Fitness

magicjuan · March 7, 2016

Groucho said:
Not many teams can then. That's the point of pre season games.

And I was at Villareal, we looked reasonably fit then.

Beg to differ. I've watched other teams breeze through a 90 minute pre season work out. I've watched Everton use pre season games for tactics, not for fitness, and I would argue that looking reasonably fit against Villareal doesn't translate as having stamina.
Been far too many games all the way through this season, and last, where we have technically run out of steam around 70 minutes. Stamina is not one of our strongest attributes by a long shot.

Groucho · March 7, 2016

magicjuan said:
I would argue that looking reasonably fit against Villareal doesn't translate as having stamina

So lasting 90 mins against a good Spanish team doesn't translate as fit? What does then?

I'd say that was decent, result notwithstanding.

magicjuan · March 7, 2016

Groucho said:
So lasting 90 mins against a good Spanish team doesn't translate as fit? What does then?

I'd say that was decent, result notwithstanding.

Lasting 90 minutes on a regular basis in the league....

Groucho · March 7, 2016

magicjuan said:
Lasting 90 minutes on a regular basis in the league....

But we were talking about pre season and Villareal not being good enough, not the league.

ilikecheese · March 7, 2016

Groucho said:
Perhaps the side is physically fit but mentally weak? That makes sense actually - people talk about 'confidence players' but I think we have a 'confidence team'.

When we play well we look lethal on attack, yet when one unfortunate thing occurs, all their heads go down. Arsenal 2014, 2-0 up in 70th minute, yet Arsenal's first goal back killed us. Bournemouth's the same, we were 2-0 and they came back twice, and also Chelsea, regardless of time played or offside.

Maybe it's all about confidence, because God knows they have the ability. That is entirely down to Martinez to motivate and inspire them even when mentally low.

No doubt about this post. We are a confidence team. The support at home is not helpful as the team really seems to feed off it...in a bad way.

It took us getting a red card for the crowd to be up for it and lift the team. It's not really surprising that we are performing better on the road where the support is fantastic. I know it's an unpopular thing to say, but it is a contributing factor to our performance at home.

daz4matty · March 7, 2016

ilikecheese said:
No doubt about this post. We are a confidence team. The support at home is not helpful as the team really seems to feed off it...in a bad way.

It took us getting a red card for the crowd to be up for it and lift the team. It's not really surprising that we are performing better on the road where the support is fantastic. I know it's an unpopular thing to say, but it is a contributing factor to our performance at home.

Yet the same supporters who watch us at home travel away.

ilikecheese · March 7, 2016

I'd also like to add being a man down for the majority of the game certainly didn't help in terms of fitness/mental fitness. Lennon and Rom worked their tails off, as did several others.

ilikecheese · March 7, 2016

daz4matty said:
Yet the same supporters who watch us at home travel away.

Shame they can't support in the same manner.

riddick · March 7, 2016

I'd like to add on to this to ask what particularly we do in training? We don't seem to anything quite well. Its a bit confounding. We are knackered constantly, we are awful with off the ball movement, we don't press, we have no idea what 'defending' is, our set pieces are comical.

daz4matty · March 7, 2016

ilikecheese said:
Shame they can't support in the same manner.

Its hard to judge when you don't spend all that money to watch us lose.
We both don't go but to watch us lose nearly every home game i wouldn't be happy.
To watch us roll over must be hard for the home support

daz4matty · March 7, 2016

riddick said:
I'd like to add on to this to ask what particularly we do in training? We don't seem to anything quite well. Its a bit confounding. We are knackered constantly, we are awful with off the ball movement, we don't press, we have no idea what 'defending' is, our set pieces are comical.

I don't think they train.

ilikecheese · March 7, 2016

daz4matty said:
Its hard to judge when you don't spend all that money to watch us lose.
We both don't go but to watch us lose nearly every home game i wouldn't be happy.
To watch us roll over must be hard for the home support

Just don't get why it takes getting a red card for the crowd to actually help the team.

I totally understand the frustrations, but support them for Christ sake.

Pisses me off as I'd never behave the was some of our supporters behave.

daz4matty · March 7, 2016

ilikecheese said:
Just don't get why it takes getting a red card for the crowd to actually help the team.

I totally understand the frustrations, but support them for Christ sake.

Pisses me off as I'd never behave the was some of our supporters behave.

I get where your coming from mate.
When you go the game and are expecting to get beat with a great squad and the manager making the same mistakes you are bound to be pissed.
4 home wins in nearly 9 months is hard enough to stomach

lancs blue · March 7, 2016

Its like going to a restaurant paying 90 quid and getting the same tosh you hated last time but you know you should never have gone back. I cant go to a game excited anymore as i always know something negative will happen and generally it does at home.