Party-free zone

Photo: PICTURE: ALAN HOWARTH

Athletic striker Matt Smith flicks the ball on.

MATTHEW CHAMBERS, at the Latics training camp in Portugal

PLENTY of preconceptions were shattered on this trip.

The idea, for example, that Athletic’s squad were flying out for a bit of a kick around and a lot of sunbathing.

In fact the players have been punished here in Vilamoura. And right up to the trip to a water park after the Rotherham game, almost every non-football activity was at their hotel base.

In an ideal world, Athletic being well-versed in powering on through when exhausted will come in handy in the forthcoming season. The proof of that will come later.

The other main goal of the Algarve excursion was team bonding.

Seeing it all going on first-hand, the fresh faces in the group have slotted in well and certainly come across as pleasant people, but no less determined for success because of it.

As Robbie Simpson has said on these pages, for a club of Athletic’s size and resources to succeed everything has to be finely-tuned. Control what you can and let fate decide the rest.

So Lee Croft, Jonathan Grounds, Dan Taylor and Connor Brown appearing focused and determined is handy. All come with big clubs on their CVs; all appear to possess mentalities to match.

The bonding between management has also been an interesting dynamic to take in.

They would eat together every night and everyone mucked in. There was no room for shirkers. And every session was planned with military precision.








READ the full version of this story only in our print and eChron editions



Follow us on Twitter - @OldhamChronicle