Fuente : Everton FC
http://www.evertonfc.com/

EVERTON: BLUES FIGHTING FIT

/noticias.info/ Everton's fitness work has been focused in the last week towards ensuring the players are sharp enough to deal with Villarreal's continental pass-and move style.

Fitness coach Dave Billows has been working along with fellow coach Stefano Marrone to ensure the fitness sessions on the training ground have been specifically aimed at making the players sharper.

Billows told evertonfc.com: "From a physical point of view we have built up a really good fitness base of strength and power.

"All we are working on now is speed and agility to get the lads sharp, which they will need to be against a side as technically good as Villarreal.

"As we saw against Fenerbahce last week, they were moving it around quickly and their boys were sharp. They were a week or two ahead of us, which showed in the game.

"We weren't as sharp but we hadn't done much work on sharpness, which is what we have been doing since.

"Right up to the Villarreal game and beyond that we will be working on sharp movements of the ball, speed and agility.

"Hopefully that will help give them what they need because they are playing a team that is going to be passing and moving the ball a lot and so the lads have got to be quick to deal with them.

"We change the sessions as often as we can to keep them interesting but we break the sessions down into component parts of what we think the players need.

"We look at the kind of game we think it is going to be and the movements needed in that kind of game and try to mimic that on the training field. We set up drills which use the muscles in the right way so when they get in the real situation it is comfortable for them and easy to deal with."

When Villarreal take to the field for their warm-up ahead of the Champions League third round qualifier at Goodison Billows will be paying attention to the routines the Spanish players are put through.

He continues: "There is stuff to be learned from everywhere. Whenever we play teams I watch how the other side warms up.

"I also like to look how things are done in other sports. The United States is good for that because they are very forward thinking and inovative.

"I like to look at basketball and American Football for ideas because there are always things from those different sports which can be utilised by us in our football training."

Billows' Sports Science unit has proved a hit since David Moyes drafted in the former Academy coach to the senior side in the summer of 2004. notas_de_prensa_archivo