The Mackem behind Newcastle United’s current success.
Posted on October 20th, 2011 | 86 Comments |
However, one of the things which has been very noticable are the great fitness levels and work rate put in by the lads throughput the games, and a significant part of this may be due to a student from Northumbria University and his PhD research project, which has been part funded by Newcastle United.
Sunderland born Black Cat’s supporter, Richard Akenhead, is a PhD student at Northumbria University who has been using the latest technology including “GPS” (Global Positioning System) and miniture accelerometers to help build Steve Austin like superhuman football machines who can run faster and longer. The fruits of this work now seem to be showing, with both Newcastle’s midfield and defence currently being ranked as the most hard working in the Premiership in terms of distance covered during matches. Newcastle United midfielder, Yohan Cabaye was recently named as the most hard working player in the Premiership after covering a distance of 83.5km over our first seven games, or 128.9 metres per minute. Since the Tottenham game that figure is now 95.1 km according to the Premier League Index.
The Mackem genius said of the project on the Northumbria University website:
“Through GPS we can monitor the speed players are travelling, as well as the distance and direction they travel, how often they sprint and the density of high speed running to recovery.
“We’ll be investigating the type and duration of exercise during both training and games and the consequences that has for subsequent performance capacity.’
In other words, it gives the manager a more complete picture of what a player is capable of thorugh examining their performance, levels of fatigue and physiological reactions such as heart rate variabilty, which are measured in a 15 minute, battery of tests which are carried out before training sessions, During training sessions and games the players are monitored by a series of cameras using the aforemetioned GPS in a system which is more extensive than those used by other clubs, even large ones.
Going back to Akenhead himself, he also said of his resarch project:
“I’ve always wanted to carry out research that has a strong, practical focus.
“This research will have real world-wide application in elite sport in producing results and knowledge that will inform athletes and coaches as to the optimum interaction between training load and recovery, therefore preventing over-training as well as the decreased performance and increased risk of injury associated with it.’
Though the system was introduced slightly before his arrival in 2010, current manager, Alan Pardew, who is known to be a great fan of statistics and such, seems to have embraced the new technology with open arms. In a recent interview, Newcastle United defender, Steven Taylor spoke of current training sessions under the Silver Supremo:
“The manager is great, the sessions have been brilliant and he’s meticulous,”
“He likes his computer stuff, his projectors. We’ve got the heart rate monitors now, players do the body tests every day and he always looks at how much running a player is doing.”
“I remember one session we did I didn’t think we had done enough, but he said ‘Right, that’s enough’ and there was a guy on the sideline with an iPhone showing us how far we’d run. It’s modern technology – if it gives you an advantage you use it.”
“There’s no place to hide, though. You know about it if you’re not doing enough. I’m running on the spot afterwards to make sure my statistics are up there!”
“Everything is spot on. We do a lot of preparation work – everything is right.”
Which is great. However the bad news, as Akenhead suggests above, is that eventually this technology will be available to all elite clubs, and Sunderland.
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Always impressed by your articles. So, Cabaye is the hardest working player in the PL? That’s why he’s always available for a pass.