England players’ fitness was great, but maybe not enough
- by Staff Writer #3
- Filed: Thursday, 12th July 2018
The streets of London which were being swept by the constant chants of "It is Coming Home", didn’t meet a fateful end as England lost to Croatia in the semi finals. They did put up a great fight, but Croatians got the better of them in the second half as they started to play their natural game.
However, some still believe that this was among the best English teams at the World Cup, as they had their fitness levels peaking just at the right time. It’s why many who play Betway sports betting had put their bets behind the team.Don’t worry though, you could still have one final game to go before this World Cup gets over.
It is pretty clear that England was a sniff away from glory. It has almost been two decades since they have been in the semis. The large verdict of Michael Platini about football players has been long overdue.
A Great Spirit from the English Team
The players have shown their prowess in this world cup, and the numbers tell it all. For instance, when it comes to distance run, England is ranked at 10th. On the other hand, they arrive at an excellent 15th place when it reaches high-intensity sprints. Although other teams such as France and Belgium have had better ball standing.
However, Ted Knutson the head of Player Analytics for Brentford differs from all these data analytics from FIFA. As an expert in data visualisation, he puts his two cents on the table arguing that players have more runtime when they are out of position. Tom has consulted with several champions league clubs about analytics in football. So he might be right, though he is a big fan of England.
Recently, John Brewer, England's first scientist in the FA made some remarks about the current situation of the team. The focus has been on the performance of England which has surpassed a lot of people's expectations. Their fitness has kicked in the right time when they are just about to walk into the finals as they face Croatia.
When he first travelled with the England National team to World Cup in 1990 to Italy, he made sure the team got through to the semis. The then FA assistant manager Charles Hughes and the rest if the team were just concerned with long sprint runs. It was his advise that the team learn to recover during matches that made them proceed. And it is evident that the England national team of today is using the same strategy.
On many occasions, England's poor performance has been blamed on the lack of rest. When Gareth Southfield, the manager gave them the winter break, the kit was good for them. They had gone through 12-month training that had worn them out. Many players have confessed that the English Premier League is a bit more intense than other premier leagues.
So it is not about the number of the game but the intensity. And while they couldn’t win it this time, you cannot argue that they were one of the best sides this time around.
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