Fitness and Performance for 25/26

[Cappy]

I think the point i'm making is that they'd already done their job and so were often replaced as part of team management rather than because they couldn't last the games

And that's the point where the manager comes in. I watch a lot of AFL, where the performance guys (several of which come from football) get a huge say in who is and isn't on the field during the game. I wonder (with no great insight) whether the previous two managers at SUFC have overruled the performance guys too much, and long-term have hindered the results of the team. AFL coaches are sacked way less frequently than in football, so don't need to take as many short-term risky decisions, to stay in a job

 

[SwissBlade]

I shared it on X and got an absolute roasting for it, but the league table based on results 75-full time makes absolutely horrendous viewing.

Thankfully the game is 90 mins+ and not from 75-90 mins, so that stat probably doesn't tell the story...

One of my big complaints from last season is how poorly we used and squad and that Wilder couldn’t manage a game within the 90 mins. The running joke of 60 minute champ manager subs or reacting to late to other managers changes.

I don't understand that statement, he either didn't use the squad or he did? I thought he often used the squad too much and it impacted some players when they were having visibly good games or he then didn't start someone the next game as they'd played longer the previous. He took the squad rotation very seriously and for the majority it worked extremely well. We still had a ridiculous number of injuries though and not sure what was going on behind the scenes to cause or contribute to this, i have some theories, but they're just that.

The other side to his "Champ Manager subs" is that had he not made changes fans would complain that we didn't make the changes

 

[BigBed]

I think we will see a fair bit more fitness this season, that training looks non stop, only for food.

 

[SwissBlade]

And that's the point where the manager comes in. I watch a lot of AFL, where the performance guys (several of which come from football) get a huge say in who is and isn't on the field during the game. I wonder (with no great insight) whether the previous two managers at SUFC have overruled the performance guys too much, and long-term have hindered the results of the team. AFL coaches are sacked way less frequently than in football, so don't need to take as many short-term risky decisions, to stay in a job

The joint assistant manager under Wilder was Matt Prestridge, originally brought in back in, i think when we were league one but it could've been that first season in the championship. Back then he was the "Head of Sports Science", so i don't think this aspect was overlooked.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

Three managerial teams can't be wrong, right?

Tom Little, who Hecky brought in, seems to still be the performance guy, based upon the latest vid in Girona. I don't know enough beyond amateur performance to have an educated opinion, but always wish Tom well, as he and his missus were both in my year at my school. But I'm very worried after last season about the ability of our key players to see out a game, at the level of performance I felt was required. Indeed I was perhaps biased in the seasons prior to not acknowledge concern.

I don't know how to take this. Part of me definitely says, 'yay, a new manager with a serious focus on athletic performance obviously rates him, so that's good, as I want him to do well'. But another part says, 'ah shit the old guy is still there, and we 'failed' with him previously'.

(If you're wondering, I recognise his voice in the vid)

I guess there's the old argument of you can only do what you're being asked to do. Both Hecky and Wilder seemed to focus more on effort than longevity of players. Our players have been in shocking condition for three seasons now and both Hecky and Wilder are old school style managers.

 

[Uganda Blade]

As I posted on the thread about Selles's Radio Sheffield interview, he seemed to be saying that he and his assistants have different strengths (and presumably weaknesses) but that they work as a team to complement each other.
Hopefully that means that he takes a similar approach to advice from fitness/conditioning staff.

 

[Cappy]

Another way to look at it, that I'm clinging to, is there's a guy famous for high athletic performance who has come in to take over the squad, and he has not got rid of Tom. So

Edit: as Uganda Blade eluded to

 

[Maidenhead]

Can't help but feel leaving your recruitment till the last .minute with players not having had a full.pre season doesnt help
Campbell for example should have been brought in much earlier but wasn't and this meant him.training on his own for months
No wonder then that he wasn't firing in all cylinders fitness wise

He still wasn't at the end of the season.

Wilder kept saying we can only get 60 minutes out of him, so that's what we'll do.

How about a manager saying "he's not fully fit, so we'll give him a bit longer and get 90 minutes out of him" with much less chance of doing further damage to his fitness.

I'm a great believer in only playing properly fit players as I feel it benefits everyone in the long term.

Problem is that managers are always judged in the very short term.

 

[Nick Jansky]

The joint assistant manager under Wilder was Matt Prestridge, originally brought in back in, i think when we were league one but it could've been that first season in the championship. Back then he was the "Head of Sports Science", so i don't think this aspect was overlooked.

I’m not sure exactly how well qualified he was to be the Head of Sports Science. I have some doubts.

 

[Ron_Justice]

The joint assistant manager under Wilder was Matt Prestridge, originally brought in back in, i think when we were league one but it could've been that first season in the championship. Back then he was the "Head of Sports Science", so i don't think this aspect was overlooked.

I expected and looked forward to an upturn in our fitness levels with the return of Prestridge, following the relative availability/fitness success of the 19/20 era squad.

With that half in mind throughout last season, l wondered if my understanding of his role(s) had been misplaced - physically we were off compared to the earlier era. But, with hindsight, l actually think this is more that that earlier era was the outlier. We were just really lucky to not suffer anything major to too many players. It would appear Prestridge was just as fallible as the next expert.

 

[Cappy]

I expected and looked forward to an upturn in our fitness levels with the return of Prestridge, following the relative availability/fitness success of the 19/20 era squad.

With that half in mind throughout last season, l wondered if my understanding of his role(s) had been misplaced - physically we were off compared to the earlier era. But, l actually think this is more that that earlier era was the outlier. We were just really lucky to not suffer anything major to too many players.

With Matt leaving, as an appointment of CW, but Tom remaining, I wonder if the owners have done their infamous work on a data/factual approach to decision-making and decided that Tom is the right guy...

I'm really intrigued with this. Hecky had a bad reputation for injuries pre-Wilder, with Tom at the helm...

 

[UTB Blade]

Another way to look at it, that I'm clinging to, is there's a guy famous for high athletic performance who has come in to take over the squad, and he has not got rid of Tom. So

Edit: as Uganda Blade eluded to

Noooooooooooo!

Not the one poster I rely on, never to make linguistic or typographical errors!

I remember you telling someone off, a couple of weeks ago, for failing to insert a space after a comma - and now this!

My whole world is shaken!

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

Three managerial teams can't be wrong, right?

Tom Little, who Hecky brought in, seems to still be the performance guy, based upon the latest vid in Girona. I don't know enough beyond amateur performance to have an educated opinion, but always wish Tom well, as he and his missus were both in my year at my school. But I'm very worried after last season about the ability of our key players to see out a game, at the level of performance I felt was required. Indeed I was perhaps biased in the seasons prior to not acknowledge concern.

I don't know how to take this. Part of me definitely says, 'yay, a new manager with a serious focus on athletic performance obviously rates him, so that's good, as I want him to do well'. But another part says, 'ah shit the old guy is still there, and we 'failed' with him previously'.

(If you're wondering, I recognise his voice in the vid)

Your ITK status goes from strength to strength mate, very good spot.

 

[Cappy]

Noooooooooooo!

Not the one poster I rely on, never to make linguistic or typographical errors!

I remember you telling someone off, a couple of weeks ago, for failing to insert a space after a comma - and now this!

My whole world is shaken!


View attachment 215680

Noooo!

 

[Cappy]

Your ITK status goes from strength to strength mate, very good spot.

Just to be clear, the only interaction myself and Tom have had in recent times is a "Hi" whilst crossing each other on a path. I was running in a way he would die laughing at. He was cycling

 

[Servigliano]

Re players fitness.
Many on here seem to overlook the fact that Wider managed us from the 3rd (sorry old school) to the First - and had very few injuries, I may be wrong but Bash, Egan and O'Connell together hardly missed a match - until poor Jack's training ground career ending injury.
Then - Covid insanity took over, since when there has been an unprecedented rise in injuries- to all teams- not just to us.
Why is this?
Maybe the elephant in the room is Covid itself - or maybe something else...Ie the supposed safe and effective cure.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Just to be clear, the only interaction myself and Tom have had in recent times is a "Hi" whilst crossing each other on a path. I was running in a way he would die laughing at. He was cycling

Was he Tommo or Tommy at school?

 

[Cappy]

Was he Tommo or Tommy at school?

Tom. Don't know what to add to that, really

 

[Nick Jansky]

Tom. Don't know what to add to that, really

Posh school?

 

[Cappy]

Posh school?

In case any of his future employers are reading this, yeah it was a school dedicated to athletic high-performance, specifically about taking mediocre athletes and getting them to perform at their greatest potential.

But outside of that, no it was "Glossopdale Community College", which when we started there was "Glossop Comp". Football skills were mainly honed on the redgra.

I think he may have taken some steps beyond that though

 

[Nick Jansky]

In case any of his future employers are reading this, yeah it was a school dedicated to athletic high-performance, specifically about taking mediocre athletes and getting them to perform at their greatest potential.

But outside of that, no it was "Glossopdale Community College", which when we started there was "Glossop Comp". Football skills were mainly honed on the redgra.

I think he may have taken some steps beyond that though

Ah, didn’t realise it wasn’t in Sheffield.

 

[MTBlade]

Re players fitness.
Many on here seem to overlook the fact that Wider managed us from the 3rd (sorry old school) to the First - and had very few injuries, I may be wrong but Bash, Egan and O'Connell together hardly missed a match - until poor Jack's training ground career ending injury.
Then - Covid insanity took over, since when there has been an unprecedented rise in injuries- to all teams- not just to us.
Why is this?
Maybe the elephant in the room is Covid itself - or maybe something else...Ie the supposed safe and effective cure.

The game as a whole seems to have changed since covid.

More football and less rest?

Players are running more, working harder with more intensity.

Facilities and techniques are improving, but you are still using the same human body, which has limits.

 

[Houston_Blade]

It’s fairly simple that in order to be one of the best teams you need to have your best players on the pitch and able to play to their full ability for the longest possible time.

If you have good players that either aren’t capable of being fit or you aren’t able to get fit enough to influence most minutes of most games then you’ll have to replace them with worse players and have less chance of finishing as high up in the league as other teams who are able to do so.

We had too many key players missing for too many minutes of last season and eventually it cost us. It was either poor recruitment or poor conditioning, only those in charge would know.

Hopefully this season we don’t make the same mistake.

 

[Cappy]

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Think having the majority of the squad starting pre season specifically set to the managers plans and requirements would help. Last year we didn't get many in until after pre season. Doesn't feel like we are going to have as many brought in this summer so hopefully more of the squad will be primed

 

[Frank the tank]

I bet a high percentage of those are from when souttar got injured

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Just seen this tweet. The amount of players who didn't have a pre season with us has to play a part.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Just seen this tweet. The amount of players who didn't have a pre season with us has to play a part.

So you would prefer us to make quick acquisitions rather than the best possible acquisitions?

 

[Berkshire Blade]

So you would prefer us to make quick acquisitions rather than the best possible acquisitions?

I'd prefer transfer windows to be shut earlier so clubs got their squads sorted By the end of July at the latest but that's never going to happen for...reasons?

 

[Cappy]

I'd prefer transfer windows to be shut earlier so clubs got their squads sorted By the end of July at the latest but that's never going to happen for...reasons?

Clubs want to go through a preseason to see if their squad is good enough, then negotiate changes with other teams. I agree it’s annoying though