Tabla de contenidos para FourFourTwo Presents: Play Like a Pro en FourFourTwo Presents: Play Like a Pro

Hi David. You seem to have a very laid-back personality – how do you remain so relaxed during a match? I’m anything but relaxed! But thanks, I’m happy you think that. When you play at this level of football there’s no room to be relaxed for any second at all. As a Chelsea player, I am involved in top-level competitions for the entire season and my level of concentration is just as high as my responsibilities. The day before a match I am already living it. I think about the game, plan my strategy, focus on my opponent’s ability and so on. This thought process continues right until the final whistle of the match and it soon starts again in preparation for the following game. Some players describe suffering from…

KINESIOLOGY TAPE Gareth Bale and Mario Balotelli have both been known to like a bit of the blue stuff. The duo, plus many other footballers, have been pictured with kinesio tape stuck to various parts of their body. Created by the Japanese chiropractor Dr Kenso Kase in 1979, it promises to reduce muscular pain, while providing support for joints. Yet, the benefits of the tape may be more psychological than physical. A review by Roger Kerry, an associate professor in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham, scrutinised various studies into the tape over the last decade and found that it offered minimal performance benefits. We’ll just stick to cans of Deep Heat, thanks. Coloured and patterned tape has become trendy in top-level football, but which is…

MEDICINE BALLS The use of medicine balls dates back 3,000 years when wrestlers in Persia would train with sand-filled bladders. Thankfully, modern versions are not quite so primitive and can be used to build strength, improve jump height and burn calories when used as part of a full-body workout. A study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning investigated what effects a 12-week schedule had on the core strength of 49 baseball players. The results found the programme improved abdominal power by more than 18 per cent. Add it to your training regime and you’ll be able to twist and turn past defenders and show off a killer six-pack to boot. Sounds like a summer well spent to us. 1 “Medicine balls are great for using with a team-mate in…

Hi Michael. Do you believe goalscorers are born or made? I think it’s a bit of both, to be honest. To be a goalscorer you have to be a certain type of person. You’ve got to be selfish and have an obsessive streak, which are both personality traits I believe you’re born with. Improving your goalscoring is all about quality practice and having the chance to work on your finishing in matches over and over again. What’s the best way for a forward to develop their finishing? I have a clear idea about how to create a world-class goalscorer. In the modern game, a lot of young players are moved up an age group in their academies to challenge them. They’ll still be good in that age group, so they’ll…

CHOCOLATE MILK Working out would be a lot more fun if we could down a pint of lager after a workout, wouldn’t it? Well, modern science is unlikely to suggest we do that anytime soon. However, several experts have backed chocolate milk as a suitable recovery drink. A 2012 study published in the Medicine and Sport Journal revealed a low-fat version of this tasty treat contains a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio. This is the same composition found in many recovery drinks. The same study also found it to be very high in sodium, which aids recuperation. They advised consuming it within two hours of exercise to replenish the body’s glycogen stores. Lovely. 1 “Chocolate milk is cheaper than many branded recovery drinks, but the ingredients can be of poor quality,”…

Only one Icelander has ever tasted Champions League glory, and Eidur Gudjohnsen’s rise to the top owed as much to intelligence as it did to speed or physique. Like Teddy Sheringham before him, Gudjohnsen made the ‘second striker’ role his own, combining anticipation with technique to claim two Premier League titles at Chelsea and become a European champion with Barcelona. He tells FFT how he did it… Which players did you admire when you were a child? I watched my father a lot – he played in an Anderlecht team that challenged for European Cups. He made this video of the goals he’d scored and I used to watch it all the time. The main things I learned from him were his drive and his character to never stop. Then…

There are few things better for the male ego than throwing your bodyweight in metal around a gym for 10 vein-popping reps, before admiring your taut muscles in the mirror. Don’t pretend it’s just us… But what if we’ve been getting this whole muscle-building thing all wrong? What if lifting lighter weights has always been just as effective as hauling dumbbells the size of small children? Stuart Phillips, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, conducted a study in which one group of men performed a series of exercises using light resistance for 25 reps, while another did the same exercises but with heavy weights for 10 reps. The results showed both groups made near-identical improvements in muscle size and strength, which, according to Phillips, could be…

You’re the Premier League’s youngest captain – was it a surprise to be given the armband so soon? It’s a massive achievement. I thought it would be a big task in terms of pressure and the expectation of the role, because Newcastle’s fans demand the best. But the backing of Rafa Benitez and advice from all of the coaching staff has helped me to adapt quickly. Has it been a challenge giving orders to players with a lot more experience? Probably more so in the 2016-17 season as we had more experienced players at the club. Last season the average age of the squad came down, so quite a lot of the lads were a similar age to myself or a couple of years older. I think I’m a big…

COCONUT OIL The clean-eating brigade have long highlighted the benefits of cooking using coconut oil, but is it the key to better health or simply another fad? The so-called superfood is higher in saturated fat than butter – however, it contains medium chain fatty acids, which can increase the levels of good cholesterol in the body. Coconut oil also has a relatively high smoke point (177 degrees), meaning it won’t begin to burn and release free radicals while you cook. And best of all, it could aid weight loss: a study in the American Journal of Nutrition found it boosted the number of calories burnt at rest by 28 women who’d supplemented their diet with the oil for four weeks. 1 “Several studies have hailed the weight loss benefits of…

ALL EXERCISES 4 SETS, 5 REPS Seated box jump Don’t get comfortable – you are not about to get a nice sit-down in the middle of the session. The seated box jump is a power exercise and focuses on jumping at speed. “This replicates your body position in a match when you’re leaping for a header and helps the landing phase,” explains Pepys. Split squat Sprinting into the penalty area and scoring with a towering header requires impressive single-leg strength. “If you feel comfortable performing a double-leg squat, try this out. It’ll boost hamstring and quad strength and allow you to leap off one leg.” Single-leg step-up If you want to leap up the steps to get your medal at the end of the season, then get on this nifty…

FROM THE FFT ARCHIVES: DECEMBER 2017 Hi Manolo. Are natural goalscorers just born or can they be developed? Certain talents, in my opinion, you just have within you. However, training can help you improve certain skills and you should always train as hard as you can. It’s important to work on every part of your game: right foot, left foot, heading the ball, protecting the ball, everything. You must always give 100 per cent to ensure you reach maximum potential. If your 100 per cent is a 6/10 in terms of quality, that’s OK. If it’s 4/10, that is OK as well. The important thing is that if you’re capable of giving 4/10 in every game, you give 4/10, not 2/10. Then if you’re talented enough to reach 10/10, you’d…

FROM THE FFT ARCHIVES: MARCH 2018 A lot of elite strikers are blessed with pace – how are you still able to score so many goals without electric speed? In the Premier League, you have much less time to think – one or two seconds is the difference between scoring a goal and not scoring, or making a good pass which results in a goal. To make up for that difference, you have to make your decisions as quickly as possible, because speed – whether it’s in your head or feet – is key to being a successful striker. You must also be really intelligent with your movement and the runs you make. That can overcome a lot of things. A fast brain can be just as dangerous as a…

QUINOA These days you can’t scroll through your Instagram feed without seeing a picture of a so-called superfood that is dressed up to the nines in an exotic dressing. Quinoa is now a favourite among social media health fanatics, but what exactly is all the fuss about? This nutritious crop has been grown in South America for thousands of years and belongs to the same nutritional family as beets, chard and spinach. Quinoa is considered a far superior alternative to starchy carbs such as bulgur wheat, rice and couscous because of its high protein content, which is perfect for repairing your body after training, a rigorous 90 minutes or working out in the gym. 1 “Quinoa contains 14g of protein per 100g,” says nutritionist Gavin Allinson, “plus amino acids, which…

FROM THE FFT ARCHIVES: FEBRUARY 2018 Hi Yohan. Which midfielders did you admire when you were growing up? I used to love watching Patrick Vieira and Claude Makelele play for France, as they were amazing together in midfield and controlled everything. I can remember the 2006 World Cup in Germany – they were fantastic in helping France reach the final. It’s very rare that a country is able to produce two great midfielders in the same generation, but France did it – they complemented each other so well. France have got a wealth of midfield talent at the moment – how do they keep finding so many top midfielders? It’s very hard to say. We have fantastic strikers and wingers as well. In general, the French academy system is of…

FOAM ROLLER If you’ve ever popped down the gym and spotted a balding fortysomething straddling a massive marshmallow, you’ve probably seen foam rolling. This anonymous-looking piece of gym equipment is used by footballers to massage their lower body before and after training. Rolling sends a signal to the brain to loosen muscles and increase blood flow, to flush out the toxins produced during intense physical activity. This helps to improve flexibility and accelerates recovery. A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise noted how a foam rolling routine reduced the muscle soreness and increased the range of motion in weightlifters following a squat workout. Think what it could do for your stiff limbs the day after a game. 1 “Our players like them the day after a game…

Tea Health kick You can’t beat a good old-fashioned cuppa ahead of a game. But tea does more than warm your insides as you take to a muddy pitch in the Sunday morning cold; it helps to keep you in tip-top shape. A Harvard School of Health study revealed the substances called polyphenols that are found in tea can contribute to lowering your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, if you value your CR7-esque gleaming white smile, drink plenty of water with your Earl Grey. Pigments from dark drinks can become embedded in your tooth enamel, causing discolouration – not what you want when you’re smiling with the man-of-the-match trophy. 1 “White and green tea have health benefits as their anti-oxidants prevent cell damage,” explains elite sports nutritionist…

Hi Charlie. What advice can you give us to help improve our finishing? Hi. It’s all about composure. When you’re in front of goal, don’t panic. I think a lot of people get into that position and then freeze and take too long. If you’re one-on-one with the keeper, it’s important that you don’t change your mind. If you feel like you’re going to go round him, go round him. If you feel like you’re going to take an early shot, then go and do it. If you want to chip him, do that. All of my finishing is about committing to it – relax, pick your spot and commit. What’s your favourite way to score? They all count, so for me it’s probably a nice first-time finish in the…

You’ve played off the striker this season – how have you found it? It’s been a good learning curve for me. I’ve mainly played as a winger in my career, but the manager has asked me to play in a more central role this season and it’s something I have enjoyed. If I’m able to play in any position across the front four, it means that I give him more options. What attributes must you have in order to become an effective No.10? You need to be the link man between the midfield and attack. It’s important to stay close to the striker as well and play around him. Your responsibility is to create assists and score goals. You need to always be on the lookout for space to get…

Which central midfielders did you admire when you were growing up? As a kid I played for a side called PSTC (Parana Soccer Technical Center) from Londrina, and in those days we didn’t have a professional team, just a youth team. So the primary objective of that club was to develop talented players. One of the main players who left and became successful was Kleberson. He won the 2002 World Cup and played for Manchester United, so he became an example for every young player at the club to follow. Back then, he was the guy that inspired me, and he was a big reason why I decided to become a central midfielder. I was also lucky enough to play in the same team as him for Atletico Paranaense. Have…

Safety bar half-squat Sets: 6 Reps: 4 If you are looking to get the better of the opposition full-back in a foot race, then this drill will give you a decent head start. “In football it’s very rare to find yourself in a deep squat, so I think a half-squat will translate better for any running and jumping movements while on the pitch,” explains Perryman. Single step-up Sets: 4 Reps: 8-10 There’s nothing better than watching a speed demon slip through the gears – master this routine and that could soon be you. “This mimics your movement at top speed. Start with one foot an inch above the box, then slam it down and drive up, keeping your hips firm.” Split stance trap bar deadlift Sets: 6 Reps: 4 Rapid…

If your idea of healthy eating is a low-calorie McDonalds meal washed down with some orange juice, we’ve got bad news. Researchers at Imperial College London believe the recommended consumption of fruit and vegetables should be raised, so your five a day goes up to a whopping 10. A study concluded that eating 800 grams of fruit and veg daily lowered the possibility of a stroke by a third and heart problems by 24 per cent. Lead author Doctor Dagfinn Aune, from the School of Public Health at the university, said: “We wanted to investigate how much fruit and veg you need to eat to gain maximum protection against diseases. “Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is good, but 10 is better. Fruit and vegetables have been…

If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night, wailing in agony with cramp holding onto you in a vice-like grip, a lack of general fitness may not be the reason for your woes. A study by Sports Health found that dehydration and loss of salt during exercise was a main cause of muscle cramping, after a review of research on the topic spanning at least half a century. Indeed, the Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana used to suffer from this very problem while he was at Southampton until the south-coast side finally got to the bottom of it. “We would measure his salt loss during matches and found he was a salty sweater,” says their director of sports medicine and science, Mo Gimpel. “Adam was losing a lot…

Unless you’re a Sunday League Santi Cazorla, your weaker foot is probably useless for anything other than standing on. But AFC Wimbledon’s academy have devised a clever method to make players two-footed. Their starlets have been donning odd socks, and it’s not because the kitman keeps getting muddled up. Players wear an odd white sock at training and a yellow one in games, identifying the weak foot. Opposing players then make them use their weak side and improve the ability with both feet. Once a coach is satisfied a player is ambidextrous, he gets a prize… a second blue sock. Academy coach, Jeremy Sauer tells FFT: “A player can’t access all of the decisions available in a game if he is not able to utilise his weaker foot to a…

You’re a Sheffield lad – what are your earliest football memories? I grew up in Hillsborough near Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium, but I’m a Blade. My family support United, so I grew up following them. I always went down to the local park as there was this concrete court where you could play football and basketball. I used to play on there with a group of mates against older players. We were pretty decent so we’d always give them a good game, but I remember a few times when I got smashed in the mouth by a flailing arm! Do you think cage football can help to develop young players? I played a lot of cage and street football and it definitely served me well. I would train on a Tuesday…

So many dynamic, attacking full-backs have come from Brazil over the years. Why is that? Well, Brazil sets the standard for most positions, right? But I think one of the secrets that explains why we produce quality full-backs is that a lot of them start out as forwards or midfielders, so perhaps have higher levels of technical skill. They still maintain that attacking spirit, and maybe have more creativity when it comes to taking on opponents. I think that’s the big difference. Which Brazilian players did you look up to as a youngster? Like most full-backs, especially of my generation, Cafu was someone I looked up to a lot. Not only did he win almost every competition there was to win at Sao Paulo and Milan, he also lifted the…

Paul, you were one of the best passers of a football we’ve ever seen – what was your secret? Passing was something that came naturally to me. Until the age of 18 I was a striker, but [former Manchester United youth team coach] Eric Harrison always thought I would be a central midfielder. He saw something in my passing and felt I could be a creative player. I was lucky at United, because Alex Ferguson would constantly tell me to play the ball forwards. When I had time on the ball, my first thought was always to look for my two wide players and my two strikers. The last resort was a sideways or backwards pass. Did you adjust your passing style for different types of strikers? Absolutely. I knew…

FROM THE FFT ARCHIVES: NOVEMBER 2017 Hi Theo. How vital is extra training to staying fit and fast for a full season? I think it’s important to always stay one step ahead of everyone else. If you can find a way to improve your game by one per cent, then you are going to have an advantage over your opponent. As you get older you need to take care of your body, as you can feel the intensity of the Premier League improving after every season. The younger players are all physically able to compete and that makes it even more competitive for a place in the team. You have to make sure you’re always fit and ready to go. Players often post images of their workout sessions on social…

Great footballers don’t always make great managers, but France’s 1998 World Cup-winning side continue to buck that trend. Zinedine Zidane – who scored twice in the 1998 showpiece – captured his third consecutive Champions League crown as Real Madrid supremo in May, before Didier Deschamps became only the third person to win the World Cup as a player and manager a couple of months later. Laurent Blanc has also enjoyed his fair share of success on the sidelines, guiding both Paris Saint-Germain and Bordeaux to the Ligue 1 title. So it’s easy to see why Patrick Vieira could follow in his fellow countrymen’s footsteps. The 42-year-old ex-Arsenal and Inter midfielder was named Nice coach in June, after spells in charge of Manchester City’s elite development squad and New York City…

Are you that guy who goes for glory from an impossible angle rather than passing when your team-mate is completely free in the six-yard box? Well, the next time you spank the ball over the crossbar, we’re going to tell you to detox your ego. Don’t worry, we’re not talking about flushing toxins out of your system with a kale smoothie. We mean it’s time you learnt how to put the team’s interests in front of your own. This is the message that sports psychologist Steven Sylvester is preaching in his book Detox Your Ego to help players to fulfill their potential. “Being selfish out on the pitch is a disastrous mindset,” he tells FFT. “We want players making the right decisions under pressure and then thinking about how they…

Do you reckon you can become a Premier League player without being an elite-level athlete? No. I think you have to be technically very good, but now you’re starting to see the emergence of a lot of players in the lower leagues who are willing to put the hard yards in. You look at people like Jamie Vardy, Andre Gray and myself: we’ve adapted to Premier League football because we’ve always been willing to put the extra physical work in. Lower down the leagues you have to just run for every ball, so that is why we’ve gone on to do very well. You’ve done some work with Anthony Joshua’s trainer, Jamie Reynolds, so how did that partnership come about? I was one of the first players he worked with.…

Is there such thing as an off-season for a Premier League player? I think the off-season is important for a Premier League player, but for me it didn’t mean I put my feet up. Typically I had three or four weeks off during the summer and would balance that with pure relaxation, where I’d put the ball away to give my mind and body a full rest. After that, I’d spend a few weeks working my way up, ready for the start of pre-season training. It’s important you don’t spend too long not moving – you’ve got to look after your body and ensure you’re prepared for pre-season. If you’re playing catch-up you will get found out, as everything is monitored these days. The data will show if you are…

FFT loves nothing more than spending our winter nights tucked up in bed, spooning a football while watching goal compilations on DVD. But our quality time beneath a Roy of the Rovers duvet could be coming to an end, as a new report reveals that technology might be damaging our sleep. Researchers at King’s College in London and Cardiff University in the Welsh capital analysed 11 studies, involving more than 125,000 people, to determine if electronic devices affect our rest. They discovered that if you use a smartphone or tablet before hitting the sack, or even watch a bit of television, it doubled the risk of you having a bad night’s kip – which is the last thing that we want before a match. And, more worryingly for FFT, the odds…

CIRCUIT 1&2 CIRCUIT 3&4 CIRCUIT 5&6 1 Kettlebell swings If you’re keen to get your heart and lungs burning like they do in a match, then this exercise is an ideal place to start. “Moving resistance at high intensity will really raise your heart rate,” reveals Goff. “Make sure you hinge at your hips, as this isn’t a squat and swing. Keep it nice and tight, but don’t over-arch the back.” 2 Clean and press This full-body movement ensures that you build a durable engine and strong exterior. “This works hundreds of muscles and is perfect for developing power. Start off at the ground, or mid-shin if you don’t think you have the mobility. Drive through the hips before dropping into a front squat and then driving back up to…

The next time that your partner or parents complain about your unhealthy obsession with going to play football, insist that you are training your brain, too. We’re not just trying to get you in trouble at home, honest – 24 exercise specialists hailing from 24 different countries have been highlighting the cognitive gains from doing physical exercise. A report that’s appeared in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reveals that “a single session of moderate physical activity will benefit brain function, cognition and scholastic performance in children and young people.” In plain English, it means that having a game of headers and volleys with your mates or going to play 5-a-side in your free time could help to improve displays in the classroom or workplace. The statement goes on to…

Pull-up Sets: 4 Reps: 5 To put your muscle to good use around the pitch, first you’ve got to be able to control your own bodyweight. “Pull-ups are a great exercise for increasing upper-body strength,” says Courtney. “If you can’t do them, try an assisted pull-up or lat pull-down machine – that will help to build your base strength.” Push press Sets: 4 Reps: 5 To leap like a salmon and score bullet headers, you will need to pair a strapping upper body with powerful pins. “It’s an excellent full-body exercise, working your quads and calves as well as the shoulders and triceps. Being able to transfer force quickly from the lower body to the upper boosts your jumping height over time.” Bent over row Sets: 4 Reps: 5 Spending…

If you’re on the verge of burnout after a hard pre-season – or if you just ache because you’re tragically unfit – then Mother Nature may have a simple cure for your woes. Earthing, a practice that involves the skin touching either grass, sand a river, lake or sea, could accelerate recovery from injury, fatigue and a host of other health problems. “I’ve consistently found that earthing offers recovery benefits above and beyond techniques such as icing,” said sports chiropractor Jeff Spencer, who has worked in football, basketball and Formula One. “Pain relief is frequently 40 to 50 per cent greater.” Scientists believe that the gentle negative charge that is emitted by the Earth’s surface could help to tackle free radicals – molecules which destroy the healthy cells in the…

Bored of the bench press and sick of the squat rack? Give kettlebells a go to kick-start your training regime, torch fat and build muscle fast. The American Council on Exercise have found that a 15-minute workout with those odd-looking metal objects sat in the corner of your local gym can burn as many as 300 calories. That’s all well and good if you want to be Slimmer of the Year, but how will it help you to be a better footballer? “Kettlebells provide uneven weight distribution, which will challenge and strengthen your core,” says strength and conditioning coach Karl Halabi. “Try some exercises like kettlebell deadlifts and swings. These will use multiple muscle groups, which boosts your testosterone levels and builds muscle, and therefore make you stronger when you're…

FREE WEIGHTS We can’t quite put our finger on why, but there’s something manly about holding a pair of rusty old dumbbells in your hands. Plus, strength training using free weights won’t just satisfy the alpha male in you – it’ll also help to improve your physical performance out on the pitch. A 2008 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research noted improvements in acceleration, peak sprinting velocity and 40-metre sprint time in a group taking part in strength training twice a week for seven weeks. A further study published in February of this year showed that a group of young footballers who underwent a weights training programme suffered far fewer injuries during a season than a group who did no resistance work. 1 “Free weights’ greater range of…

YOGA This ancient practice involves posture and breathing exercises that improve flexibility. Manchester United stalwart Ryan Giggs credited yoga with helping him play on into his 40s – and a study last year illustrated exactly how it can aid physical performance. Twenty-six participants went through a 10-week yoga programme that featured two sessions each week, and all of them displayed a significant improvement to their flexibility and balance when performing a range of movements after the programme, compared to their efforts prior to the study. Make it a part of your training regime and you might be able to extend your playing days. 1 “Being supple boosts speed, recovery and sharpness of movement, and yoga improves all of these,” said Giggs’ yoga teacher, Sarah Ramsden. 2 “Stiff through your hips?…

You’re right-footed but played on the left. How did you end up in that role? I had come through as a youngster in France playing as a left-winger, so was already comfortable in that role before I moved to the Premier League. When I joined Arsenal from Marseille in 2000, Arsene Wenger told me, “You’re going to play on the left wing to replace Marc Overmars. Do you think you’re capable of playing on that side?” As I knew the position I replied, “Yes, I feel like I can replace him.” I remember fans being really confused and saying things like, “Why is Pires playing on the left when he is right-footed?” Your relationship with your coach is really important at times like this. He needs to know you are…

Some of Brazil’s finest players honed their skills out on the streets – were you the same? Yes, street football helped me a lot when I was younger. I learnt technical skills in really tight spaces, but I also learnt how to fight and battle, which were equally important. My experiences playing street football meant I was no longer afraid of facing a tackle on the pitch. Sometimes it was a bit dangerous, but it was worth it as I learnt to fight for what I wanted, and always with honesty. Whenever I’m playing now, I can still feel the benefits of street football. Who were your favourite Samba stars when you were growing up? The players I watched the most as a kid were Ronaldo and Ronaldinho (below). I…

Which of the game’s great passers did you like to watch as a youngster? I think that Pep Guardiola and Lothar Matthaus [below right] were two of the great passers of their generation and I watched them a lot. Paul Scholes was also a wonderful player and someone I really respected, and in the modern game Toni Kroos is now one of the world’s best passers. When did you realise that passing had become your area of expertise? As soon as I started playing football, passing was something that just came very naturally to me. My game wasn’t about dribbling or getting the ball and scoring many goals; it was about being in the middle of the pitch, it was about spreading the ball from one side of the pitch…

FROM THE FFT ARCHIVES: APRIL 2017 You’ve played in so many different positions for Manchester United. Which role suits you the best? I think for now, playing on the wing and cutting inside – that’s where I’ll continue to play. However, over the next few years I would really like to become a No.10. I have played there a few times for England and United and that’s my natural position. But while I’m still growing, playing out wide is good for my development. Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen compared you to Andres Iniesta a few years ago – what was your reaction to that? I’ve always admired Andres Iniesta – the things he’s done on the pitch are unbelievable. I have watched a lot of videos of him and…

Carlos, you’ve been both a first-team coach and assistant manager. What is the difference between the roles? I’d say the main difference between the two is responsibility. The manager is the leader and the one who’s entrusted with making good decisions regarding every single aspect of the team. In both roles, you must not ignore your principles and always remain loyal. You’ve been a coach since 1984. What tips would you give to the 30-year-old Carlos Queiroz at the beginning of his managerial career? If I could give him one bit of advice, I’d tell him to try to stay in a positive mood at all times, regardless of what football throws at you during your career. That’s a valuable piece of advice but also hard to follow because, despite…

It doesn’t matter if you’re in the Premier League or Sunday League – the winter period provides one of the toughest challenges during the football season. Cold weather, rough conditions and bad results can damage team morale and leave you with a crisis of confidence. But you’re not alone: even the top pros aren’t bulletproof. Nike Academy psychologist Claire Davidson carried out a study, with 200 players across England’s top four leagues answering a survey that measured their resilience. The results showed many professional players admitting they struggled to deal with pressure and setbacks. “Some players thrive on pressure – like a last-minute penalty – while others will see a tough situation as a threat and they crumble,” says Davidson. Yet there is something you can do to bolster confidence.…

He may not have been a particularly high-profile signing when he joined Liverpool from Dutch side Willem II in 1999, but centre-back Sami Hyypia would soon establish himself as the defensive rock in a trophy-laden era for the Reds. Former Liverpool chief scout Ron Yeats described the acquisition of the Finnish man-mountain as “one of the best bits of business we’ve done over the years. A steal, a bargain.” A two-time Finnish Cup winner with MyPa, he formed a formidable central defensive partnership with fellow new signing Stephane Henchoz, and in their second season the duo helped Gerard Houllier’s outfit capture a League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup treble. Hyypia later paired up with England defender Jamie Carragher, an alliance that helped the Anfield giants, by now under the…

SALMON Vitamin boost Its bright and healthy complexion means there’s no surprise in hearing that salmon is brimming with benefits. Just 200g will give you more than your recommended daily allowance of vitamins B6 and B12, which help your body to release energy from the other foods you eat, so that you can extract every single ounce of goodness from your diet to fuel your performance. Scientists even believe that eating this ocean-dweller could have big mental health advantages. Researchers at Ohio State University found that 2.5g of omega-3 – that’s around 12-15 ounces of salmon – eased symptoms of anxiety by some 20 per cent. You won’t worry about that goal drought of yours ever again. 1 “In a 100g portion of salmon there is 20g of protein, making…

Tree pose Are you no stranger to feeling a decade older when crawling out of bed the day after a game? Make this move a part of your pre-match warm-up. “Footballers will often suffer from stiff hips after years of jumping, kicking and turning on the dominant side,” explains Heidaripour. “Hold this position for around 15-20 seconds, then repeat it with your opposite leg to open up your groin and hip.” Single-leg side plank pose We have had enough of you making excuses for getting bullied off the ball. This exercise will boost your ability to retain possession and then make a pass. “I used this move a lot with Mesut Özil. It replicated him pushing away an opponent, while lifting his leg in a football-specific fashion helped to strengthen…

Describe the Javi Martinez way. The ball is, and always will be, my friend. I need to touch the ball and I suffer if I don’t have it. When the opposition have got the ball, then it is my job – whether I’m playing as a central defender or a defensive midfielder – to fight to win the ball back in one-on-one situations. My role is a defensive one, to help my team-mates all of the time and to give them what they want: the ball. What drills should a youngster be practising to dominate a match while playing in the pivot role? Above all else, your positioning is so important – it is almost an art form. Putting yourself in the right place, in an attacking and more defensive…

ICE BATHS Long before footballers began jumping into ice baths, the Egyptians were using cold therapies to treat their injuries as early as 2500 BC. Immersing the body in freezing water following exercise will reduce body temperature, blood flow and inflammation, which accelerates recovery. That sounds great, but before FFT takes the plunge, is there science to back it up? Er, not really. A study by the University of Auckland in February says it does next to nothing to ease your aching limbs. Professor David Cameron-Smith stated: “Ice baths are no more beneficial than doing a low-intensity warm-down after any intense exercise.” We’ll stick to a cold post-match pint, then. 1 “If you have a quick turnaround between training or matches, an ice bath could give you short-term pain relief,”…

FROM THE FFT ARCHIVES: MARCH 2017 How did you handle the pressure of making your debut last season? Honestly, I wasn’t nervous at all. There were a few other youngsters who were also making their debuts and wanted to impress, which probably took the pressure off me a little bit. The game [at Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup] was on TV, so I was excited to get out there and show what I could do. I told myself to do the simple things well and I knew if I did that, then the rest of my game would come together. It was all a dream come true for me. What advice did Arsene Wenger give you before the game at Hillsborough? He just kept it really simple and didn’t…

Gym deals aren’t cheap and FFT is still skint following Christmas and New Year, so we thought we’d go to a scrapyard and pick up a spare tyre for a full-throttle workout. Perform each of these exercises for 30 seconds to form a single circuit. Once you’ve completed them, rest for two minutes and repeat. If you can, of course… Pushes Oi, hard men, why not practise pushing and shoving a player with this? “You’ll need help from a team-mate, adding a bit of competition to the workout. By kneeling down and using your upper body, you can target the chest area. This is similar to an explosive bench press exercise.” Explosive squat jumps You don’t have to be Andy Carroll to win an aerial battle – try this drill…

FROM THE FFT ARCHIVES: OCTOBER 2016 How did street football shape the player you are today? It definitely helped me to develop a fast game as well as that Brazilian smartness. I remember, as a child, I would wake up every morning and just want to play football, even though I knew I had to go to school. As soon as I arrived home I’d grab my football and go straight out, then play with my friends until late at night. Nothing else seemed to matter at that young age. Did your coaches encourage you to play football on the streets? No – quite the opposite. My coaches were scared I’d get injured and miss training or a game. That didn’t stop me! Which coach has had the biggest influence…

Hola, Juan. How does a small player such as yourself survive in a division as physical as the Premier League? It’s a good question! In England there are many big and strong players, which means that I have to think a bit more, because of the big difference in size between myself and a lot of players. If you’re not tall or strong you have to move earlier and try to find the spaces before your rival. The mental side of the game is really important for the smaller players – if you try to stand toe-to-toe with a bigger man, it’s very difficult to come out on top. Do you adapt your game against fast or strong defenders? It depends on whether you have the ball or the defender…

Tonight could be Tony Blanc’s big night, and he knows it. He’s turned up over an hour early for what could be a title-deciding showdown, with his hair slicked back like a mafia boss. If everything goes to plan, his goals will fire his team to glory and seal the first silverware of his career. However, while Tony shares his surname with a World Cup-winning defender, he looks nothing like a footballer. At 28 years old, he weighs 25 stone. And that weight could be the key to victory. Blanc turns out for 2Lose, a six-a-side team which competes in a Man v Fat league every Tuesday night on an artificial pitch opposite Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road ground. The 14-week competition is designed to help men lose weight, with results…

If you’re anything like FFT, you grew up with your mum and dad warning you not to skip breakfast or exercise on an empty stomach. In recent years, however, athletes from a number of sports have opted to ignore those cries and use fasted training to help them lose weight. That list includes three-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome. “Chris rides in the morning and then has breakfast,” former Team Sky nutritionist Nigel Mitchell tells FFT. “Leading up to a race, this gets him down to his optimum weight. “When you wake up, your body’s glycogen stores are depleted, so when you train you’ll use fat as a fuel and start to lose pounds.” Sounds simple – but could it work for pro footballers who play all year round?…

If you fancy yourself as the next Pep Guardiola but don’t have the time nor money to study for your coaching badges, we’ve got good news – you can train up a future star from your lounge. Tom Byer, world-renowned coach and head technical advisor to the Chinese FA, is the author of Football Starts at Home, with his philosophy educating parents about how they can coach their children as soon as they learn how to walk. “I believe you can start to nurture children’s football skills when they are one or two,” Byer explained at the Soccerex Football Convention. “Kids should not learn to kick the ball first, they should learn how to roll and manipulate it.” Byer’s methods are the result of a 25-year coaching career and he…