WEEKLY PLANNER
Sunday
Team day out! Get together with the lads to create team spirit and improve understanding.
Monday
Hit the gym and focus on building fitness. Run hard for four minutes, then rest for one, and repeat four times.
Tuesday
Arrange team meeting to set targets for the season. Pinpoint exactly what we want to achieve. Clarity creates confidence!
Wednesday
Fitness work. Sprint from the goal-line to the edge of the penalty box and back, then to the halfway line and back. Finish with a sprint to the opposing byline and back. Recover for 30 seconds between reps.
Thursday
Ball work. Play 2 v 2 games in training to improve sharpness. After training, tell the lads to hit the cold tap in the shower for six to eight minutes to circulate blood and repair muscles quicker.
Friday
Sort the pre-match music. Find a track for the dressing room that raises the hairs on the back of the neck before kick-off. This will help energise the team!
Saturday
Work on easing tension. Practise inhaling deep, and upon exhaling speak a word that encapsulates mental focus. Use before kick-off tomorrow. Get to bed early!
Sunday
Eat a high-GI carb breakfast – cornflakes, skimmed milk, jam on white bread, Lucozade. Drink black coffee 60 minutes prior to kick-off.
Advice provided by Brentford’s Tom Bates (@TomBatesCoachng), elite physio Nick Worth, Pro Athlete Sports Nutrition director Jon Williams (@ProAthleteSupps) and mental skills coach Brad Busch (@Inner_Drive)
Recommended for you:
Wayne Rooney: Big match preparation
Theo Walcott: Big match preparation
Gary Neville: Become a master of mentality
'William Saliba isn't in the three best centre-backs in the league - I like him, but at the moment, Gabriel is performing better than him and I would love Saliba to get more goals': former Arsenal captain issues challenge to defender
Paul Pogba tipped for sensational Manchester United return this January
