Ally Ally show us your a@s@ !

[JohnMc 2,750]

I'm not sure I agree, at no point does Faure suggest anyone saw McCoist as anything other than the 'boss', he was simply showing the difference between the two cultures and McCoist's ability to relate with players and his accessibility for the payers. It was only one example, more telling for me was McCoist losing it with Miller and that being the first time Faure had seen McCoist really lose it.

 

There's a lot of uninformed talk from supporters of all clubs about what they think football training should be like. For most it's a cross between a military bootcamp and an intensive medical facility. Professional sport and football in particular has evolved to this point, players are fitter than they have ever been, they've access to dieticians, specialist fitness coaches, medical facilities and so forth. They are monitored, checked and assessed all the time, these guys are exceptionally fit. At that level though, the little gains to be made are psychological, both in terms of an individual' belief and state-of-mind but also of the team spirit, that 'band-of-brothers' ideal that all teams strive for. Making training 'fun' or at least enjoyable is part of the psychology, you've 20 odd players, only 11 of who can start a match, so you've more pissed off players in danger of becoming disillusioned and disruptive at any one time than you have satisfied ones. That needs addressed and part of that process is making training enjoyable. We might not like that, we might expect our players to be hyper-professional droid-like beings but that's simply not the reality of a typical footballer.

 

Faure has barely started this season and could have used this interview to slate the club, the management who are clearly overlooking his playing genius and his colleagues who aren't as good as him in his own mind after all that's happened plenty of times before. He didn't, he complimented the club, his colleagues, the management and the support. He did this against a background of the most disruptive possible period in the club's history.

 

No one thinks McCoist was a tactical genius, but he understood the importance of team spirit, of togetherness and he clearly managed to foster that during a very difficult period. Credit where credit is due.

[SteveC 150]

I'm not sure I agree, at no point does Faure suggest anyone saw McCoist as anything other than the 'boss', he was simply showing the difference between the two cultures and McCoist's ability to relate with players and his accessibility for the payers. It was only one example, more telling for me was McCoist losing it with Miller and that being the first time Faure had seen McCoist really lose it.

 

There's a lot of uninformed talk from supporters of all clubs about what they think football training should be like. For most it's a cross between a military bootcamp and an intensive medical facility. Professional sport and football in particular has evolved to this point, players are fitter than they have ever been, they've access to dieticians, specialist fitness coaches, medical facilities and so forth. They are monitored, checked and assessed all the time, these guys are exceptionally fit. At that level though, the little gains to be made are psychological, both in terms of an individual' belief and state-of-mind but also of the team spirit, that 'band-of-brothers' ideal that all teams strive for. Making training 'fun' or at least enjoyable is part of the psychology, you've 20 odd players, only 11 of who can start a match, so you've more pissed off players in danger of becoming disillusioned and disruptive at any one time than you have satisfied ones. That needs addressed and part of that process is making training enjoyable. We might not like that, we might expect our players to be hyper-professional droid-like beings but that's simply not the reality of a typical footballer.

 

Faure has barely started this season and could have used this interview to slate the club, the management who are clearly overlooking his playing genius and his colleagues who aren't as good as him in his own mind after all that's happened plenty of times before. He didn't, he complimented the club, his colleagues, the management and the support. He did this against a background of the most disruptive possible period in the club's history.

 

No one thinks McCoist was a tactical genius, but he understood the importance of team spirit, of togetherness and he clearly managed to foster that during a very difficult period. Credit where credit is due.

 

"exceptionally fit"? We've got players who are blowing out their arses after about ten minutes! We've got players who lumber after postmen and brikkies in from a day's work who are skinning them for sheer pace.

 

As for Ally only losing it once - just think for a few minutes of the all the utter humiliations and shameful displays this means he did not lose it after

Edited January 1, 2015 by SteveC

[JohnMc 2,750]

"exceptionally fit"? We've got players who are blowing out their arses after about ten minutes! We've got players who lumber after postmen and brikkies in from a day's work who are skinning them for sheer pace.

 

With respect that's not true. The level of fitness and conditioning for full-time professional footballers is exceptional, ours are no different. Whether one person is faster than another is the luck of nature, but in terms of core fitness you are incorrect. I'm reminded of all those supporters who accused Charlie Adam of being 'fat', it was patently ridiculous, but plenty still said it.

[SteveC 150]

With respect, I think it is true. Exceptionally fit compared to 40 years ago* - yes. Exceptionally fit by even the standards of part time players, then no - not even close. If we were training and using things you mention properly (like dieticians) and following proper 21st Century fitness regimes then we would be what you describe. But we don't I watch football a lot, we are not fit compared to most others I see. Whether one person is faster than another is NOT just luck of nature. It is also what you do with what nature has given you. That's just a ridiculous claim, putting it all down to luck. Two payers at 16 - one is faster than the other. The slower one trains properly, takes advice, diets properly etc. The other boozes it up and eats junk food. You'll soon see that "the slow one now will later be fast"

 

I agree about Adam, btw, he was an example of our lamentable individually targeted boo boy structure. I remember similar vendettas going back over the decades - perhaps there's always been a whipping boy at Ibrox?

 

* Though Davie Smith was lamenting what he saw as our terrible lack of fitness in his Dec 6th speech at the Gernet dinner and comparing it sadly to his time.

Edited January 2, 2015 by SteveC

[JohnMc 2,750]

With respect, I think it is true. Exceptionally fit compared to 40 years ago* - yes. Exceptionally fit by even the standards of part time players, then no - not even close. If we were training and using things you mention properly (like dieticians) and following proper 21st Century fitness regimes then we would be what you describe. But we don't I watch football a lot, we are not fit compared to most others I see. Whether one person is faster than another is NOT just luck of nature. It is also what you do with what nature has given you. That's just a ridiculous claim, putting it all down to luck. Two payers at 16 - one is faster than the other. The slower one trains properly, takes advice, diets properly etc. The other boozes it up and eats junk food. You'll soon see that "the slow one now

 

I agree about Adam, btw, he was an example of our lamentable individually targeted boo boy structure. I remember similar vendettas going back over the decades - perhaps there's always been a whipping boy at Ibrox?

 

* Though Davie Smith was lamenting what he saw as our terrible lack of fitness in his Dec 6th speech at the Gernet dinner and comparing it sadly to his time.

 

I think you might be confusing poor tactics and motivation with fitness here. Our full-time professionals are 'fitter' than part-time players, to state otherwise is simply nonsense. You might have seen them given the run-a-round by part-timers in the last few seasons but that was nothing to do with fitness.

 

As for running as you are aware there are two real types of running. The first is sprinting, simply speed over 10, 20, 30 yards and so on. You can work with sprint coaches, have your gait analysed and adjusted, work with weights and improve your speed but that'll never be able to compensate for natural athleticism and ability. Some people are simply born 'faster' than others, their body shape, weight to muscle ratio, leg length means they are simply faster sprinters and there's nothing you can do about that. Sure, if someone chooses to put on a lot of weight or gets an injury they'll slow down, but that won't make someone else faster.

The other type of running is distance, involves stamina and strength. Good sprinters often aren't as good at this type of running, it requires different strengths, lung capacity is more important for instance. It is also an area that can be worked at and improved, and is the main area all professional footballers work on. It's the core of all fitness, the ability to 'run for 90 minutes' is a cliche but it's what all professional footballers aim for. Some are better at it than others; injuries, age and core strength all make a difference but pretty much all are operating at a very high level. Distance runners are usually slightly built, carrying as little excess weight as possible, that's not possible for pro footballers, upper body strength is important, they are muscular because of the contact nature of football.

 

Professional, contact, team sports work on core fitness in pre-season. Huge amounts of running and other endurance work is done then to build up the body to a peak level of fitness. This is then 'topped up' during the season, this is standard and universally recognised way of 'training' and it would more concerning if Rangers weren't following that.

 

Most improvements in 'fitness' during the season are entirely psychological. The infamous 'murder hill' of Jock Wallace was a perfect example of that psychology, the players believed it made them fitter than everyone else, whether it did or not wasn't actually important.

[SteveC 150]

Thanks for your detailed response. I don't completely agree because basically, even when I accept your points in general, I think we have some players who are clearly less fit than they should be - but I guess we don't have to and, in any case, I agree with most of what you say here. I think you are bang on the money re the importance of psychology in the way you describe it above. This does, I concede, probably cover many of the instances I am remembering of part-timers skipping by our full time lot and people like Jig and Boyd being out of breath after 10 minutes on the pitch (really not sure I am exaggerating there) and other alarming examples of sluggishness.

 

 

I should also confess (sic!) that I spoke to a player during the pre-season regime and he thought it was very tough. He was a young, fit member of our squad at that. (I refuse to let you now use that in argument against me though - I'll deny it :-) )

Edited January 1, 2015 by SteveC

[compo 7,030]

Sounds like a school team no wonder we are useless

[der Berliner 3,743]

With respect that's not true. The level of fitness and conditioning for full-time professional footballers is exceptional, ours are no different. Whether one person is faster than another is the luck of nature, but in terms of core fitness you are incorrect. I'm reminded of all those supporters who accused Charlie Adam of being 'fat', it was patently ridiculous, but plenty still said it.

 

Being shown up time and again does not help our professionals' cause though. That said, the players as well as the team have hit a confidence all time low and with no leadership on and off the park, it does need a certain mental strength to perform against highly motivated opposition, always out to give the mighty Glasgow Rangers (no matter which on-field incarnation) a doing (and maybe even winning a contract). And we sure lack such mentally strong characters these days.