Thetownend.com

All those complaining can take comfort in the fact that Iffy is gettin in a professional athlete to get the lads fit ready for next season. Exactly what people have called for and hopefully it will have good results.

hope so..im just getting a bit depressed already at the type of players  iffy seems to want to sign

a week with the Royal Marines would do the trick

It's good to see that Iffy sorting this out, there are a few overweight and unfit players e.g. Roberts who need to get fit and work for their money out on the pitch.

Get them down the army camp like Macari used to do.

Witness the fitness.  8)

damn you i was gunna put that

link? evidence? dont believe it for a second..

iffy is shit and clueless and seems convinced that benjamin and mcphee will get us out of div 4. WRONG they will send us down to join oxford

bring on tomm and power on the board, he'll soon see sense and ring the changes

http://www.thisisstfc.co.uk/news_headlines_Story.asp?NewsID=5518

so is that in between the drinking sessions or instead of?

you didn't believe it, presumably because your blinkered and biased view of iffy prevented you from making the effort to discover the truth yourself.

you implied he wouldn't have even begun to consider sorting the fitness levels out because he's "shit" and "clueless" yet when i show to you that it's clearly obvious that he is concerned about the lack of fitness, you still complain.

i'm not commenting on the drinking culture because i've never seen any evidence of it myself.

out on thursday  :x

if hes so concerned about the fitness levels in the squad why hasnt he addressed the problem  sooner? surely fitness is the first thing you look at because without it your nothing no matter how able the squad is

ive seen evidence of the drinking culture with my own eyes and it makes me very angry.

if iffy thinks benjamin and mcphee can do a job for us then he needs his head checking. benjamin is the worst town striker ive ever seen. mcphee was rejected by aldershot need i say more?

This is a thread about fitness though.

how do you know they were out thursday dan, you were with us?

the biggest reason for the poor levels of fitness at the club was years of shite training and last year's non-existent pre-season under king.

any footballer will tell you that without a good pre-season under your belt, your levels of fitness will be poor throughout the season.

during the course of a season, it's impossible to do intensive training because the players need to be match fit and intense training will leave them exhausted for competitive matches.

iffy's sister is an athelete so i'm sure he knows the importance of fitness and it's clear to see that he feels that a good pre-season is absolutely vital.

as for mcphee and benji - what's that got to do with fitness?

ok then trevor benjamin is shit and unfit

Fair enough. Were he to stay on we would expect his fitness levels to increase after the pre-season fitness programme.

Of course I didnt see them out, but other people did....I have no reason not to believe this person. Even one of the youngster was out with them.

nothing, just its a sign of a poor manager getting in players that are worse than what weve got.

you mean two players which WE HAVENT ACTUALLY SIGNED YET?

Sadly, I did have to add the 'yet'

do you not think we should be aiming for better than benjamin and mcphee

i still don't think benjamin will sign as he was only here due to big ron. mcphee is nowhere near as bad as people seem to think, i can see iffy using him as a supporting striker or a winger if he stays.

you mean like Cureton and Thorpe, that one turned out well  :roll:

hindsight is a good thing though..if you were given the option without knowing the outcome again you would pick cureton and thorpe over mcphee and benjamin everytime.i would rather caton,holgate and lukas than the latter two

I give up. What's the point of having topic titles  :shrug:

methinks your story needs some tightening up sir

Footballers shouldn't have the abilty to drink often, it should be a privelege imo. When your a pro footballer you can't just be getting drunk every weekend.

The seasons finished for a few months they can do what they want for all I care, as long as they work hard come July.

We do need a good pre season, and the worrying thing is the only team we seem to be playing is Huddersfield.

Players and Manager were out Thursday night...fact!

DV, 'fact' has to be in capitals or else it isn't true. Duhh.

ok, but it is true....will sound odd, but just happened to bump into one of the players watching his mates play in the same sunday 6-a-side league as us

A good example of this was the World Cup mutiny (Mexico, I think) when Peter reid took over.  The players were too knackered from training to perform in matches.  Someone said at the time that you don't leave your sparkle on the training field.  So you have to be in condition before the matches start.

ah diddums are you upset s :D imon

http://www.thedugout.tv/community/images/smilies_final/bleh.gif

So?

The season's over, Daniel.

Should be getting a head start for the next one....

The 6ps

Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

BBB :wink:

they are allowed a break dan, i understand the concerns about binge drinking during the season but now is there own time.

they can drink 24/7 until the first of july for all i care.

Not if they're shit in the first place it doesn't. The flip-side of that being of course that half-decent players with reasonable levels of fitness should probably be able to work a few shandies out of their system between now and July 1st. And since when did you start auditioning to be the next David Brent?

I have it on pretty good authority that Iffy will be meeting the fitness people at a college in Bristol on Wednesday regarding some pre-season training, or maybe something more long term.

Its nice to see him preparing for next season. Lets hope we get some decent pre-season friendlies this time, and not the complete tripe we experienced before this season. We played a load of shite teams and then didn't have a friendly on that one day when everybody else did!

No wonder we got off to a crap start.

It was good to hear that Lukas was out running even in his own free time post season. Players that put the effort in, reap the rewards. just look at Fallon last season?

dv your mind is warped

its their lives not yours so who gives a fuck

if they wanna go out on the piss then its their choice not yours

I'd second that.

I can't believe some people are still moaning and whinging about Iffys position as Manager!!!!

He has already made positive moves towards next season and has done it as soon as the season has finished!  He didn't bugger off to the nearest golf course like King did but actually stuck around and started making arrangements for a better and hopefully more successful season to come. Iffy cares about this club a damn sight more than most so until he does anything realistically from now on to warrant all this bad mouthing then I would leave him be.

what like sign mcphee :D thats your opinion and thats fair enough.but i have been in the kings arms on a saturday night after a defeat been in a foul mood and seen iffy having a great crack in the corner if that was me i would be at home thinking on how we can improve..how can iffy justify his position when the friday before the notts forest game he and the players were out drinking with phil king

Have to agree with Red Macca ... I personally dont believe Iffy is the man for the job ... the topic is fitness .. Iffy has had more than long enough to stamp his authority on this issue .. and simply hasnt .. and we have been more and more unfit as the season progressed .. often resulting in a 2nd half capitulation

New manager please

Very constructive comment. I think its fairly safe enough to say Iffy is staying......i'd accept it if I were you. No point constantly banging on about it.....decisions appear to have been made.  

Despite anyone elses opinion he has my full backing.

ill accept it .. every game I attend ill always give the lads my full backing .. but it will hard to accept if we are near the bottom of the table and others will be more vocal DURING the match about the manager then

I just think its important to have a manager with experience in this low division or at least one with his ear close to the non league level for up and coming talent

Iffy appears to have no contacts within the game hardly let alone at non league level .. and has shown tactically he isnt up to scratch or personally with the players .. why let them get so unfit??

Let it never be forgot that I wasnt happy about King being sacked as I always believed a manager should get a whole season .. but Iffy should never have been appointed .. he was just the cheap and easy option and like all cheap and easy options they arent quite as good

As per Sonics post.  Fitness is something largely sorted out in pre season, from that point on the training is not about getting fit (you simply can't do that while playing).  Any lack of fitness is almost 100% due to the shit pre season we had.  Iffy's training would have simply been to try and change the approach of the team.

He's getting in someone with professional expertese to sort this out, sounds like a good move to me.  Too many Managers and fans, seem to think all you need to do is make the buggers run a lot.  That's great if you want them to run a marathon!

So, one complaint is shit fitness and Iffy has moved to change this.  What's the problem?

Benji seen as not good enough - seemingly we have confirmed we are not interested - so what is the problem?

Seems like Iffy is making all the decisions pretty much that large chunks of fans have called for.

so going out on the lash doesnt harm fitness then??? well thats what Iffy seems to think

Firstly, you don't really attend many games, especially away so that is a bit of a throw away comment.

How can you say, "Why let them get so unfit?"  They were like that under King for gods sake, that wasn't Iffys doing!  Iffy is making those changes himself now he is in charge which I can only see as an improvement. Lets not forget Iffy was in charge of the youth teamers who in my opinion seem to have put in far more effort than the first teamers - proving he has made an impact there.

If you believe a Manager should get a whole season then surely Iffy deserves a season in League Two?  Also, with King still on the payroll who else could we have apponted as Manager that we could afford???

Spot on.

Ive been attending since 1980 .. have been a season ticket holder for 10 years at one stage .. I attended all but a couple of the home games last year and although I admit the away game attendance of 2 last year was poor .. I still went all the way up to Forest to see us get hammered

I agree with you on King .. he let them get away with too much as well but things seem to have drifted more under Iffy

If we start with Iffy then YES he should be given the whole season ... and I admit it is difficult to find a manager we could afford - but Steve White was my preferred option at that time .. experience at non league level and a real LOVE of the club and im sure a fairly cheap option

The situation should have changed tho under the Power regime .. we can now afford to NOT have the cheap option and employ someone with more experience ... such as Holloway or Macari

Looking at bringing in a Sports Scientist, the role normally includes looking at players life styles - which would cover alcohol intake.

Situation covered - next problem?

well i hope you are right on that Robert ... but it begs the question .. why didnt he do it last year? maybe we wouldnt be in League 2 now?

Holloway - Would he even want to come here?

Macari -  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick: Just not feasible.

Holloway stated on Football League Review that he would take a job at a League 2 club .. surely Power could persuade him

Macari .. well i admit that is unlikely .. but maybe his love of the club would sway him .. but i doubt the board would want him back after his previous misdeameanours

As much as I like Iffy as a bloke .. i just dont think hes management material ..I gave him a chance but the decisions towards the end of the season really amazed me ... particularly the ones regarding McPhee who quite simply is one of the worst players I have ever seen in a Town shirt - to pick him over Cureton at that crucial time was madness

Holloway is already in discussions with a club, or so he said.  Something about working with a few old friends, which I think everyone took to mean us, but we have seemingly denied it.

On the subject of why couldn't he do it last year, no idea.  Best ask Iffy or Devlin I suppose.  Maybe he did but couldn't get the backing, or maybe nobody was available.... who knows.  Still wouldn't change the fact that we had the worst pre season known to man.

One thing we ALL agree on is that this years preseason MUST be top quality opponents

does anyone know how many home friendlies there are likely to be yet?

Indications were 1 home friendly against higher opposition pencilled in for 29th July.  Copa Ibiza is the 16th-22nd with Huddersfield and possibly Port Vale (although unlikely I think).  So that's 2 games against teams above us and one of them in sweltering heat which will be a good fitness test.  No idea beyond that.

Id like to see us take on Charlton Athletic or Bolton in a friendly - neither are sides we have played for a bit and they would probably send a good side out to play us

Of the non league scene .. a match against AFC Wimbledon would provide an interesting test and a good crowd ...

For just the good crowd FC United of Manchester

Pre-season last year was arranged by Alan Reeves.

Iffy wanted a sports scientist/nutritionist this season but we couldn't afford the additional wages.

its my football club, not theirs....they got us relegated. Therefore I hate them all and seeing them all happy and having a good time despite the fucking awful season they have had makes me feel sick.

If they want to go out on the piss fine, but I'd rather they decided to start winning games instead....

Many players/coaches/managers have stated that fitness is something you get in pre-season and training in the rest of the season keeps that level of fitness topped up. Unless you're going to have a grueling month of training half way through the season it's hard to recover that fitness back. If that was the case the players would be too knackered for matches anyway. So once into the season fitness is a bit of a catch 22 from a team perspective.

as the young lad lukas said its easier to stay fit than it is to get fit..so we are fucked i would put my house on it that over half our squad are getting pissed up every night..iffy should do what pearce has done tell them to have a good summer then tell them if you come back above a certain weight you will be fined.

Buy a tent. :wink:

:Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick: ok not every night..but more than they should be

do i have to spell it out?

the players are unfit because pre-season was a disaster because of mr andy king. end of.

I agree that pre-season training is very important - especially in making sure you can hit the ground running so to speak - but I think it's being over played a bit.  Physical training will give you the strength to do all the things needed in a match, but then so will playing matches.  Of course if your pre-season training is really that bad then it will take a good long while to get to your peak.

Pre-season last year was organised by Reeves, what didn't help was that we couldn't get the squad in place until late on due to the massive reduction in budget and many players having to leave. Also the timing of the Elton John concert meant we couldn't play any friendlies against higher level opposition, which was certainly a setback.

Definitely wasn't an ideal pre-season and I'm sure it didn't help with the fitness - hopefully this year the concert is timed a bit better and with the budget remaining the same or even increasing we should be able to get the squad sorted sooner.

Not all the players we ended the season with were with us for pre-season though.

and now we have another concert and a tour of IBIZA.good for the fans not so good for the players i think..

the bryan adams concert was organised earlier so that it wouldn't play havoc with our pre-season schedule, there should be room for one or two home friendlies.

i think the ibiza tour is silly though.

And we STILL haven't organised ANY pre season friendlies.

has anyone else?

yup, Scunthorpe are playing, Sheffield United, Leeds United and Hull City

A lot of teams have got full schedules already.

Ibiza- biggest piss up island in the world?

We've got a team who like a drink.

Says it all really.

Stop moaning and worrying people!

I'll get them all match fit in Ibiza  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

''your round Curo''  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Make sure Curo takes ID with him

I'll buy his drinks don't worry.

Me and Robbo are gonna large it up.

Not so sure what the issue with Ibiza is?  Most clubs go away for a week in pre season, maybe longer, and often play shit teams but use the week as a chance to break the monotony and work on fitness.  We are playing a team from a higher league while there, maybe 2 and it will be fucking hot, so will be a really tough week of training (certainly produce more sweat than a potentially dreary UK).

Bristol City are going to Latvia, so it could be a lot worse.

We've got several weeks to fit other games into, at home and away.  I like the way people criticise things that haven't even been decided or are being worked on.

I can imagine that training andf playing out there will be hell!!

i'm just a bit concerned about the supposed drinking problem at the club and the fact we're going on a pre-season to the "party capital" of the world. or something.

i'd quite like to visit latvia.

Pre season in Iraq would be better.