Blood, sweat and graft in the sun

Photo: PICTURE: ALAN HOWARTH

Fitness coach Paul Black (centre) puts Athletic players through their paces at Vilamoura..

Chronicle sports reporter Matthew Chambers is with Latics as players train at Vilamoura in Portugal
THE pitch was a little on the dry side when training started.

Two hours later, after Jonathan Grounds had been crowned winner of the penalty shoot-out competition, the moisture content of the turf had been increased considerably by the sweat of Athletic’s players.

Some have suggested this pre-season trip to Vilamoura is just an excuse for a knees-up under the sun.

Not on this evidence. In morning heat moving above 30 degrees, the 20-strong squad were put through their paces without mercy by manager Paul Dickov.

Anyone considered not to be closing down the ball hard enough felt the force of the Scot’s whiplash tongue. It was exhausting just watching.

Simon Corney wasn’t in the mood to stand on the sidelines. He duly got stuck into some serious running, at one stage taking on the assistant manager in a foot race. Gerry Taggart is not quite as quick as he used to be...

After landing on Friday, Athletic had a session in the afternoon followed by the punishing follow-up the next morning. The afternoon was spent doing lower body strength work in the gym.

More graft lies in store across the six-day trip. The biggest drama of the second morning’s training came when Jean-Yves Mvoto lost a battle with Matt Smith’s arm and sustained a wide cut near his left eye, which required five stitches.

On the training ground, the focus has been fitness work; closing down quickly, with quick-fire passing and sharpness the major themes of twice-daily, energy-sapping sessions in fierce heat.



More from Vilamoura tomorrow.








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