GLENAVON TO TRAIN THREE NIGHTS PER WEEK 10qt

Paddy McLaughlin has increased the first team squad’s training commitment from two to three nights. Each week since his appointment, the players have reported for an extra session. Now he intends to make the change permanent. 3c499

“To my mind it is a no-brainer,” said Paddy. “With outside investment many clubs in this league are now full time or almost full time. We must prepare better, or we will be left behind.”

The new boss reckons that a three-day week training schedule offers many advantages. “We have more time to work on aspects of the game where we need to improve. The players who play on the left will develop a better understanding of how they function together. The same goes for the lads in the middle, on the right, etc.,” he continued. “We will also improve our fitness. The Premiership has become a very demanding, high intensity league. Games are played at one hundred miles per hour. We must meet that challenge head on. The bottom line is that by spending extra minutes on the pitch, the lads will improve individually, and we will become a better team.”

McLaughlin implemented a three-session training programme when he was manager of both Institute and Cliftonville. “There were, over time, real, observablepluses,” he added. “Institute were promoted to the Premiership with a young squad and got a lot of praise for the quality of the football they played. That was down, to a large degree, to the hours they spent training together. Although it has only started at Glenavon, I already see, in quite a few cases, the difference it is making. Obviously, it is going to take time for all the benefits to become clear, but I am convinced it is the way forward.”

The new boss says that the players have embraced the new initiative. “The lads have been excellent,” he reported. “It has led to changes in their Monday night routine, but they have all been willing to go with it. I appreciate that it will reduce the amount of time they have to spend with their families. But, if they are to be successful, they must spend more time together on the training pitch.”

Glenavon has not played competitively since Saturday 30th November and will not play again until Tuesday 17thDecember 2024. Paddy reckons that the mid-season break has been more of an advantage than a disadvantage. “We have used the time well,” he said. “It has allowed the lads to get to know the coaching staff and vice-versa. It has also allowed, in some cases, niggles and injuries to heal up. We had great momentum after the excellent second half display in the Coleraine match. That has, to some degree, been lost, but there is no reason why we can’t hit those levels again.”

On Thursday night the players participated in an 11-a-side 90-minute training match. “It was very worthwhile,” added Paddy. “The players got a full game under their belts. Hopefully, it has helped to prepare them to face Crusaders on Tuesday night.”