It's been some time since I have done a "Manager Series" post, and I thought this might be the perfect time for it.
I am the manager of a U16 team in Denmark, and is enjoying it very much. One of the aspects we have been working on during winter is passing. Trying to minimize the touches on the ball and being able to pass the ball around under pressure. As the season is getting closer and closer to the beginning of the season I want to get my boys in shape. Aerobic shape. Increase their VO2. We have so far had two training sessions after the holiday period, so I want to figure out what shape they are in, and what shape they have to be in by the beginning of the season. For doing so, I will, today, introduce the "Bip Test". Most of them, and you, probably know it already. It's an exercise done at a lot of schools. It's hated amongst almost everybody. If you don't know it, it goes like this: You set up two lines, with a 20-meter space in between. You start off at one line when the speaker says "beep", and you then have to run/sprint to the other line before the next beep, as the next beep signals that you have to run again. It gets harder and harder, and that's why it's so awful exercise to do. It completely destroys you. Slowly but steady. Take a listen and a watch in the clip below. Watch out! It might bring back traumas!
To be in great shape is very important in football. First of all, you are basically running for 90 minutes, and you are running a lot. Teams in very good shape tend to win the game in the last 10-15 minutes, as that's when it get's really tough. When being in bad shape you don't make the right decision, you don't think clearly, and you don't have enough energy to communicate with your teammates. By being in shape you can sprint at 100 % when the others can't, you can communicate, and you win most of the 50/50 situations. Atletico Madrid is a perfect example of a team in great shape. Having a condition like Atletico, be as tactical as an Italien club, and be as technical as Barcelona, then you have a great team. Impossible? Probably. So for now, I will work on my team being in the great shape, as Atletico.