Thoughts on Charlie Francis and soccer

[mighty]

@""svincenz

[QUOTE=Charlie Francis,post:5,topic:41075"]
1:One of the issues I ran across was the breakdown of running velocities and the interpretation of high speeds.
For example, one differentiation was measuring total time spent above 20kph. What does that mean?
If the accel to that speed is over a very short dist, it requires maximal acceleration but beyond 40m the average may be intermediate speed. You need an average burst distance and you need to know their starting velocity to qualify intensity. How fast were they going when they started the burst?
Examples for top sprinters (no R/T):
0-30 avr 29.67kph
0-40 avr 31.85kph
0-50 avr 33.58kph
0-60 avr 34.95kph
From any motion at all these speeds would be much higher.
I agree with point 3 but there are many authors of this situation.
In-fighting and positioning by coaches and medical personnel are a big issues.[/QUOT

Charlie,
let’s say you need to organize physical sessions in a professional team in-season (it also depends heavily on the intensity and volume of more tactical or skill elements, but only a general scheme), using the usual scheme (game on Sunday), daily training, two sessions on Wednesday. I’d say, tempo on Tuesday, speed training on Wed morning, brief tempo session on Wed aft, friendly match on Thurs, low-volume speed work on Friday, only tactical on Saturday. I think that as general scheme it could work and can also be accepted by players and head coach (major issue).
Major emphasis on flying 20’ and 30’ on Wed and starts up to 30 m on Friday (no need for more than 50-60 m, maybe every ten days). Weights can be Wed aft after training on the pitch and a brief session after Friday session. Med ball and bodyweight circuits on Tuesday.
Volume to be kept pretty much stable during the in-season, slight reduction on the fourth week, but on-the-fly decision, as injuries (muscle and traumatic) can rapidly make unavoidable to change pre-planned plans.
A major issue is the technical component. A lot of players running is not “appropriate”. Can we put technical elements also in the in-season (power drills etc.)?

From a completely general perspective, inseason, based on a Saturday to Saturday gameweek, for the playing squad only, I would look at something like this;

Saturday - Game/Post game recovery

Sunday - Recovery/Restoration

Monday - Aerobic Maintenance/Low level skills such as certain set-pieces. Tactical/technical review of game. Low volume/intensity auxillary weights maybe an option on this day.

Tuesday - Longest day of the week;
First Session - Post Warm-up - Low volume speed - Technical components such shooting practice, defensive drills, and practice of tactical elements.

Second Session - Various games with the intention of development/maintenance of “conditioning”.

Third Session - Submax weights (lower) for maintenance of strength/hypertrophy

Each session with a break for food and rest.

Wed - Aerobic activity. Tactical preview of Saturday’s game.

Thursday - Various games, total time/volume less than Tues. In-depth tactical preview of game. Further practice of specifc tactical elements.

Second session - High intensity MB throws. Upper weights.

Friday - “Walkthroughs” - either physically or tactically.

Saturday - Game.

Allow for the lack of context; we know the logistical problems away games bring, and the 1001 problems that may arise. This is a blueprint only, and it will be down to the creativity of the coaches to figure out the optimal situation when these problems rear their head. And massage and physiotherapy is a constant throughout the season.