The backroom staff talk
Posted on: Thu 22 May 2008
Whilst the manager, the assistant manager and Chairman were talking to assembled media at Thursdays Press Conference we cornered 2 key members of the backroom staff to talk about their roles in preparing the players ahead of Mondays game at Wembley.
Jamie Barrow our masseur and Paul Conway the clubs Sports Science expert are key cogs in the Rochdale engine room and they have been working hard this week to ensure that the players remain grounded and focussed as Jamie explains.
"The lads are fully concentrating on what is to them just another game. As staff we have been doing nothing different and sticking to the routines that we have followed for very other game this season. It is hard because it is at Wembley but once that whistle goes it is just another 90 minutes and we can deal with that. The players are confident in their own fitness levels and obviously in their own abilities"
So as far as Paul is concerned what are the fitness levels like after a long hard season?
" They are in the best shape that they possibly could be. That is borne out of the professionalism in which the players started back on July 2nd 2007. What you are seeing now is the fruits of their hard work and the sessions that the manager and Dave Flitcroft put on. We know the responses that we want and the players have taken everything on board and have achieved levels of fitness as a result that are comparable with anyone and we include the Champions League sides in that."
Paul deals with players diets and re fuelling habits so for the man on the street how important is that?
" I guess that the easiest way of putting it across is that if you buy a Ferrari the oil that you would put into it is different from what would go into a Fiesta. We are dealing with elite athletes and therefore we put the best into them to get the best out of them. The players have educated themselves and been educated in what they need to do and we are there to support the manager and everything he is doing"
So how good an example of the things that we are doing is our captain Gary Jones who seems to get fitter and younger as each club record goes by?
" You have to give ultimate respect to him. He is very inquisitive and enquiring and is a very intelligent man. He buys into everything that we advise but doesnt do it without asking the right questions."
Jamie is also a big fan adding,
" Gary is one of the first in and the last to leave every day. He comes in, takes in all the nutrition has massage before training to prepare his body and then afterwards takes in all the right fuel, has another massage and then has an ice bath and a shower. At other clubs lads cant wait to get in their cars and go home whereas Gary puts the time in and does want to learn. He really is a fantastic example to the young players and a truly model professional"
How much is Jamie looking forward to the whole occasion, the trip down there, the training beforehand and obviously the game itself?
" We can't wait to get down there but our job is to get the players 100% prepared , to ensure that they are fully focussed and ready for anything that Stockport can throw at us?"
Jamie Barrow our masseur and Paul Conway the clubs Sports Science expert are key cogs in the Rochdale engine room and they have been working hard this week to ensure that the players remain grounded and focussed as Jamie explains.
"The lads are fully concentrating on what is to them just another game. As staff we have been doing nothing different and sticking to the routines that we have followed for very other game this season. It is hard because it is at Wembley but once that whistle goes it is just another 90 minutes and we can deal with that. The players are confident in their own fitness levels and obviously in their own abilities"
So as far as Paul is concerned what are the fitness levels like after a long hard season?
" They are in the best shape that they possibly could be. That is borne out of the professionalism in which the players started back on July 2nd 2007. What you are seeing now is the fruits of their hard work and the sessions that the manager and Dave Flitcroft put on. We know the responses that we want and the players have taken everything on board and have achieved levels of fitness as a result that are comparable with anyone and we include the Champions League sides in that."
Paul deals with players diets and re fuelling habits so for the man on the street how important is that?
" I guess that the easiest way of putting it across is that if you buy a Ferrari the oil that you would put into it is different from what would go into a Fiesta. We are dealing with elite athletes and therefore we put the best into them to get the best out of them. The players have educated themselves and been educated in what they need to do and we are there to support the manager and everything he is doing"
So how good an example of the things that we are doing is our captain Gary Jones who seems to get fitter and younger as each club record goes by?
" You have to give ultimate respect to him. He is very inquisitive and enquiring and is a very intelligent man. He buys into everything that we advise but doesnt do it without asking the right questions."
Jamie is also a big fan adding,
" Gary is one of the first in and the last to leave every day. He comes in, takes in all the nutrition has massage before training to prepare his body and then afterwards takes in all the right fuel, has another massage and then has an ice bath and a shower. At other clubs lads cant wait to get in their cars and go home whereas Gary puts the time in and does want to learn. He really is a fantastic example to the young players and a truly model professional"
How much is Jamie looking forward to the whole occasion, the trip down there, the training beforehand and obviously the game itself?
" We can't wait to get down there but our job is to get the players 100% prepared , to ensure that they are fully focussed and ready for anything that Stockport can throw at us?"
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