Graham Cummins: Tricks of the mid-season break - give your GPS to a pal

It is a bit hypocritical of me to be scrutinising the players when I was the exact same, although I did change my ways towards the latter stages of my playing career...
Graham Cummins: Tricks of the mid-season break - give your GPS to a pal

Snapshot of Cummins during Cork City FC days. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

The mid-season break does not help the image of the League of Ireland as a professional league. I understand that it is meant to be a time for players to reenergise, to ensure they are fresher for the rest of the campaign, and maintain high standards. But I fear the opposite could be the case. 

The break is also supposed to help teams with upcoming European ventures, so that players are ready for the challenge of representing the league in Europe’s elite competitions. But again, I feel the break actually hinders teams' chances of excelling in Europe.

Judging by players' social media accounts, the break isn't being used for recovery after a tough season to date. If anything, players are acting like they are in the off-season, indulging in food and drink not in keeping with what you expect of a professional footballer midway through a campaign. 

It is a bit hypocritical of me to be scrutinising the players when I was the exact same, although I did change my ways towards the latter stages of my playing career. 

Years ago, the mid-season break would be used as an opportunity for players to go on holiday for a week and not worry about the repercussions of an unhealthy diet for seven days. Of course, football has moved on. Programmes are given to players who are more mindful of their diet, but not to the extent that they should be.

To me, seeing players abroad acting like there are weeks before the next competitive match undermines the league. 

Yes, other leagues in Europe shut down for a period of time. But at most, those players are given two or three days off before returning to their clubs. The only trips abroad are for training camps. 

I have on those camps during my time in the UK. They aren’t as demanding on the body as a normal week of training but are beneficial in terms of keeping players fit and you're certainly not allowed eat and drink what you want and stay out until the early hours.

Players return from the mid-season break in worse condition than they left, meaning managers must waste time running players instead of focusing on tactical work. 

Of course this doesn’t apply to every player.  Some remained at home and used the break for what it is intended - rest and recovery.

But I imagine this period presents one of the biggest challenges for a manager. How to keep players fit without upsetting them. In an ideal world, they would have the finances to replicate the warm training camps popular around Europe. Perhaps one or two clubs in this country would have the luxury but that's about all. 

One of the big dilemmas a manager faces is how much time to give players off. Give too much and he might waste several sessions trying to get them fit again. Give too little and he risks upsetting morale in the club. 

In the past, anything less than a week was insufficient but that was when most clubs were part-time.

It’s difficult for a manager because players do act impulsively. One disagreement over an issue like time off can create a divide between players and the manager. 

The general rule of thumb seems to be; have five days off but with certain conditions. That might include players taking away heartrate monitors or GPS devices, for evidence of runs during their days off.

But there are ways around this for players. They can easily give the devices to a friend who can do the run for them, while they enjoy a trip abroad - a trick I have seen some former teammates pull off.

Conditions are imposed: that players return at a certain weight or body fat, otherwise they will be fined. Players will usually get measurements done before the break and be given a little leniency on what is expected when they return. 

But even if a player does exceed his cut-off point, it’s rare a manager will carry through his threat of fines, for fear of causing unrest in the dressing room.  Players don’t earn thousands like they do in some leagues and being fined a week's wages can have a drastic affect on their ability to pay bills in their private life. For that reason, extra training sessions are the preferred punishment. 

Is it all more hassle than it is worth? Sure, everyone needs a rest every now and again, but the mid-season break might just do more harm than good.

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