopNik]

Playing 500th division german sides and playing Irish sides that are on par with the over 60s walking team on that barclays advert don't help when the rest of the prem are playing top tier european teams.

[Factamondo]

too be honest most of the walking over 60,s in barclays advert are quicker than rio n dunne!

[SuperHoopNik]

too be honest most of the walking over 60,s in barclays advert are quicker than rio n dunne!

Very true Facto, would have them down at Rangers in a flash

[twranger]

This.

I think it's safe to say pre season was a bit of a balls up and almost a waist of time!

very clever.... on a thread about fitness!

[Shania]

Not sure we are that good at training... ((say no more)...

[stanistheman]

Pre season was a waste of time.
The new players should have been bought in earlier and I think that rather than use 18-22 players per game they would have been better off playing more fixtures and getting them playing 13-16 players per game, and against better opponents.