A Latics in Austria blog - Day One!

In the first of a series of special reports from the pre-season camp of Austria, Latics Head of Media ED JONES keeps supporters up-to-date with events in the Alps!

Take a look at the picture of the magnificent surroundings of the Bleibergerhof Spa complex deep in the heart of the Austrian Alps and you might be forgiven for thinking the Latics players are in for an easy week in breathtaking mountainous countryside; a case of unwinding, recharging batteries and getting themselves in shape for the coming season.


The stunning Bleibergerhof Resort

 From the hotel room, it's a 360 degree panorama of pine tree-clad mountains, while the occasional cowbell chiming in the distance is about as noisy as it gets, along with the creaking of deck chairs as guests on the sun deck shift positions during their afternoon sunbathing session.

The reality is very different.

Having finished an intense training session on Saturday morning at Christopher Park, the players jumped into the coach and went straight to the airport. After a two hour flight to Ljubljana in Northern Slovenia, then an hour and a half on the coach to their Austrian mountain retreat, the party arrived late Saturday night.

Sunday morning lie in, then?

Not on your nelly, or whatever the Spanish equivalent is.

"I gave the boys three sessions on the first day," says Latics manager Roberto Martinez, "starting with a warm up in the gym at 8.30am."

Warm up? Judging by the sweat dripping off most of the boys as they climbed on and off the treadmill, their light session would have finished off most of us.

After finishing in the gym and a late breakfast, the boys had an hour off before it was onto the picturesque Bielfeld SV stadium for their morning session.


The main stand at Bad Bleiber SV! 

"This was designed to be a tough one," says Roberto, "although we are still building up throughout the week and it's a case of not pushing the boys too hard."

Roberto and his coaching team, Graeme Jones, Graham Barrow and Head of Sports Science Richard Evans, plan every training session meticulously, to the minute almost.

Clipboard in hand, Jones is very much the General in the trenches as he goes over the details of the session with the rest of the coaching staff.

"We'll start with a ten minute warm up, then we go into the passing exercises for five minutes. Three minutes drink and recovery, then another five minutes intensity, recovery, then we go into the small sided games. Four groups, matches last five minutes each!"

And so it goes on - an hour and a half, planned almost to the second.

Impressive it certainly is.


Marshalling the troops - the boys are put through their paces

Graeme Jones divides the players into three groups of seven, with himself, Martinez and Barrow in charge of each group. Watching the session from the small bank of seats overlooking the pitch is fascinating, a cross between five-a-side style games and a geometry lesson, with players in different coloured bibs all running in different directions.

In one corner of the pitch, Ianki Bergara takes the three goalkeepers, new masseur Oscar Brau does some individual running with Lee Cattermole who is recovering from a virus and Dave Hallam does some ball work with Jon Routledge, who has a slight ankle problem.

Back in Jones' group Olivier Kapo and Jason Koumas burst out laughing when they get all their angles mixed up, one stays while the other goes and they bump into each other.

"Come on boys," barks Jones, "concentration!"

The intricate pass and move games are a joy to watch, especially when the next exercise is extended into a full pitch.

The players are exhausted afterwards, but, says Titus Bramble, the training is enjoyable.

"Because it's all with the ball, you don't notice how tiring it is until you've finished, I'm really enjoying it."

"Great session boys," says the gaffer as the squad stretch off at the end, "some really good work. Have a good rest this afternoon.

The players jump in the ice cold recovery pool before lunch, two hours rest in the afternoon and then it's out again for the late afternoon session, another hour of intense work.

As he relaxes in the hotel bar after his evening mean with a cappuccino in hand, Roberto says, "a good day and we want to build it up during the week. We are asking the players to reach a level of technicality and fitness maybe some of them haven't reached before, which takes a supreme effort and concentration.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow, when we can put some of the ideas we've been working on into a match environment, without having to worry about the result," before adding with a little smile, "but it's always nice to win, isn't it?"

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