DEL KEEPING CLOSE EYE ON DONS STARS
ABERDEEN’S players might be in lockdown but it hasn’t stopped Dons boss Derek McInnes from turning the screw.
The Pittodrie staff and management team are all confined to their homes but are still keeping themselves ticking over with their daily training programmes – which must kick off at 10.30am.
McInnes and his staff can then analyse the work their squad have done on data analysis from each player’s heart monitor.
The gaffer said: “From a general fitness point of view it is important the players go out and keep doing their bit individually.
“We have set them up on a programme, we want them to train at 10.30 so there is still that routine for them.
“We can oversee all of the work they have been doing, the feedback comes back to me and our staff on our laptops.
“Even on a technical side, we have been looking at ways we can analyse the player’s performance throughout the season and we have started to pick up on that and give them feedback over the next week or so.
“There are still things we can do to keep them engaged and it is important we are ready for when we are back playing. It seems as though it is going to be a long while until we’re back.
“However, the general fitness of the players is still very important. We are still putting out work for them to adhere to.
“We can see exactly what they have been doing. The players are very diligent anyway, we have worked with them for a long time.
“I think it’s been enjoyable for them to stay active and to stick to the programmes we have been giving them.”
McInnes joked the players got on their bikes to clear out the Cormack Park gym.
He said: “I know a lot of the lads have their own kit at home and we’ve had the luxury of Cormack Park and the facilities there.
“But we don’t have enough bikes so the ones who were sharpest got to the bikes first. Working on a bike is a great way of maintaining fitness.
“We are limited to one bit of exercise outside a day and the players are sticking to that. A routine for any person, in particular professional sportsmen and women is so important.”