THE WAY I SEE IT Graft, and hard work, often gets you over the line
IT HAS been interesting to see the words ‘athletic’ or ‘powerful’ when Stoke City have been introducing their new signings this week.
Aden Flint comes in at 6ft 6in and a handful in both boxes, Harry Clarke is quick and energetic, Josh Laurent is aggressive and industrious.
That’s good. It’s graft, hard work and togetherness that so often gets you over the line in the Championship.
You can see which team works hardest and which has the capacity to work hardest in the final 20 minutes of a game and that will always be a fact. It all boils down to that, with focus and concentration levels.
If you’re not up there with the best in terms of fitness levels, you’ll suffer. You can look players in the eye and you’ll know if they’re gasping for it.
You can see where your dips are, just before or after half-time or towards the end of a game and you want to fill your squad with players whose purpose doesn’t drop at all.
You need players who are ready for different parts of the game, different scorelines. There are different challenges and you have to come through the lot.
A lot of it is natural attributes that you can work to hone and a lot of it is down to character – or weak character.
I read about Manu Tuilagi, the England rugby centre, coming back to fitness last year. He was running up and down hills in the dales. In fact, you might have seen him bombing past you if you go on walks in the Peak District.
That made me smile. I thought it had gone out of sport with all the sports scientists that top athletes have on hand these days but it’s not just about building up your base fitness levels, it’s character building.
I’m sure that heart monitors and GPS tracking are brilliant innovations but that should complement tried and trusted ways. The type of runs that you’re doing, the turns and the drills and the body building are all part of forging the right mentality on top of what they achieve physically.
I think that’s particularly important for the kids coming into the first team picture.
If there’s one thing I want to see change at Stoke, it’s giving young players a chance at 18, 19 and 20 rather than at 21, 22 or 23. If you think you’ve got a teenager who is going to be at the level that Stoke need, play him rather than send him out on loan and loan in a youngster from another club.
There is a great quote from England coach Eddie Jones about giving players a chance to see if they’ve got that resolve. “Last-minute impressions are always important. We always talk about the teabag theory. You get your tea bag out of the packet and you never really know how good it is until you put the hot water into it.”
We’re in the second division and hopefully we’re going for the top six. If you’re not going to give kids a chance now then you might as well forget the academy. If you think they’re good enough to keep at 18, throw them in. Let’s test them and give them that chance. Michael O’neill talks about the budget and young players would certainly help on that score too.
When you’re in your late teens you want to be striving to show you can be number one in your position at the club. If I was in training this week I would be desperate to show the manager that I’m better than anyone he can bring in on loan, I’m better than anyone he’s got in his senior squad already.
The competition should be fierce. There are a handful of lads who are training with the first team at the moment and I want them to grab the bull by the horns and set a precedent for other players coming through. If the door is ajar, slam it open.
I CANNOT help but think we didn’t see Joe Allen in his best position last season.
I liked him in a more advanced position rather than as a holding midfielder – and we never really had a settled midfield around him.
But what a career he’s had, a fantastic player and professional athlete who has always given 100 per cent whatever job he’s been asked to do. He’s been a joy to watch and the response he’s had from players around him is testament to what he gives you.
Sometimes he’s done too much because he’s tried to do other people’s jobs as well but that’s the purpose and enthusiasm he’s got for the game. Good luck to him.