Monday proved to be a full day of tuition – after two hours of college work which sits alongside our football training we found ourselves in with the coaches and performances analysts looking at video footage of our recent performance against Sunderland!
Needless to say it brought back some memories that were best forgotten, however, it is a really useful tool and obviously you get the benefit of seeing things back and then being able to make little adaptations to you game which when you’re trying to do during real time in a game can be difficult.
Tuesday came and went working upon possession which is obviously one of the key factors to any successful team. The more you keep the ball the better chance you have of winning – all very obvious really but sometimes not as easy to put into practice as you might think.
Wednesday was another day of learning – college followed by starting our L2 coaching badge which is delivered by The PFA.
The course basically offers us all the opportunity to start out on the coaching ladder and while we are all young I think it’s an important time for us to do this. For those that make it you already have a qualification in your back pocket for later in your career if you want to move into management or coaching. For others and maybe those that don’t make the grade it can present some really good opportunities to stay in football at good levels such as Academy Coaching. Just because you don’t make it, it would be a shame if your knowledge and ability could not be used to benefit those in need of it especially younger players.
On Thursday we carried on the possession theme but added to it to get players to focus when and where you should switch play.
The practice was set up with gates on certain areas of the pitch, which you had to either run through with the ball or pass through having switched your point of attack.
On Friday we got our shooting boots on for a finishing session which was finished with a small sided game. With it being a match day the day after that was pretty much it for the morning however, the day did end on bitter-sweet note!
I, alongside three other players, was told that I was to be rested for this weekend’s match so I would be training on Saturday morning with the Reserves. Now I suppose it’s not an issue to be told you’re being rested but does is it actually a nice way of saying you’re dropped or as some lads would say bombed!
What I would say, is that anybody who is told they are being rested, would, if given the choice much rather play, however, the silver lining to not be playing was an opportunity to train with the Reserves.
