UNDER PRESSURE, YOU DON'T RISE TO THE OCCASION, YOU SINK TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR TRAINING

‘UNDER PRESSURE, YOU DON’T RISE TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR TRAINING, YOU

SINK TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR TRAINING’

The above quote is often attributed to branches of the Special Forces, and particularly the US Navy Seals.

In broad terms if your training is designed and exceeds the pressure that

you may incur in various events then when they do occur, you are well prepared to deal with them with a successful conclusion reached.

A team that is physically prepared can not only cope with the physical demands of the game but foster mental resilience to combat being under pressure which will inevitably happen within top level football. In fact, some of the best teams and individuals in sport welcome the challenge of pressure by using the phrase ‘pressure is a privilege’.

Last season saw Rangers appear to be physically and mentally deficient in matches, in

particular the latter stages of the season when a genuine opportunity was in sight to win the SPL right up until the split fixtures.

Well, what happened?

The foundation of fitness is fostered during pre-season, and time enables this to be a key focus aligned to skills work and unit/team play as the season approaches. Once the season starts fitness work is still carried out, but with the regularity of games this is maintenance and is carried out alongside rest, recuperation and recovery strategies.

Russell Martin’s style of play was to have a high level of possession; this was reflected in the first old firm derby at Ibrox which ended goalless, in which Rangers had 59% of possession.

Conversely Danny Rohl’s pragmatic pressing approach was designed to be comfortable

without possession. An example was in the win over Motherwell in December, Rangers only had 37% of possession. Whilst these could be extreme examples in general terms Martin’s teams had up to 10% more possession than Rohl’s within games therefore testing the players fitness/energy very differently.

Whilst aerobically (jogging, walking and vital recovery) there would little or no difference between the players under both managers, anaerobically (explosive match deciding actions such as sprinting and tackling in Rohl’s high intensity pressing system) there is a magnitude of difference. The different demands on the players between contrasting styles would have played a significant part in why Rangers flagged later in games, as the preseason foundation of fitness would not have prepared the players for the more intense anaerobic demands.

This would have been like putting diesel into a Ferrari Dino sports car, the engine would after a short time splutter, lose power and misfire. When fatigue sets in not only do physical attributes drop, but mental decision making is also prone to miscalculations. Using another car analogy, this is why drivers are encouraged to take a break after a long stint of driving.

The good news for Rangers fans is that Derek McInnes has over 800 games experience and knows very well the physical demands that challenge players within the SPL against his style of play and additional European games, he will no doubt relay this to the sports science and conditioning staff to design an appropriate preseason programme. There is evidence on

Rangers released socials, that the players are working very hard this preseason. Tuur

Rommens is a case in point in which already he looks ‘lean and mean’ having had the initial benefits of preseason in comparison to last season. Within the preseason camp in Spain, the players after the Kaizer Chiefs were subjected to additional training and Ben Godfrey carried out additional gym work on another occasion. It is no surprise that the players looked fatigued in the second half of the second game against JDT.

There is clear evidence that the work is designed to enable the players to carry out the

mantra ‘under pressure, you don’t rise to the level of your training, you sink to the level of your training’ this forthcoming season.

When winter is upon us and the season is well under way both domestically and within

Europe, it will be all the hard work under the blistering sun in Spain and Auchenhowie in July and August that forge the foundation to the squad’s ability to cope physically and therefore mentally to the challenges ahead. Unlike last season this hard work along with the new signings, and their leadership profiles, must surely ensure that Rangers will compete for 90 minutes plus in all games and therefore lead to greater success in season 2026-2027?

Marcus

HATW 1872.