Sweating on transfers and training heats up
AS predicted, the sweatiest person at the end of Middlesbrough’s training session on Monday morning wasn’t any of the players who’d just completed two hours running in the intense heat, but this reporter who sat watching them from a chair at the side!
That’s nothing to do with the intensity and toughness of the sessions taking place in Portugal and rather everything to do with how I cope, or rather don’t, in heat.
Considering the temperatures, the players were made to work hard for that two hours in the morning that I was there to watch, while they then had another session to come in the afternoon too.
That’s part of a cleverly puttogether plan, of course, as Chris Wilder and his coaching team work towards building the players and conditioning them for the new season.
We could all see last term how, perhaps both mentally and physically, they blew up towards the end of the season and Wilder has made no secret of the fact that he has to address that this summer.
Make no mistake, the players aren’t here having a nice, relaxing holiday.
A round of golf today, scheduled as a down day, will be about as fun as it gets for them.
But the players appear in good spirits as they work away in the sun. As the Boro media team set up their equipment for some post-session interviews, Marcus Tavernier couldn’t help but come over and get involved as he became interviewer rather than the interviewee.
In Matt Crooks he didn’t find the most helpful of responders.
“How are you finding Portugal?” Tav asked.
“Hot” were Crooks’ words of wisdom.
I’m being harsh to Crooks there. As he’s proved on many occasions, you’d struggle to find a more intriguing and engaging character to interview than him in football.
His understated response here wasn’t one of those occasions.
As it happens, it was Paddy McNair who the club were really putting forward for media duties. Poor Paddy obviously drew the short straw before I arrived.
The Northern Irishman laughed as the sweat trickled down my forehead rather than his, before telling me of the training camp: “It’s been great so far. We did a double session yesterday and another double session yesterday.
“It’s very hot, a lot hotter than we’re used to in Teesside! Of course, training in that heat is a lot tougher, but it’s good to get a change of scenery as well.
“Everyone is enjoying it and it’s good to be around all of the lads, we all get on well.”
That’s evident watching on from the sides and not to be underestimated to its significance in hopefully ensuring Boro have the successful season they’re after.
Togetherness will be key but so will high standards and a strong will to succeed.
Wilder is looking to build that this summer and in new arrival Darragh Lenihan he certainly has a new leader. The former Blackburn captain can always be heard throughout training.
His mouth rarely stops. What’s
evident is the will to succeed too.
During a drill aimed at working the ball from midfield to goal via the wings, both Cal Kavanagh and Isaiah Jones were visibly disgusted in themselves after missing chances they felt should have been put away, and the poor free-kick mannequin bore the brunt of their frustrations.
Meanwhile, Riley McGree, who continues to have an impressive summer, got a handshake and pat on the back from the Boro boss as he buried one emphatically.
Interestingly, as the club continue working hard to add to their squad with strikers an obvious priority, McGree lined up in the same team as Crooks and Tavernier for the mini-pitch, three-team-rotation game they went into.
Wilder has noted a couple of times that the Australian can play as a ten despite rarely playing with a ten, but playing with more of a diamond in midfield and just one up top is something that Wilder could look at this summer, though unlikely as his starting formation.
These sessions are the time to look at things like that, and it was interesting to see the trio all put together in an obviously deliberate teaming.
Indeed, while the players currently on Boro’s books continue their hard work in preparation for the new season, the topic on the lips of everyone, including the Boro boss it would seem, is transfers.
Offering himself up for interview as the players warmed up, Wilder didn’t even need to be asked before getting into the subject matter that naturally interests most fans at this time of year.
There’s an understandable growing sense of unease and concern among Boro fans right now as the season draws closer.
And clearly the lack of signings is on Wilder’s mind too. But I think we all know enough about him and his standards now to know he wouldn’t say he was excited and he wouldn’t tell us he is hopeful, if he truly wasn’t.
There’s no Kieran Scott in Portugal as the Boro head of football stayed on Teesside to continue the club’s hard work to get deals done along with chief executive Neil Bausor.
It’s a slow market right now and Wilder spoke of the domino effect they’re waiting on.
But he assured that everyone from Steve Gibson down was working as hard as possible to get deals over the line, and while perhaps not satisfying as the thirst for new faces is so high, the need for patience is clear if Boro want to land the calibre of players they’re targeting this summer.
And the hard work continues in Portugal too... for the Boro players at least.
Yesterday saw them invite Sheffield Wednesday to their training base for a behind-closed-doors friendly.
With four 30-minute intervals to play, Wilder’s plan was to up the workload of the players to a 60-minute run-out, upped from the 45 they’ve all had in the two friendlies so far.