PIC VIA www.whufc.com
Hammer of the Year Lukasz Fabianski and runner-up Declan Rice rejoined the squad in Switzerland after their summer breaks to discover there are Sundays are not days of rest in Manuel Pellegrini’s world.
The stopper and defensive midfielder had an extra week off following their involvement with England and Poland and met up with the squad in the evening after a heavy training schedule had been completed by their team mates.
The Irons were out on the FC Bad Ragaz pitch at 8am for a 30-minute interval run – with Pellegrini and his coaches joining them – before returning to the hotel for breakfast.
After a short break, it was back to the stadium for a 90-minute strength and conditioning session before lunch.
The players were then given a few hours to rest and recover before pulling on their boots for a late afternoon technical football session lasting another 90 minutes.
Claretand Hugh says: Remember those awful pre-season matches under Slaven when we tended to believe the squad had been barely under prepared for the season ahead? They appeared to be sauntering through a training regime which left them looking laboured and about 70 per cent fit. This time around – given the above report – there looks to be real hard labour involved under the manager and that it has started so soon after their return has to be to the good. The lads are involved in their first pre season friendly against SCL Altach on Thursday and the boss looks absolutely determined to have them at near peak as he prepares for next Wednesday’s clash against Manchester City followed by a second game for third or fourth place or a Final in the Asian Cup. That he should have had them out three times for training on Sunday at this stage of affairs is hugely encouraging. COYI.
Seems you have already decided we will lose v Man City!
I know lots of people who would call three and a half hours work heavy.