2022/23 Season

[danperkins]

I don't think it's all about pace, it's movement too. They all move into space and break the lines, whereas we are static.

absolutely their movement if phenomenal

[Buzzo]

Our pre season seems to have been ‘who can survive pre season’ rather than prep for the new season based on a criminally short break.

Take Robbo his last international match was 14th June.

We don’t look properly conditioned.

[Harv]

We looked fine against City in the charity shield

[spud_gun]

Our pre season seems to have been ‘who can survive pre season’ rather than prep for the new season based on a criminally short break.

Take Robbo his last international match was 14th June.

We don’t look properly conditioned.

We aren't.

Shortened pre season after the exploits of last season are taking their toll.

Arsenal who by all accounts have played well to start the season played 18 less games than us last season.

Throw in the World Cup in December and the season had all the makings of being a **** show prior to a ball being kicked off.

[BootRoom]

Blame the Manager and the training staff if we are not in the correct physical condition; they've got detailed stats on each players state of fitness and designed the training program. We looked way fitter than the blue mancs in the Community Shield - maybe too fit, and now we could possibly be paying the price for going too hard too soon? Who know?
All this "we're running on fumes", "we're too tired" bollocks reeks of excuse-making of epic proportions, though.

[Mark79]

Blame the Manager and the training staff if we are not in the correct physical condition; they've got detailed stats on each players state of fitness and designed the training program. We looked way fitter than the blue mancs in the Community Shield - maybe too fit, and now we could possibly be paying the price for going too hard too soon? Who know?
All this "we're running on fumes", "we're too tired" bollocks reeks of excuse-making of epic proportions, though.

So we returned to training in early July, reached peak fitness on the 30th July and then fell off a cliff in August?

Yeah that makes much more sense than the exertions of a 63 game season, followed by hardly any break, simply catching up with us.

[Kenneth]

But only us.

[Buzzo]

But only us.

But the point is what was the loading in our pre season schedule. We travelled. Loads of games and typically have an intense pre season to enable us to be conditioned for later in the season. We played every game last season (nobody else did) then the short off season.

But early evidence suggests that our conditioning may be way off, and other teams have nailed it.

Who knows? Maybe we are just ****e now? But that was our first league defeat of 2022, so I’m prepared to consider some of this. I’d imagine the boffins at the club are all over it.

We absolutely must put in a big performance on Saturday. But we’ve zero options in midfield.

[Mark79]

But only us.

Only we went all the way in every competition.

[BootRoom]

So we returned to training in early July, reached peak fitness on the 30th July and then fell off a cliff in August?

Yeah that makes much more sense than the exertions of a 63 game season, followed by hardly any break, simply catching up with us.

Who said anything about "peak" fitness?

Are the training staff aware of this 63 game season? Maybe somebody should get a message to them so they can adapt the training routine accordingly.

But only us.

It looks that way. Totally bamboozled by the previous season.


****ing hell, 3 games in and we're already re-purposing the Salah "too tired" excuse to the entire squad in order to explain away subpar performances.

[Shaggy]

It's been noted elsewhere but I don't understand why Diaz and Salah are both so wide, utterly miles apart so no chance of linking up. What happened to inverted wide forwards making darting runs inside, filling spaces left by Firmino? Last night we had Firmino holding hands with Henderson, and Diaz and Salah an entire width of the pitch apart. I don't get it.

[Buzzo]

Who said anything about "peak" fitness?

Are the training staff aware of this 63 game season? Maybe somebody should get a message to them so they can adapt the training routine accordingly.

It looks that way. Totally bamboozled by the previous season.

****ing hell, 3 games in and we're already re-purposing the Salah "too tired" excuse to explain away subpar performances.

It’s just offering thoughts and opinions. And posing questions. That’s sort of what a Forum is all about.

We can all pop everything in a DM for to make sure all thoughts meet your approval before posting from you from now on

The three games thing I agree with. We are desperately searching for reasons, and that’s because we typically have been winning almost every game for a few years.

We’ve only had that one mad bad patch during COVID.

[Buzzo]

It's been noted elsewhere but I don't understand why Diaz and Salah are both so wide, utterly miles apart so no chance of linking up. What happened to inverted wide forwards making darting runs inside, filling spaces left by Firmino? Last night we had Firmino holding hands with Henderson, and Diaz and Salah an entire width of the pitch apart. I don't get it.

I reckon a lot of our pre season was based on linking up with Nunez. And the daft prick got himself suspended so we are now hashing together a plan B.

[wiw]

It's been noted elsewhere but I don't understand why Diaz and Salah are both so wide, utterly miles apart so no chance of linking up. What happened to inverted wide forwards making darting runs inside, filling spaces left by Firmino? Last night we had Firmino holding hands with Henderson, and Diaz and Salah an entire width of the pitch apart. I don't get it.

This is doing my tits in too. I'm wondering if we're copying City a bit to get them involved in the game more and stretch the opposition. Whatever the reason it isn't working - they're both receiving the ball with a player either in their face or performing some sort of WWE move on them when trying to control it. There's a real lack of link-up all over the pitch tbh - the fullbacks aren't combining with the wingers as well as they used to, and bar Elliott the midfield may as well just not attack. We seem very predictable

[Mark79]

Who said anything about "peak" fitness?

Are the training staff aware of this 63 game season? Maybe somebody should get a message to them so they can adapt the training routine accordingly.

"Too fit" then. Splitting hairs.

Maybe they have. Maybe they ****ed it. Either way, I don’t see how we can just discount the circumstances leading into this season.