With just eight months to go until this summer’s European Championships, the England Blind squad have stepped up their preparations at their first training camp of 2015.
Head coach Jonathan Pugh, who was recognised as Disability Coach of the Year at this year’s FA Coaching Awards, welcomed his players back to St. George’s Park this week after the Christmas break and quickly set the focus on August’s tournament.
"It is our first camp after the break and we have brought a new philosophy in," he said.
"We have changed our tactics, our formations and have given everyone a real clear indication of how we want to play and what we want to do.
England captain, Keryn Seal, in action during the Blind Squad's first training camp of 2015
"So we had a really good two-hour classroom session reiterating those key points, and now it is about touching on them over and over again and reinforcing them with the plays so that the players have a keen understanding of what we are going to do when in the Euros."
Having not trained together since before Christmas, and with the players having had to take responsibility for their own fitness levels and development, the Blind Squad’s preparation faced numerous challenges through the festive period.
England vice captain, Dan English, with the ball at his feet during training
But Pugh revealed that the players had returned in good shape and, as a result, the team is where he wants them to be at this stage of their preparation and are now ready to push on with his new strategy.
"They have come back in and I am really impressed with their fitness levels and so preparations are going really well," he added.
"We are where we want to be at this time, eight months before the European Championships. We have a lot of work to do but we are on our way."
England head coach, Jon Pugh, working with his players at St. George's Park
As well as their positive fitness levels, Pugh revealed that spirits have been high in the camp having come into the New Year on the back of ten games unbeaten.
"We have got a real close-knit squad and they bounce off each other," he said.
"We have high levels of confidence and that will be shown when we do get to play, but as a camp mentality we are a close-knit group and are confident going forwards.”
The IBSA Blind Football European Championships 2015 will be held at thePoint4 at the Royal National College for the Blind from 22-29 August 2015.
For more details visit http://www.rnc.ac.uk/blindeuros/
