Is our fitness in doubt?

[billbee]

Like us all im a suffering fan and it really appears to me our fitness level is not as good as it should be, i remember Dougie Jamison a great team trainer when Tony M was here, and the John Collins era when he pushed the players to their best match potential. Were stuck with what we got at the moment, it wont make half decent players superstars, but hey its about competing as a professional, surely we could do better in this department, D United on Sunday were miles ahead of us, goin to take a closer look at some of our players on Sunday! Mon Hibs a bit more pushing !! Only my Opinion of course !!

[PeterboroHibee]

I think its difficult to tell from that game. Uniteds use of the ball and their movement is top class, our players just couldnt keep up with it. Not sure if thats down to fitness, if a teams passing the ball about well then the players just have to try and chase it, and that does end up tiring players.

The style of play we were going with also seemed to have an impact, where whenever we got the ball, it was fired long over the top to noone, and they all looked so deflated from it (Im sure I heard Clancy moaning at the bench about them playing it long, whereas he wanted it played out to the defence). We made it more difficult for ourselves by playing in a way that United had no problem dealing with.

[HH81]

I think what is in doubt is do they have the ability to play at a higher pace. Guy at work (bearing in mind he is a Leyton Orient fan) said to me Monday he couldn't believe how much slower pace they played at.

Not sure if this is down to fitness or the fact that some of them are just crap footballers.

[ahibby]

I think our mental fitness is in doubt. It will be interesting to see how the cope with such a humbling as they got on Sunday coupled with the Cup Final, considering that many of them were involved in both those last two competitive matches. Teams get in to a habit of losing and the mental side of things are just as important. It could be that the Hibs approach to training, like many other teams, shows dividends the further in to the season they go. Dundee Utd, because of their European competition might have a different approach. Or maybe they just have much better players and tactics.

[J-C]

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I think what is in doubt is do they have the ability to play at a higher pace. Guy at work (bearing in mind he is a Leyton Orient fan) said to me Monday he couldn't believe how much slower pace they played at.

Not sure if this is down to fitness or the fact that some of them are just crap footballers.

Pretty much spot on, I believe many of these players are genuinely 1st division players at best and have been showing that this past couple of seasons. When up against a better quality team they are shown up for what they are, very very average division one players, we need investment in quality players but RP seems incapable of doing this.

[sahib]

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I think its difficult to tell from that game. Uniteds use of the ball and their movement is top class, our players just couldnt keep up with it. Not sure if thats down to fitness, if a teams passing the ball about well then the players just have to try and chase it, and that does end up tiring players.

The style of play we were going with also seemed to have an impact, where whenever we got the ball, it was fired long over the top to noone, and they all looked so deflated from it (Im sure I heard Clancy moaning at the bench about them playing it long, whereas he wanted it played out to the defence). We made it more difficult for ourselves by playing in a way that United had no problem dealing with.

I think that is a good reply to the op, which was also a very valid question to ask. My suspicions are that we are not that fit but I don't think it was a major contributing factor to what we have witnessed.

[matty_f]

I think we are fit but as someone pointed out it's the mental fitness/toughness that's lacking from some players imho.

[blackpoolhibs]

Fitness is always pointed at when we are losing, when in reality every new team we build with each new manager cant surely all be unfit?

I have said this before, we have too many players who cant control a ball, cant pick a pass and are inferior to most teams we play. Its obvious when you have these players, that they wont have as much of the ball and have to chase after it a lot more than the opposition does.

Thats why they look unfit.

[marinello59]

I didn't see anything wrong with their physical condition. They certainly weren't match fit though.