The Impossible Game - training breakdown
Andre Villas-Boas has been speaking to the media about the crazy situation Spurs find themselves in, whereby we have been penalised and asked to play a cup game against Aston Villa after only one day rest.
As AVB has pointed out previously, the second day is the day you are most likely to sustain an injury after playing whilst the body recovers from it's exertions.
"This is an impossible game [League Cup vs Aston Villa] for us to play, but hopefully our team spirit and motivation can get us through.
"It (the Capital One Cup) is not our absolute number one priority but I don't think we have been given a fair chance to play in this competition this year.
"It could be possible for the players who played against Cardiff to play this game, but I am not sure I want to risk the players who played getting a hamstring injury which could take them six weeks to recover from when the Premier League is more important.
"This team has not experienced having to play again after just two days and we have not been given the same chance as the other teams. So we will have to rotate our squad as the players who played in Cardiff will not be involved.
"We are struggling a little bit with injuries but we have great strength in depth, although it is not going to be easy.
"It is difficult, the ideal situation for us would have been to play Wednesday. I understand the situation for the police with a number of matches being played in Birmingham, but we do not have the same chance as other teams.
"Villa will not have to do the same (in terms of squad rotation) as they played on Saturday, so they have had an extra day of recovery."
Does Villas-Boas have a point or is this a case of get the excuse out the way first for playing a weakened team?
Well to answer that I've taken a look at the training cycle of a professional footballer, albeit from Real Madrid in Spain, a club well used to playing twice a week. I think it is safe to assume it is broadly similar around the world and that Spurs training wouldn't be radically different in format, content may vary of course.
Below is the outline training plan for a Real Madrid footballer playing one day a week on a Sunday.
Monday - Game analysis talk with the players. Low load recovery training for players who played 60+ minutes, medium training to players who played less than 60 minutes. Assess injured players and any fresh injuries. Hydrotherapy work. Rest for remainder of day.
Tuesday - Rest Day.
Wednesday - Tactical training session with conditional training, medium to high load.
Thursday - Tactical training session, high load.
Friday - Opponent specific tactical training, low to medium load, presentation on opponents.
Saturday - Tactical training session, set play training low to medium load, hydrotherapy work.
Sunday - Light training for selected players, medium level for those not selected. MATCH
NOTE - You will notice that having played on a Sunday the second day, Tuesday is deemed a rest day. This rather backs up Andre Villas-Boas and his assertion that we have been placed in an impossible situation.
In these days of almost constant European football players are having to play two games a week regularly. The training week of a footballer playing two games a week looks something like this.
Monday - Game analysis talk with the players. Low load recovery training for players who played 60+ minutes, medium training to players who played less than 60 minutes. Assess injured players and any fresh injuries. Hydrotherapy work.
Tuesday - Prepare tactically for next game, presentation on opponents, set play training low to medium load, hydrotherapy work.
Wednesday - Light training for selected players, medium level for those not selected. MATCH
Thursday - Game analysis talk with the players. Low load recovery training for players who played 60+ minutes, medium training to players who played less than 60 minutes. Assess injured players and any fresh injuries. Hydrotherapy work.
Friday - Prepare tactically for next game, presentation on opponents, hydrotherapy work.
Saturday - Tactical training session, set play training low to medium load, hydrotherapy work.
Sunday - Light training for selected players, medium level for those not selected. MATCH
Specific training: For all you budding coaches out there here are some of the specific training drills.
The expected line up in view of the players not considered for selection is a little awkward, will Defoe be fit? Will Kaboul be fit and is it worth playing him anyway when we want him to get fit for the next Europa league match?
Still our are Lennon, Chadli, Capoue and Rose, plus those who played at Cardiff.
Which of the youngsters will we see, either starting or on the bench, McQueen, Stewart, Dawkins, Bentaleb, Coulibaly, Coulthirst.
Harry Kane will no doubt start and Simon Dawkins is 25 so this would be a game to play him in especially as he was at loan at Villa last season.
Friedel in goal with Gomes on the bench or even the other way around, Sandro, Holtby, Chiriches, Fryers and Lamela all to start you would expect.
With resources a little stretched and this being the players rest day I think it would be quite some achievement to get through this tie.
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As AVB has pointed out previously, the second day is the day you are most likely to sustain an injury after playing whilst the body recovers from it's exertions.
"This is an impossible game [League Cup vs Aston Villa] for us to play, but hopefully our team spirit and motivation can get us through.
"It (the Capital One Cup) is not our absolute number one priority but I don't think we have been given a fair chance to play in this competition this year.
"It could be possible for the players who played against Cardiff to play this game, but I am not sure I want to risk the players who played getting a hamstring injury which could take them six weeks to recover from when the Premier League is more important.
"This team has not experienced having to play again after just two days and we have not been given the same chance as the other teams. So we will have to rotate our squad as the players who played in Cardiff will not be involved.
"We are struggling a little bit with injuries but we have great strength in depth, although it is not going to be easy.
"It is difficult, the ideal situation for us would have been to play Wednesday. I understand the situation for the police with a number of matches being played in Birmingham, but we do not have the same chance as other teams.
"Villa will not have to do the same (in terms of squad rotation) as they played on Saturday, so they have had an extra day of recovery."
Does Villas-Boas have a point or is this a case of get the excuse out the way first for playing a weakened team?
Well to answer that I've taken a look at the training cycle of a professional footballer, albeit from Real Madrid in Spain, a club well used to playing twice a week. I think it is safe to assume it is broadly similar around the world and that Spurs training wouldn't be radically different in format, content may vary of course.
Below is the outline training plan for a Real Madrid footballer playing one day a week on a Sunday.
Monday - Game analysis talk with the players. Low load recovery training for players who played 60+ minutes, medium training to players who played less than 60 minutes. Assess injured players and any fresh injuries. Hydrotherapy work. Rest for remainder of day.
Tuesday - Rest Day.
Wednesday - Tactical training session with conditional training, medium to high load.
Thursday - Tactical training session, high load.
Friday - Opponent specific tactical training, low to medium load, presentation on opponents.
Saturday - Tactical training session, set play training low to medium load, hydrotherapy work.
Sunday - Light training for selected players, medium level for those not selected. MATCH
NOTE - You will notice that having played on a Sunday the second day, Tuesday is deemed a rest day. This rather backs up Andre Villas-Boas and his assertion that we have been placed in an impossible situation.
In these days of almost constant European football players are having to play two games a week regularly. The training week of a footballer playing two games a week looks something like this.
Monday - Game analysis talk with the players. Low load recovery training for players who played 60+ minutes, medium training to players who played less than 60 minutes. Assess injured players and any fresh injuries. Hydrotherapy work.
Tuesday - Prepare tactically for next game, presentation on opponents, set play training low to medium load, hydrotherapy work.
Wednesday - Light training for selected players, medium level for those not selected. MATCH
Thursday - Game analysis talk with the players. Low load recovery training for players who played 60+ minutes, medium training to players who played less than 60 minutes. Assess injured players and any fresh injuries. Hydrotherapy work.
Friday - Prepare tactically for next game, presentation on opponents, hydrotherapy work.
Saturday - Tactical training session, set play training low to medium load, hydrotherapy work.
Sunday - Light training for selected players, medium level for those not selected. MATCH
Specific training: For all you budding coaches out there here are some of the specific training drills.
The expected line up in view of the players not considered for selection is a little awkward, will Defoe be fit? Will Kaboul be fit and is it worth playing him anyway when we want him to get fit for the next Europa league match?
Still our are Lennon, Chadli, Capoue and Rose, plus those who played at Cardiff.
Which of the youngsters will we see, either starting or on the bench, McQueen, Stewart, Dawkins, Bentaleb, Coulibaly, Coulthirst.
Harry Kane will no doubt start and Simon Dawkins is 25 so this would be a game to play him in especially as he was at loan at Villa last season.
Friedel in goal with Gomes on the bench or even the other way around, Sandro, Holtby, Chiriches, Fryers and Lamela all to start you would expect.
With resources a little stretched and this being the players rest day I think it would be quite some achievement to get through this tie.
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