The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Perfect timing for return to training
Davidson happy with his schedule for getting Saints fit and ready for the new season’s start
Callum Davidson believes St Johnstone have got their training timings spot-on.
Several other Premiership clubs got back to work well before the Perth men, Celtic as long ago as June 11.
But the new Saints boss pointed out that a bigger build-up ahead of the new top flight campaign, due to start at the beginning of August, doesn’t automatically equate to a better build-up.
Davidson is in the perfect position to judge what is required given he has already overseen a phased football restart in his previous job as Gary Rowett’s assistant at Millwall.
And he is very happy with the timetable he is working to.
“I think having five weeks from contact training starting is enough time,” said Davidson.
“I remember from being a player myself, if it’s too long you are constantly thinking, ‘When is the first game’. So it’s about having the right balance.
“I think we have got that and hopefully we’ll get games nearer the start of the season.”
There will, of course, be no pre-season trips or Betfred Cup group games this year. That will necessitate bounce matches with fellow Premiership sides.
Davidson does not believe a lot are required.
“Obviously, the teams we will be able to play against are limited but it’s not a big issue playing against who you will face in the league,” said the Perth boss.
“It’s about getting the fitness into the players and working on things, so it won’t be a problem for me.
“I think if we can get two 90-minute games before the first week of the season then we’ll be where we want to be.
“We will have to wait on the government rules for the friendlies but everyone is planning and hopefully once we get the green light, we’ll get things properly arranged.”
The eagerness to impress a new leader has been in evidence on the Mcdiarmid training pitches and Davidson reported that his players have used their lockdown time well. “They have been great,” he said. “I’m pleased with how they looked after themselves over the long break they had.
“Although it sounds easy, it must have been difficult to get motivated to do the correct training.
“It’s easy to go out and do a 5k or a 10k, but not so simple to go out and push yourself to do short sprints and things like that.
“But everyone has come back in good shape and they’ve thrown themselves into the work we’ve given them.
“It’s about getting the football side of it back because just doing straight running or work on the bike isn’t the same.
“That helps the general fitness but it’s about getting touches of the ball,
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I think if we can get two 90-minute games before the first week of the season then we’ll be where we want to be.
CALLUM DAVIDSON
adjusting your feet and getting back to doing the movements we are looking for.
“That’s what we have been concentrating on. We have been doing hard work but it’s about getting back up to speed football-wise and having that base for the season as well.”
The green light was given by the government for teams to progress to full contact work from the start of this week but Davidson was in no great rush, with Saints making the transition today.
Indeed, he has talked up the benefits of the restrictions that he was working under.
“I have actually enjoyed the smallsided training because you get more contact time on the ball for each player,” said Davidson.
“If you are in a group of six or eight, you get more work done compared to when you’re in a big group.
“So the small group training wasn’t too much of a problem.
“We were doing it at Millwall for the Championship season starting again, so I have enjoyed the way it has worked.
“I quite like it that way. It’s been interesting as a coach to come up with ways of working that are slightly different to normal.
“Where having the full contact training starting again helps is with your shape, match simulation and preparing the way you want to play.
“So that will help and we will bring everything together as the weeks go on.”