Phil Hay makes significant Leeds re-start claim as club ‘confident’ of ‘2-3 week’ timescale
Phil Hay has said that when the Championship season re-starts, Leeds United will be the fittest squad in the league.
He also said that the club was confident that it would only take the players a “couple of weeks… two-to-three weeks” to get back up to full match fitness.
All football in the UK is suspended until further notice and the main challenge for clubs is now going to be keeping their squads fit, with players training at home.
Hay claims that the Leeds players aren’t getting any rest and are on a similar schedule to their normal, tough regime.
Talking on the latest episode of the Phil Hay show, the Athletic journalist said, “To their mind [Leeds players], the schedule they’re on at the moment is as tough as it would be at Thorp Arch, minus the murderball sessions and the other things that require a ball.
“And at the moment everyone is very much involved in waiting for the green light.”
Asked how long it would take to get the players back to full match fitness and ready to play, Hay said: “They’re quite confident as it stands that it would take a couple of weeks, two-to-three weeks.
“It will be difficult to pick up the momentum they had, but they’ve had a very strict nutritional plan for two years under Bielsa and a very strict physical plan under him.
“All the players were fitter and leaner than they were before. If there’s one squad that will be in good shape when we resume it will be Leeds.”
Bielsa’s system demands his players to be super-fit and that’s likely to stand Leeds in good stead when the players return.
They’re still weighing themselves every morning and sending photos in to be analysed by Bielsa and his backroom staff.
The motivation is there for the players too. They know they’re on the brink of something truly great and that will spur them on.
Other sides in the Championship just aren’t going to have that motivation.
When the season was suspended, Leeds were on an incredible run of five wins without conceding a goal.
As Hay said, it might be hard to reach that level again, but we don’t think Leeds will need to.
As long as they’re fitter than their opponents, they’ll be ready to kick off where they left off and fire Leeds back to the top flight.
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