Huge challenges
CITY STARS VISITED MONT BLANC AND WORKED ON MENTAL SIDE OF GAME DURING TRAINING CAMP
JONNY Evans has given an insight into some of the more unexpected work that was going on at the Leicester City training camp in the French resort town of Evian, writes Luke Pawley.
City spent a week at their training base in the Alps, which included a lot of double sessions on the pitch.
But the players also worked hard off the pitch as well, according to the vice-captain.
As well as an excursion up Mont Blanc, Evans, below, revealed the players did a lot of work around “the mental side of the game”.
Manager Brendan Rodgers places a lot of emphasis on culture, mentality and character when working with his teams – so it is no surprise this was put into practice during Leicester’s week away.
“We worked hard,” Evans told lcfc.com about the trip to Evian.
“Most of the days we were there were double sessions and, in the evenings, we were doing workshops around stuff off the pitch and the mental side of the game.
“It was pretty full-on. We obviously had a day where we had a little excursion up Mont Blanc which was really nice.
“It was an incredible experience to be a part of and it turned out to be a great week.”
On the trip to Belgium to face OH Leuven, which ended in a 3-3 draw on Saturday, Evans added: “It’s always going to take a wee bit of time to everyone to get back into the match rhythm.
“That’s why these games are organised and we started a bit slow. The whole team, it just took us a while to get into the swing of things.
“Leuven were a few weeks ahead of us and I think you could probably see that in the game.
“Once we settled into it, you could tell we were much better.
“I’ve been around for quite a long time now, I’ve got a few preseasons under my belt, and I think you learn through the years to take the games, be calm in them and get from them what you can. It is about getting your sharpness back and your fitness.”
Many supporters will be hoping some of the work City players did around mentality was with a focus on defending set-pieces after the problems that arose last season.
The players will also be facing different challenges in the upcoming season. With no European football to focus on, there will be more pressure on them to perform well in the Premier League and domestic cup competitions.
With signings looking increasingly unlikely, improving the current squad’s cohesion, togetherness and mental strength will only bode well for what is set, as things stand, to be a difficult season ahead.