The Late Fitness Test podcast | Episode Six

On this weeks’ Late Fitness Test podcast – in association with Shoot the Defence – myself, Johnny Wilson (@johnny_wilson5) and Stel Stylianou (@UncleStel) were joined by former Head of Sports Science at Bury FC – Matt Wood – to discuss the tragic demise of this small northern club.

“100 per cent, I thought right up until the end that we were going to be saved by someone.”

Heart-wrenching stuff from Matt who tells us what it was like during those final weeks and days. He talks us through his time as a volunteer and how he finished as an unpaid head of department. A club left in turmoil, but for Matt, he will always be grateful for the opportunity handed to him by Bury.

Aymeric Laporte

Johnny outlines the task-based rehabilitation programme the Frenchman will undertake as he targets a return-to-play in early 2020.

“This guy is going to have to learn to walk again, and the knee is going to have to learn to function with part of its shock absorber gone.”

The International Break

Is the social media circus justified given the high number of players who will withdraw from their respective national teams, but return when the domestic fixtures resume?
The Fergie fingerprint. Do big clubs influence high-profile player omissions? We look at Aaron Wan-Bissaka/Paul Pogba and the FIFA guidelines around releasing players for games.

Ben Foster

Dietary habits and the ‘Four Pillars of Performance’….

Mindset – positive outlook, practice with intensity
Type of Exercise – training with precision, periodisation
Sleep – more, and better!
And diet…… *spoiler* Johnny loses us for a bit when he touches upon metabolic flexibility.

And, finally, Stel is full of praise for Watford head coach Javi Gracia, just two days before his sacking!