Pre season games compared to other clubs

[bolt from the blue]

It seems to have worked perfectly for the last 5 or so years. Pep seems to have got it spot on.

They all report back tomorrow, which means most of the them will have had at least 3 weeks off since the international fixtures in June.

In a season that starts early and finishes late due to a World Cup mid season, I think it’s more important than ever that players get as much rest as possible.

Fitness wise they should all be there or thereabouts anyway. How many times do players pick up little knocks during the season that keep them out for a month. They always come back and pick up where they left off, maybe they need a few games to get back to peak fitness. I imagine this will be a lot like that.

Plus Pep will be trying to take advantage of having every player their from the start this pre season. Usually players are all coming back at different times depending on how far their country goes in a tournament. Having all the players for 4 weeks with no interruption is like rocking horse shit. I think it’ll be a massive opportunity for Pep to coach the team on how he wants to play with Haaland and the other new arrivals.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

I honestly reckon if Pep had his way we wouldn't play any pre season games, we just do them for commercial side of things. I'd love to know what Peps ideal pre season would be like.

Between the players staying trim through the summer, the number of games they play across the year, and the intensity of the league, pre season games do feel more and more like a blast from the past. 20 years ago when players turned up a stone heavier having not played for three months, maybe, but even those on the piss will be doing gym work and watching their diet. Probably aren't gaining much fitness wise or tactics wise, beyond it just being another 90 minutes in the legs. Like you say, probably 11 v 11 with the squad plus top end of the EDS are more focused and energetic than a throwaway game on the other side of the world.

 

[grim up north]

Baffles me when we have doctor,s, conditioning coaches, physios fully trained medical staff some random on the internet questions our build up

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

It seems to have worked perfectly for the last 5 or so years. Pep seems to have got it spot on.

They all report back tomorrow, which means most of the them will have had at least 3 weeks off since the international fixtures in June.

In a season that starts early and finishes late due to a World Cup mid season, I think it’s more important than ever that players get as much rest as possible.

Fitness wise they should all be there or thereabouts anyway. How many times do players pick up little knocks during the season that keep them out for a month. They always come back and pick up where they left off, maybe they need a few games to get back to peak fitness. I imagine this will be a lot like that.

Plus Pep will be trying to take advantage of having every player their from the start this pre season. Usually players are all coming back at different times depending on how far their country goes in a tournament. Having all the players for 4 weeks with no interruption is like rocking horse shit. I think it’ll be a massive opportunity for Pep to coach the team on how he wants to play with Haaland and the other new arrivals.

No one finishes stronger than City. We are always better than the rest in the final run-in. Pep knows what he is doing.

 

[penalty spot]

Yes all well and good, but playing West Ham away is far from ideal with only 3 warm up games.
Would hate to start with a defeat like last season.

 

[Keeper!]

No one finishes stronger than City. We are always better than the rest in the final run-in. Pep knows what he is doing.

100% true, it's how you finish a tournaments, not how you start.

 

[Dobsy]

It's a trade off, give the players a longer rest but come into the season under-cooked. I feel it's affected us more in recent seasons.

First 5 games:
5 points dropped in 2021/22 (L to Spurs, D to Southampton)
7 points dropped in 2020/21 (L to Leicester, D to Leeds, D to West Ham)
5 points dropped in 2019/20 (D to Spurs, L to Norwich)
2 points dropped in 2018/19 (D to Wolves)
2 points dropped in 2017/18 (D to Everton)
0 points dropped in 2016/17


I'd be a little worried we go into West Ham (A) under-cooked.

Given the end result of most of these seasons is we won the league, I'm not worried at all.

 

[IrishBlueSince92]

A question on our pre-season.
We seem to be back in training a week or in some cases two weeks after other clubs. Will this mean we go into the first league game with certain key players not fully fit like last year at Spurs?
The likes of De Bruyne and Grealish who are still on holidays were they given extra time off due to their participation in the Nations League?
The league starts earlier than normal this year.

If so, why?

 

[Tolmie scores]

It seems to have worked perfectly for the last 5 or so years. Pep seems to have got it spot on.

They all report back tomorrow, which means most of the them will have had at least 3 weeks off since the international fixtures in June.

In a season that starts early and finishes late due to a World Cup mid season, I think it’s more important than ever that players get as much rest as possible.

Fitness wise they should all be there or thereabouts anyway. How many times do players pick up little knocks during the season that keep them out for a month. They always come back and pick up where they left off, maybe they need a few games to get back to peak fitness. I imagine this will be a lot like that.

Plus Pep will be trying to take advantage of having every player their from the start this pre season. Usually players are all coming back at different times depending on how far their country goes in a tournament. Having all the players for 4 weeks with no interruption is like rocking horse shit. I think it’ll be a massive opportunity for Pep to coach the team on how he wants to play with Haaland and the other new arrivals.

3 weeks for a footballer is not really enough is it...it's not like our jobs where a two week holiday will just about do as a rest..mentally footballers need a longer break to come back enthused...regardless f the money they earn the key factor is to get them playing at their best - proper summer off.. like back in the day - end of April finish (cup final around 3rd May - season closes) - July 1st or 2nd week everyone back as pre - season starts - i know those days are gone but i think the game suffers for it

 

[kdbrise]

Really wish City played a pre season game in Asia, we have sister clubs in those regions and what's the point if we don't maximise the potential.