Atop a cliff in searing hot Tuscany, Jim Jefferies is in observation mode. “C’mon, five seconds left,” yells his assistant, Billy Brown, as a batch of Hearts players near the end of a 200-metre sprint.
“Different class,” says coach Gary Locke as the same bunch collapse in a heap just beyond the finishing line. Jefferies chips in with an occasional contribution, but his priority is overseeing.
Clearly, he wants to assess every one of the 26-man squad brought to this most picturesque region of Italy. People like Ryan Stevenson and Paul Mulrooney, both seen galloping clear at the front of their respective running groups, can’t have failed to impress. The new SPL season is but one month away and the manager is determined Hearts will be prepared thoroughly. Yesterday’s rigorous session followed a morning of hilltop running the previous day and exemplifies the endurance work which is a recurring theme of this pre-season training camp.
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Hearts, at times, were accused of being insufficiently fit last season. Conceding regular late goals in the campaign’s early weeks seemed to lend weight to such a theory. It will not be levelled at them this year. From captain candidate Marius Zaliukas to 16-year-old Jason Holt, fundamental stamina will be a prerequisite for donning that maroon jersey.
For the ninth successive year, Jefferies has taken his team to the lavish Il Ciocco complex near the quaint town of Barga. It suits his needs perfectly. The hotel is one mile up a hillside, its accompanying training pitch another kilometre further up. There are no distractions. In fact, there isn’t much of anything except rolling Italian mountains.
Click on the link below to hear the Mayor of Barga Marco Bonini welcoming the team to the Palazzo Pancrazi in Barga Vecchia this morning
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“We sit down at night and plan what we’re going to do the next day together,” he explained. “Gary and Billy get more involved on the training ground because, as you learn through the years as a manager, you miss things if you’re right involved. So when Billy’s involved I observe, and vice versa. Then you stop the session and talk about it when the players go for a drink. You can say you’re not happy with this or someone must do that.
“Lockie is a young coach and this is what he wants to do. You only get experience by taking warm-ups and stuff like that. It’s good for the boys to hear a different voice as well. I’ve been here eight times and you try to change things here and there. You know the fundamentals are going to stay the same. This is a new group we’ve brought here and they’re a wee bit apprehensive going into training because they don’t know what to expect. I don’t think we’ve disappointed them.”
Gripes have been few and far between so far, a good sign from a managerial perspective.
When Jefferies does take control, it is to orchestrate a session of press-ups, sit-ups and stomach crunches at the end of training. “Raise….lower,” he barks to ensure players stay in tandem. “Don’t beat the count or I’ll keep ye here all day.” They daren’t disobey. “This trip gives us a chance to foster a bit of spirit,” said Jefferies. “I’m not saying there wasn’t any spirit before but one of the things you do when you’re away is you get everybody together as a group. They train together, pulling each other along in groups. We mix the groups up and it’s just about everybody pulling together.
“The fitness is a major part of it but the response from the players has been great. They’re a hard-working group, I’ll give them that. We haven’t had any moans and they’ve all given their best. That’s all you can ask. They’ve got on with whatever’s been asked. Some players thought Tuesday was harder than Wednesday, but the majority thought Wednesday was harder because of the running.”
The climate is ideal for an afternoon by the Il Ciocco pool, however, temperatures of 35 degrees help little when it comes to gruelling pre-season sprints. “I’ve seen it hotter than this,” said Jefferies. “You get some really hot days and that’s one of the reasons I come here. When you’re up in the mountains, high above sea level, the air is a bit thinner.
“We train at 10am and by 11am it’s roasting. That’s one of the reasons you can’t train in the afternoon because it’s just too hot. You have to be sensible about it.
“We do our bit in the morning, come back and relax a bit. We don’t make the players sit out in the heat, we make them go to bed. Once they’re finished lunch they have the option of going down to the pool for one hour maximum. If you sat in the heat all day you wouldn’t be able to train in it at night. I’ve never had to chase people to bed.
“They’re adults and they know why they’re here, they know they need the rest as well as the training. In that regard, they’ve been great. Some of them don’t even come anywhere near the pool, they just go straight to bed and make sure they’re ready for the evening session.
“There is better chance of getting some air at the night session. The conditions are good at that time. That’s why this is perfect. We’re only here to eat, train and sleep. Pre- season is a tough programme but you don’t win anything in pre-season. What you get is people competing for a place on the opening day.”
Thoughts of a starting XI against St Johnstone on 14 August are firmly ensconced at the back of Jefferies’ mind for now. Before then, he has matches against Dunfermline, Gillingham, Millwall, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers in which to ascertain who is ready to enter battle. “My main aim here is that we become as fit as possible. I haven’t thought anything about the team,” he said. “We’ll have a week at home when we can sharpen everything up.
The players have had ballwork here but from Monday that will be stepped up.
“We’ll have small-sided games and functions and get everybody buzzing. Towards the end of next week, based on what I see in training, I’ll start thinking about the team.
“My plan for the Dunfermline game is to take a big squad and make a lot of changes to give everyone the build-up to the season. I’ve got to think about those who miss the start of the season (Ryan Stevenson and Eggert Jonsson are suspended for Hearts first two SPL fixtures, Ismael Bouzid misses the opening day only]. They still need practice games. The players who are suspended at the start of the season might play against Gillingham and keep the boys who are available for the Millwall game. Then I’ve got two tough matches at Tynecastle to hone the team.
“I’m really looking forward to playing Blackburn Rovers. They keep the ball very well, that’s why they’re playing at the top level. That will be an invaluable test because we’ll have to really work to get the ball back.”
Article by Barry Anderson – source