Players' fitness

[Jinxy]

Makes sense to me. The pass and move game demands higher fitness levels.

BBC News - Russell Martin: Swansea City players not yet fit enough to play our style
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58251985

 

[ARQS]

They're also not good enough either, are they?

Realistically only a couple of those players who featured last night really appear capable of successfully playing the way he wants them to.

If we are to challenge for promotion at any stage in the next couple of seasons and are going to do it playing good football, it is going to be having moved the vast majority of them on.

 

[LeonWasTheDog's]

I think he needs to be a bit more honest in his reflections. Yes we didn't look sharp and it certainly looks like we don't have the fitness to regularly move and make create space, let alone press. But to say that he thought the game was close is ridiculous.

 

[Cooperman]

They're also not good enough either, are they?

Realistically only a couple of those players who featured last night really appear capable of successfully playing the way he wants them to.

If we are to challenge for promotion at any stage in the next couple of seasons and are going to do it playing good football, it is going to be having moved the vast majority of them on.

Is the right answer. It will quickly dawn on a few folk that Cooperball was designed around the players at his disposal more than anything else. I think we all have a picture forming about the medium to long term Plan A, I’m wondering what the short term Plan B looks like as it’s going to take another transfer window or two for Martin to shape his squad in a way that he would like.

 

[dickythorpe]

We've had no preseason so what fitness could have improved?
We are learning on the job here and can't blame the manager yet.

Totally behind Martin at the moment.

 

[Cooperman]

We've had no preseason so what fitness could have improved?
We are learning on the job here and can't blame the manager yet.

Totally behind Martin at the moment.

Patience is the key word.

 

[CurtessECarr]

Mixed bag here. Is he saying we will be ok here when their fitness levels are up? I would like to think so but very sceptical about that.

 

[ARQS]

Patience is the key word.

Well exactly. People can't have it all ways. If they want to ultimately play some good football then they need to put up with the rubbish that is going to be served up in the meantime as we adapt and/or get the right players in.

 

[ARQS]

Mixed bag here. Is he saying we will be ok here when their fitness levels are up? I would like to think so but very sceptical about that.

To be fair he also alluded to not having the right players

 

[Baron Goblet]

Tony Mowbray said as much in his comments after the Blackburn game.

 

[Cooperman]

Mixed bag here. Is he saying we will be ok here when their fitness levels are up? I would like to think so but very sceptical about that.

No, he also talks about square pegs in round holes. Some degree of playing staff overhaul is to be expected. I will be intrigued to see how much budget he is allocated and whether he is given what we believe that Cooper asked for. Time will tell.

 

[Jinxy]

In my view - up to the mid midfield areas, the main ingredients needed for attacking with possession are discipline, good instructions, training, practice, fitness and determination to stick to the plot. Then you need creativity and more (expensive) talent in the final third. We sort of lacked all those last night, but Rome wasn't built in a day. I had heard from a good source that fitness may have been an issue, hence going long over the past few seasons (as well as Cooper's tactics of course). Martin will change some faces for sure - the question is how much patience will the owners have, and funding too. Also, if Martin feels he can't implement his style with these faces what does he do if he can't change personnel quickly enough?

I think Martin could be the best thing that's happened for us for years (strange how he wasn't first choice), I just hope he's supported by everyone around him, including us.

 

[Jackfath]

Which players will survive this revolution and which will need to go to get the right players in? Grimes needs to go, assuming we can get a decent price for him and get a couple of more suitable players in with the funds created?

 

[Jinxy]

Which players will survive this revolution and which will need to go to get the right players in? Grimes needs to go, assuming we can get a decent price for him and get a couple of more suitable players in with the funds created?

Grimes has to go? Not up for debate then?! I think that's turned into a bit of a narrative and easy to just go along with.

I think he's a good player - maybe not a captain, but good. They were just about all poor last night.

 

[Jackfath]

Presumably Grimes holds some value, if he isn't up for it, then sell him on to get some funds in to get players who fit the plan. Makes sense to me?!