Austria game confirmed

[Arthur Bach]

Clearly the two trips have different aims (granted that is probably due to the new manager)

Malta looked great from the photos - fun, relaxing and a right laugh.

Which is precisely why it was a complete disaster of a plan.

I honestly think that was when the casual ambition of the chairman filtered through to the manager, to the players and finally the fans.

[scram]

They wont need to acclimatisation , they aint playing in those conditions all season.

The training will be tougher straight away because of the alltitude, and get them fitter quicker.

Wrong - the body does need to adapt - it needs to develop more red blood cells to carry the oxygen and it doesn't happen straight away - until then some people struggle with the reduced oxygen content and far from working harder - cannot work as hard.

The "get fitter quicker" scenario can't work if the body is working at a reduced level due to reduced oxygen levels - so time is needed to adapt to the conditions - it's a physiological fact

That's why altitude training (done properly and not the rumblewitted football way) usually occurs over weeks to get benefit from it - and regardless the haemoglobin levels return to normal soon after returning from altitude

[The Batman]

Wrong - the body does need to adapt - it needs to develop more red blood cells to carry the oxygen and it doesn't happen straight away - until then some people struggle with the reduced oxygen content and far from working harder - cannot work as hard.

The "get fitter quicker" scenario can't work if the body is working at a reduced level due to reduced oxygen levels - so time is needed to adapt to the conditions - it's a physiological fact

That's why altitude training (done properly and not the rumblewitted football way) usually occurs over weeks to get benefit from it - and regardless the haemoglobin levels return to normal soon after returning from altitude

Well unfortunatly we'll be doing it the rumblewitted football way, the same as many rumblewitted football clubs.

It's not an issue anyway, where's the problem?

Like I said before nit picking.

[gandiaowl]

OK so you don't really have any reasons why it is a bad idea then!!

Taking teams (sports teams, teams in any work) away from the normal circumstances (i.e. on tour for a sports team, or out of the office for another job) is tried and tested and successfull. Have you ever been on tour with a sports team? I have an it improved morale and got people to know each other much better. It had benefits for the whole season.

Your point about Scotland doesn't answer the point about altitude. Austria is a lot higher up than Scotland (12,000ft compared to 4,000ft)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_highest_point

4000 Ft..........only at the top of Ben Nevis!

England selected Austria to bring the squad together, away from local stuff and influences and remote enough to ensure the whole party trained, ate, slept and did everything together....I guess that AI has decided he can work the players as much as he needs, bring them closer together and perhaps.............just perhaps....there won't be any mobile signal in the area to distract the players from the task ahead