TALKING PARTICK THISTLE
PRE-SEASON training are words that in the not so dim and distant past, would strike fear into the heart of any professional footballer.
Nowadays though, with a seemingly ever-diminishing summer break, the introduction of sports science and greater professionalism of the players, the days of dragging a squad up the dunes at Gullane seem to be a thing of the past.
That makes life a whole lot easier for Junior Mendes, who experienced one or two gruelling summers in his own playing career before becoming the leading sports scientist at Partick Thistle.
So, when the Thistle players returned to training this week, barring a few minor mumps and moans, they were more than happy to dive into the programme he had developed for them over the last few weeks since the season ended.
“On the first day, it is mainly about testing,” said Mendes. “We do a bit of power testing, then things like body fat percentages when we get the calipers out.
“There are always some players who are not too happy about that, and they always think they are lower than what they actually are.
“We get their weight and their hydration levels, and after that is the yo-yo test, which all the players love! They have to run 20 metres on the beep, and the beeps get quicker every time.
“It gives us a marker of where the players are at, but generally here they will all be fit and ready to go into a little bit of running and ball-work after that as normal.
“We’re lucky here in that the boys are all really good with me and they all know what is expected of them. We don’t really get that much moaning, so I’m very fortunate.
“Over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed the players are coming back in really decent condition. That’s really pleasing, and I’m glad that I’m doing this now in this era, rather than 10 or 15 years ago when I was playing.
“I was always alright because I was quite slight naturally, but there were always guys who would come back a stone overweight.
“The pre-seasons back then were sent from hell. You’d be up and down big hills in parks and it would be relentless for two weeks before you’d see a ball. These boys don’t know they’re born.”
As Mendes alludes to, the line between fitness work and work on the ball has somewhat blurred in recent years at Thistle as t he i mproved condition of the players has made dedicated cardio work less necessary.
“It used to be the case that getting the balls out was something of a treat. Now, it’s all mixed together here.
“That’s during the season as well, and a lot of times the players will be getting their fitness from the ball work they are doing, so they are working on their touch and technique without necessarily thinking about it as fitness work.
“We’ll throw in the odd bit of straight-line running and changing direction as well, but having the ball at their feet gives them that mental stimulation, so it’s all about balance.”
ONE person to benefit from listening to Mendes’s advice is Liam Lindsay, who looks set to seal a move to English Championship side Barnsley in the coming days.
It wasn’t so long ago though that the 21-year-old was not the imposing specimen he is now, and Mendes holds him up as an example of what can be achieved through hard work.
“It was a tricky process at first to say the least,” he said. “But Liam was keen to learn. You can take the horse to water, but he threw himself into it.
“He used to struggle to do four or five pull-ups, and now he can do many multiples of that, so he’s got a lot stronger and it’s really helped his game.
“He was doing extra sessions on his days off, and it looks to be paying off for him. He’s a great example for the kids at the club.” PARTICK THISTLE new boy Jamie Sneddon insists he has enjoyed the perfect apprenticeship by coming through the ranks at Hearts before embracing the rough and tumble of senior football with Cowdenbeath.
The 19-year-old goalkeeper has penned a two-year deal with the Jags after impressing for the Blue Brazil last season, despite the Fifers finishing bottom of League 2.
Indeed, the young shot-stopper was the hero as Cowden preserved their SPFL status, saving the decisive penalty kick from Paul Woods in the play-off final shootout against East Kilbride.
As well as making 34 appearances for Cowdenbeath in the last three years, Sneddon boasts a fine pedigree in youth football, having been on the books of Hearts as a schoolboy before leaving in search of first-team football.
And he hopes to use all of those experiences as he prepares to battle Tomas Cerny for the gloves at Firhill.
“It was great to get experience with Cowdenbeath,” said Sneddon. “It wasn’t a great time for the club but good for me. It was a great experience to be playing at that level at such a young age.
“I came through the Hearts academy, from 11 through to 17, and then I joined Cowden.
“You can be full time all you want but if you’re just playing under-20s, it’s much different to first team. So, it’s great to have played all those games already.”