Fitness - Will this break help.

[TippEverton]

Fitness seems to be a subject that a lot of us agree on, and at the minute we look like we are struggling with it, we just didn't appear after half time at Leicester, faded very badly in the latter stages against Arsenal and again today I felt Mirallas, who was our best player today imo still looked absolutely shattered with over a quarter of an hour to go today.

Has this break come at a good time for us, a lot of the squad will be away with their countries, will match sharpness and fitness benefit them or will they come back more shattered ?

Would there be a match arranged the remaining players ?

 

[tim cahill]

Fitness seems to be a subject that a lot of us agree on, and at the minute we look like we are struggling with it, we just didn't appear after half time at Leicester, faded very badly in the latter stages against Arsenal and again today I felt Mirallas, who was our best player today imo still looked absolutely shattered with over a quarter of an hour to go today.

Has this break come at a good time for us, a lot of the squad will be away with their countries, will match sharpness and fitness benefit them or will they come back more shattered ?

Would there be a match arranged the remaining players ?

Yes. Every minute of training for the net 2 weeks should be spent learning to defend as a team.

 

[TippEverton]

Yes. Every minute of training for the net 2 weeks should be spent learning to defend as a team.

But there are 3 of our back 5 that started today away with their countries and also the main threat to them positions.

Very little time for that kind of work before our next game.

 

[Klinker]

I am not too worried about the fitness. This is one aspect I do trust Martinez with and I think this is actually part of his plan. I am not saying the dropping of 4 points was, but I believed the first few games he wasn't going to have some of his starters ready for ninety minutes. The injuries to Barkley and Pienaar did not help and he terrible performances by our CBs is what cost us the points more than our midfield being tired.

I think RM saw that half our starting line up was at the WC and with the added strain of Europe the toll on our regulars could be too much. He set up a light preseason and had his WC players come in after a full offseason. He gambled that we could survive the first three weeks without full fitness in an attempt to not have our players tire and be worn out by the end of the season. While there will be more of a rotation and an added squad our regulars will be playing more minutes than last season.

While this start is very frustrating I am more worried about our cohesion at the back than our lack of fitness. We can't afford to have Distin and Jagielka both fall off simultaneously.

 

[tim cahill]

But there are 3 of our back 5 that started today away with their countries and also the main threat to them positions.

Very little time for that kind of work before our next game.

Good point!

 

[rochdaleblue]

How is it that city, RS and Chelsea who had more players playing at the World Cup then us are not worried about the fitness of these players. I just can't get my head around the fact we were told how fit the players were from last pre season and this season we don't look fit at all. You shouldn't need premiership games to acquire fitness, fitness should have been acquired (for the whole squad) during pre season.

 

[PhilM]

Mirallas generally lacks stamina.

How often under Moyes and last season under Martinez was he dragged off with time to go?

We looked much fitter today than in previous games so doubt it will be too much of a worry in upcoming games.

When we're playing on a Thursday and a Sunday will I start to worry.

 

[TippEverton]

Just been surprised how much we are lacking sharpness right now, after today we could do with a lot of coaching and defensive work but with, guessing 10, of our squad from today away it gives us little time to do so ahead of West Brom.

 

[BlueToff]

How is it that city, RS and Chelsea who had more players playing at the World Cup then us are not worried about the fitness of these players. I just can't get my head around the fact we were told how fit the players were from last pre season and this season we don't look fit at all. You shouldn't need premiership games to acquire fitness, fitness should have been acquired (for the whole squad) during pre season.

Because they have huge squads

 

[hktoffee]

Hopefully. Yesterday performance is the last straw of our awful defending. We have enough meltfest.

 

[madkiwi]

Hopefully. Yesterday performance is the last straw of our awful defending. We have enough meltfest.

Fitness didn't seem to be an issue against Chelsea. It's a pity the issue isn't just fitness, because that would be easier to fix.

Yes the break is a good thing, it will give us a chance to regroup.

 

[ilikecheese]

Fitness was not an issue at all in my eyes today/yesterday...they ran their arses off closing down all over the show trying to get themselves back into the the game.

What is the problem is the poor positioning/poor reading of the game...it's like they've not played with one another before...it's so odd. McCarthy was poor too in defense.

For me the fitness level looked fine...players giving their all until the end.

 

[Kev The Rat]

the fact we had only conceded 2 goals after 67 minutes tells you a lot about our inability to keep going in the latter stages of matches.

 

[Kiwi]

I'd argue that perhaps fitness has played a part in the defence not being sharp and onto it. Not all but some of it. The tactics are fine, its the execution and as such sharpness in executing the tactics that has caused us problems and is worrying. Things like closing down quickly outside the box, and all stepping up for offside have been lacking sharpness and their execution, and fitness may have played a part in this as well as a loss in confidence (and legs going, who knows).
If this is the case I'd expect to see improvement after the break.

 

[zirc]

It's rather worrying as if you ignore the two early goals this game followed a similar pattern to the first two, decent defending then midway through the second half defence knackered and concede far too easily.

Think the Coleman OG really took the wind out of our sails, we were putting the screws to them up until that point.