Malta

[Ollessendro]

Been mulling things over in my mind as to whether I think the squad going to Malta is (or was) a good idea or not. As things are very slow at the moment I thought I would share my thoughts. Initially Malta seemed like an inconvinience (breaking up pre season and allowing less room for manouvre in the transfer market) but I have come round a little bit and can see some positives.

Advantages


Team spirit and togetherness: this is quite subjective, but the more positive amongst us may argue that this would lift spirits. The players will be badly in need of a lift after last season and a weel training in the Meditaranean island could have helped. Also, the players being with each other for a week is a good idea. With new signings, stepping up of academy players and drafting in of development squad players then many may not have trained together before. Hence then being in each others pockets might have helped with team building and getting to know each other.

Players mixing with the fans. My favourite is fan is definately Corrine. Really pretty in that Barbie doll sort of way. Just the type of bid I like: smoking hot, but not the sharpest knife in the draw. But seriously, wil this go any way to closing the gap between the fans and the players? Maybe for the 80 that where there, but they are die hard United-ites anyway.

Fitness? Has this helped with fitness? Have they done anything they could not have at Shirecliffe? It is difficult to say. It certainly seems like it has been a decent run out. Training twice a day and with a few games thrown in should have helped with fitness. It has given a run out for most of the squad too and Barlow and Wilson should have more of an idea of who is likely to be in the first 11 and the squad.

Disadvantages


Waste of time? Is this just keeping up appearences and a complete waste of time? We have hardly being tested by Slima and Hibs have we. Could we not have just stayed at Shirecliffe. Is this not just a case of keeping up appearences?

Breaking up pre season: have we had valuable time out of the country when Wilson could and should have been wheeling and dealing? We all know that we still need to shift a few big earners and bring in a few more players. Would Wilson have been better focusing on this rathr than swanning around in Malta? He now does not have a lot of time to manouvre and I wonfer if privately he see's this as an inconvinience.

Ollessendro's verdict

I do not think the tour has done any harm than good and think more positives will come out of it than not. The main arguments against (waste of time) and Wilson having less time for transfers do not stand up (imo) due to the team spirit/togetherness/run out and Wilson have more than enough time to wheel and deal (respectively). A week for the players in the sun, working hard should have really have any negative impacts on the pre season. Hence, although I was sceptical at first, I do not think it was the worst idea in the world.

Other thoughts

Simmo. Looks good wi a tan dun he? (though am not a puff or owt). Never realised that he was from the North East either. They love footy up there. Perhaps there is hpe he will regain his form next season.

Marthese (head of Maltese downs syndrome association). Not bad for an owd bird. Pity there are not as many 50 year owd birds knocking around Shef that look like her. None of mi mum's mates ever looked like that. Dint stop me bangin a few of em though.

Kristina Casolani (Maltese Pop Sensation). Reit shag. Can see why McArthy and his mates got her to come. There is no wonder that the players are so happy to keep going back. Mediteranean goddess. Reckons she is coming to Shef n all. Would beat the usual half time entertainment n all. Recon Ollessendro might even put off a third pint of real ale to get down to the ground early if she was knocking abart.

Carly Barnes (consultant to Sheffield United): Top Yorkshire bird. Think I would employ her as a consultant. Sheffield's Helen Chamberlain.

James Shield (Sheffield Star reporter): what is this cockney tosser doing working for the Star and writing about the Blades? There is no wonder the Star is so poor at reporting on United.

Dan Scott (player liason officer): has this guy took Batho's job? Another nupmty in a redundant position. Nah, he seems reit enough. Proper Sheffield lad.

Scott McCabe

As if it is not bad enough what his daddy has done and the bad decisions he has made, but that shirt is purely criminal. All that cash has not bought him an ounce of charisma either.

Carly, Corrine or Kristina?


Now this is a tough choice and I can see qualities in all 3 of them. For me though it would have to be Kristina. Always had a thing about Mediteranean birds and dark hair and dark eyes send me nuts. Still could see why others might prefer the other 2.

(created a poll on this important issue)

 

[gavtheblade]

On a more serious note ollie,i dont think malta has done us anygood in the previous seasons-when have we seen a good start in the past 3 seasons?.
weve played the same teams everytime we go there.
just think its an excuse to get some sun on there backs and some officials to get leg over without the wife knowing.
next year i suggest a tour of afghanistan-they`ll be screaming to get back to blighty.

 

[Ollessendro]

[QUOTEgavtheblade]On a more serious note ollie,i dont think malta has done us anygood in the previous seasons-when have we seen a good start in the past 3 seasons?.
...... next year i suggest a tour of afghanistan-they`ll be screaming to get back to blighty.[/QUOTE]

nice one gav

bt we will just have to see how the season starts. Wilson has had more than enough time to shape the squad, assess the youth/development players and work with the players/squad. Hence a week in the sun cannot really be blamed if we do have a poor start. In fact for some of the reasons stated above (particularly team spirirt and togetherness) then the week away might have done some good.

 

[SwissBlade]

For me the Malta tour is good for getting the team focussed, getting fitness levels up and being away from the distractions of being at home etc.... But it appears that the players have been on the PR offensive - meeting people/ groups, attending the BBQ and a number of interviews.

Will their fitness have improved that much in the heat? The heat will be good for getting them sweating, but when you're having countless breaks and shorter/ more frequent training sessions then I'm not sure.

So perhaps the only benefit will have been some sun on their backs and a bit of team bonding. Fair enough.

Lets hope that the tactics will be getting sorted when we're back

 

[Bladesway]

Your Swiss in disguise aren't you Ollie?

It doesn't really matter where you do your pre-season so long as you get fit and get your team together. The standard of the oppo isn't relevant either because its all half pace rubbish.

The real stuff begins away at Oldham and I don't know if anything before makes any difference apart from fitness and team building.

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

We get the same threads about pre-season every year, if we start poorly, pre-season is blamed, if we don't, it doesn't get a mention. From memory, never was there as much moaning as when we went to China and we followed it with the best start in the club's history.

 

[Bladeloyal]

For me the Malta tour is good for getting the team focussed, getting fitness levels up and being away from the distractions of being at home etc.... But it appears that the players have been on the PR offensive - meeting people/ groups, attending the BBQ and a number of interviews.

Will their fitness have improved that much in the heat? The heat will be good for getting them sweating, but when you're having countless breaks and shorter/ more frequent training sessions then I'm not sure.

So perhaps the only benefit will have been some sun on their backs and a bit of team bonding. Fair enough.

Lets hope that the tactics will be getting sorted when we're back

id have thought training in warm weather has to improve your fitness levels ,every thing you do is harder on the body .hasnt done those bloody african marathon runners any harm .

 

[SwissBlade]

id have thought training in warm weather has to improve your fitness levels ,every thing you do is harder on the body .hasnt done those bloody african marathon runners any harm .

I'd also be inclined to agree, if its 30oC then I guess you just need to train for half the time than at 15oC at least thats the theory... But if you're not used to it then you need more breaks to take on more water and also there is the possibility that you won't want to/ be able to train as hard.

Its not a criticism, more of a question mark over the methods.

There is absolutely no doubt that the facilities which we use in Malta are top notch, I'm sure that not all the work is out doors either (Gym work and Hydrotherapy pools etc). But it'll be interesting to see where we go next year.

As for the African marathon runners, they have a very different physical build to a footballer, they're used to the conditions over a long period of time and there is also the point that they have a greater proportion of "slow twitch" muscle fibres

 

[Micalijo]

I'd also be inclined to agree, if its 30oC then I guess you just need to train for half the time than at 15oC at least thats the theory... But if you're not used to it then you need more breaks to take on more water and also there is the possibility that you won't want to/ be able to train as hard.

Its not a criticism, more of a question mark over the methods.

There is absolutely no doubt that the facilities which we use in Malta are top notch, I'm sure that not all the work is out doors either (Gym work and Hydrotherapy pools etc). But it'll be interesting to see where we go next year.

As for the African marathon runners, they have a very different physical build to a footballer, they're used to the conditions over a long period of time and there is also the point that they have a greater proportion of "slow twitch" muscle fibres

Is this some kind of joke Swiss? Your first sentence has to be a piss take?

Barca for example went to Scotland for a couple of years (stayed at St Andrews) in order to get some cooler weather training - and I'm sure when they are at home they will train in early morning or evening. I think I know what you're trying to say but unless you're some kind of top scientist in this area that first sentence is teh latest in a long line of nonsense coming forth from your keyboard.

 

[SwissBlade]

I was merely trying to apply a certain amount of logic - if you double the temp from 15 to 30 then perhaps you can halve the training time and still get the benefits.

Its a subject that interests me as does altitude training and its benefits. Its a forum, so we don't have to be top scientists to discuss these things

I've been criticised for being negative even when I am not being negative on a particular threadin recent weeks, hence treading carefully on this one so that I didn't come across too negative.

Ollie asked for thoughts on the benefits of Malta and without being a top scientist I gave an opinion on the pros and cons as I saw them.

I guess you don't like Mondays mic

 

[Micalijo]

I detest Monday's nearly as much as I detest Kevin Blackwell and Alehouse as managers but to seriously suggest that by training at 30 degrees temperature you need to do twice as less work as when training at 15% is to me closer to lunacy than it is to logic.

The links with Malta are nothing more than a reflection of pound signs flashing in McCabe's eyes. It is zero to do with benefitting the players - that's my take on it!

 

[Ollessendro]

The reason why African runners tend to do well at Marathons is because their hemoglobin and myoglobine is more efficient. This comes from living and training at altitude. The Kenyans and Ethiopians, traditionally good runners, have an advantage that they are born, live and then run at high altitudes. At these highers levels there is less oygen in the air and it forces your hemoglobin (the part of your blood that carries oxygen to the muscles) and your myoglobine (the part of the blood that takes the oxygen and feeds it to the muscles) to become more efficient (basically as it is working harder). Hence athletes that train at altitude are likely to have an advantage that they can get more oxygen to their muscles quicker. Hence, athletes from high altitude countries in Africa will have the advantage when they run at sea level, as their hemoglobin/myoglobine is more efficient.

I am unsure about working hard in heat and the physiological aspects. I did sports science A level, but am far from being an expert in this area. From personal experience training in heat can be very hard and punishing. However in terms of fitness I do not know if it makes much difference. Personally I doubt training in Malta or Shirecliffe would make a lot of difference. I think the main benefit would come from team spirt and togetherness. Enjoying the excellent facilities, bonding and lifting the morale. If they really wanted to benefit fitness wise then they would have gone to Bolivia, Kenya or Ethiopia to train.

Like I said before, part of this is no doubt keeping up appearences. Malta is our sponser and all this will have been put on for free. They will have benefited from tourism from fans and will benefit from being our sponser during the season. All thus being said, I think it could have been beneficial.

 

[SwissBlade]

Cheers for that Ollie, I know that there are certainly short term benefits of training at altitude prior to competition.

So what about the fast and slow twitch? I know in sprinters (Bolt and Colin Jackson for example) they found that they have a greater proportion of fast twitch muscle fibres, so perhaps the same also applies to Kenyan runners having slow twitch.

As for heat, I would've thought that unless the fluid intake is practiced religiously, then there could be negative effects such as players performing below their normal level or in worst cases, dehydration. Is recovery time extended in heat? I suppose that for such a short spell its going to be a limited issue as its not sustained periods.

So the real benefit is PR.

I guess that the real time to benefit from Malta is to go during the mid season - perhaps during an international break etc and get some milder weather training in during the British winter

 

[Trigger Blade]

I was merely trying to apply a certain amount of logic - if you double the temp from 15 to 30 then perhaps you can halve the training time and still get the benefits.

I've got an even better idea, why don't they got to the Gulf in July? it can get up to 50 degrees, so the lads would hardly have to train at all, they'd get fit just by being outside for a bit, applying your logic. Hotels are quite cheap too, out of season, so there's a cost saving too.

Much as it pains me, I agree with Mic, your theory is half baked, with no chance of it becoming fully baked if you turn the temperature up a bit.

 

[SwissBlade]

I've got an even better idea, why don't they got to the Gulf in July? it can get up to 50 degrees, so the lads would hardly have to train at all, they'd get fit just by being outside for a bit, applying your logic. Hotels are quite cheap too, out of season, so there's a cost saving too.

Much as it pains me, I agree with Mic, your theory is half baked, with no chance of it becoming fully baked if you turn the temperature up a bit.

Nice one Trig. However, its not my theory, I'm just assuming some logic to what I think the point of the trip is from a footballing/ fitness point of view. And don't just take my word for it, our new fitness coach seems to think its worthwhile...

Dave Morrison, United's new fitness coach, is making himself an unpopular man by working the players extra hard - not that he minds!

He smiles as, in the soaring temperatures, he pushes the players as close to breaking point as he dare as he prepares their bodies for the rigours of League One.

"They are losing significant amounts of water during each session and they have to replace a lot of fluid in between those sessions" explained Morrison.

The players have been rising early, having a light breakfast and heading out for training sessions that are over before it is too hot.

They are then instructed to rest and relax, being allowed only 20 minutes in the sunshine before going back in the shade.

Later in the day they then go back for another training session in the evening, which is hard work as the temperatures are still very high. The players really put themselves through it drenched in sweat on the punishing time tests that Morrison encourages them through.

"They have been great, worked really hard and done all that has been asked of them," Morrison told sufc.co.uk

Getting ready for next season, the Blades fitness coach is sure all this hard work will pay off:

"Going that extra mile now will be well worth it during a long hard season and the players will thank me later...or maybe not!"

Yep the Gulf gets chuffing hot, worked in Qatar back in 2005, it was 45-50oC every day and I was working outside and it wasn't the heat, but the humidity that was the problem, no matter how disciplined I was I couldn't take on enough fluids or replace the salts.

Maybe its an idea, as you're right, the hotels are dirt cheap at this time of year and Qatar has some excellent sporting facilities.

 

[Ollessendro]

Cheers for that Ollie, I know that there are certainly short term benefits of training at altitude prior to competition.

So what about the fast and slow twitch? I know in sprinters (Bolt and Colin Jackson for example) they found that they have a greater proportion of fast twitch muscle fibres, so perhaps the same also applies to Kenyan runners having slow twitch.

As for heat, I would've thought that unless the fluid intake is practiced religiously, then there could be negative effects such as players performing below their normal level or in worst cases, dehydration. Is recovery time extended in heat? I suppose that for such a short spell its going to be a limited issue as its not sustained periods.

So the real benefit is PR.

I guess that the real time to benefit from Malta is to go during the mid season - perhaps during an international break etc and get some milder weather training in during the British winter

Yes, slow and fast switched fibres are important for athletics and sport in general. Fast twitch muscles fibres offer explosive power where as slow twitch fibres tend to be good for endurance and offer power/strength for longer. Bolt, Gay, Jackson, Johnson, Lewis and the likes muscles would have been made up primarily of fast twitch muscle fibres. Carl Lewis was the perfect athelete is this sense as I think his muscles had 95 percent fast twitch fibres. In turn, the long distance runners muscles would be made up primarily of slow twitched fibres. A person can turn fast twitch fibres into slow one's but not vice vera. Hence, if you are not fast now then you are never likely to be no matter how hard you train. On the contrary you can train and reap the benefits of your muscle fibres becoming more slow twitch and get better at long distance events. Realistically a lot more comes into it. As well as hemoglobin/myoglobine and muscle fibres other psyiological aspects (such as heart size/efficiency, lung capcity, natural fitness etc) and to be a top athelete you would need to be fortunate in being born with most of these.