#7 Navigating the Off-Season

[homercrates]

CPT 6

Trick Johnson wakes up in the off season ready.  Absurdly a night owl, as well as an early bird, Trick wakes up optimistically enthusiastic and happy in the morning.  It annoys everybody around him, particularly his family.  A banana smoothie, and a big bowl of Trix cereal silly rabbit trix are for kid.  Potassium for the cramps, and a little MAGIC rainbow in the Trix.  Trick is ready for training.  Iced coffee on the way to the training field, natural energy up Trick Johnson runs through his off season patterns.

Corner drills first.  Simple, look for Hohehahn’s head if you can’t locate that, then check down to a corner of the box pass and be ready to possibly cross the ball from there.  Run this pattern 25 times from both corners of the field.  In swings or out swings, whatever you anticipate. Trick being ambipedal allows him to choose which foot at any which time. Three concentrations recently Trick Johnson has concentrated on that had helped propel him into a career high last season during the Dragon’s title run.  Corners, anticipation, and dribbling.  These three things are what Trick will continue to really hone in on during the off season.

Corners done, Trick will keep up the pace by hitting mindless pacer drills to keep the fitness up and then to the video.  Video break down helps Trick take a rest after the high intensity pacers to work on his anticipation.  Breaking down movement and reading the game from video lets Trick keep up on the game time split decisions in anticipation.  Watching the game flow and pointing out what works and what doesn't work.  What tricks to pull when, who should be flowing when.

Pacers again, and then working on dribbling.  Dribbling the point where your feet can perform slight of “hand” tricks.  Tight control, change of direction, misdirection, head fakes, hip twists everything a magician needs to make the ball disappear or perhaps the defender disappear.  Dribbling and complete control of the ball at your feet like a coin in your hand is where Trick Johnson’s artistry flourishes.
Bananas, Trix, Coffee, Anticipation, Dribbling, and corner crossing is Trick Johnson’s offseason delight.

Approved 

[Ghost]

Career PT6 – International Superstar
Word Count: 922

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Greetings! Or as they say in some parts of Wales, “Alright butt?”. At least that’s what my client tells me anyway.

Yes, it is I once again, former beat writer turned footballing agent for James Asprey. I wonder at what point I stop introducing myself by my former job title…

Anyway! Today I felt like making a brief return to writing on the back of what has to be one of the strangest SSL off-seasons I have followed. This past S24 season, James Asprey with Rapid Magyar achieved promotion from the lowly depths of Division 2 of the Minors League (yes, we’re still in the Minors). Usually that would be a cause for celebration, but Asprey throughout the season had frequently complained to me about his own performances. This wasn’t that unusual, he is after all a perfectionist. His previous team of the season achievements came on the back of seasons that he repeatedly expressed unhappiness with his individual performances, so his complaints this season were no surprise. The real surprise came when we met up to discuss his off season plans following the conclusion of S24.

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“I’m not going to be available this off-season,” Asprey delivered bluntly, his face offering nothing in the way of expression. “None of that commercial stuff I loathe, no phone calls, nothing.”

“Taking a well deserved break to reset in preparation for next season?” I enquired, assuming he’d be jetting off to Jamaica to visit his beloved Port Royal and rum distillery per usual. His stony expression had not shifted the slightest.

“No,” he replied flatly, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as if preparing to deliver terrible news. I could tell he was worried, which in turn made me worried. Maybe he’s firing me? “I have booked several different training classes to help me improve my game. No holiday this season.”

I was relieved but confused at the same time. Why the worried look on his face? Did he think I was going to disapprove?

“James this is great news, I don’t understand why you look so worried. If you don’t think you need a break before the new season and don’t burn yourself out, then improving your game can only be a good thing, right?”

As I replied he slowly retreated back in his chair, almost as if bracing himself before delivering the aforementioned bad news I had been expecting.

“You’re not going to like the classes.”

Now I was curious, and with it that worry I felt earlier started creeping back in. I stayed quiet, offering Asprey the chance to share more detail willingly. He shifted in his seat awkwardly, cleared his throat and took another deep breath as he braced himself to deliver the news.

“The first is a team management course that should help me be more vocal and commanding in my box. Perhaps even throughout the team or in the locker room. I’m going to be surrounded by younger players all the time stuck in the Minors, so it makes sense that I might be the one they look up to?”

This… sounded perfectly fine to me. Great, even. What part of that was I not supposed to like?

“The next class is an… Imagination Expansion course… which is designed to help you think outside of the box more. I think it will help me be a bit more creative and not explicitly black and white in what I do inside the box. Less predictable, more… eccentric you could say.”

I wasn’t aware until Asprey grimaced that my slowly raising eyebrows belied my true feelings of concern and confusion. Awkwardly I nodded, raised eyebrows and all, in a universal gesture of ‘that’s interesting’.

“Okay…” I replied, trailing off to allow him the opportunity to continue.

“And the last class I’ll be taking will be at home in Wales. ‘Technical Brilliance’, which will help me be more comfortable with the ball at my feet.” Asprey sat back in his chair looking relieved to have gotten this news off his chest.

I considered the news for a few moments. Overall it sounded positive, though there were some question marks over the ‘Imagination’ class. Working on his leadership, what I understand to be creativity, and his technical ability all sound perfectly reasonable.

“I’m not sure what about these classes you thought I wouldn’t like. I think it’s great you’re trying to improve yourself outside of usual training days. Good on you.”

Asprey looked both delighted and relieved.

“Oh, that’s great! I was worried you would think I have lost the plot. I’ll send you the details of the courses so you can get in touch with me if needed in an emergency, but otherwise I will be out of reach.”

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We concluded that meeting as we would any other – confirming plans for the rest of the week, taking note of anything Asprey needed me to do for him before wishing him luck with the courses and going our separate ways. It wasn’t until I got back home and checked my laptop that I realised exactly why Asprey was worried about telling me about his off-season plans. There it was. An email from Asprey with all of the details for these courses… AND who he’d be training with.

It beggared belief.

‘Team Management and how Succeed: A class hosted by Paul Jewell of footballing fame, with guest speaker Igor Tudor’.

‘Imagination Expansion with your favourite eccentric ‘keeper, René Higuita’.

And oh dear God,

‘Technical Brilliance: Improve your footballing technique with Vinnie Jones’.

…

@#$£.

Approved 

[TontoTut]

CPT #6 - https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showt...290&page=7

A shameful end to season 24 resulted in relegation for my Tenochtitlan brethren and sistren, and now nobody is calling us the 'Techno Clan' since there is little to be raving about. I am now on the warpath to ensure we bounce straight back up into Division 1, envisioning every opponent player as if they are Marcel Voda primed for a few chops of the legs. I will only ever see Voda in season 25 if we meet Shanghai in the cup, since they didn't get relegated last season. Whether I see him or not matters little, I have been training my shins to swing recklessly like helicopter blades.

To this end, every day I have been watching the 1989 film, Kickboxer, starring Jean-Claude Van Damm. There is a particular scene near the beginning of the film, where Van Damm's goes to get some ice as for his brother who is preparing for a Thai boxing fight. On his way, Van Damm hears a repeated echoing boom along the corridor. He slowly walks up to the door where the sound is coming from and sees his brother's opponent, Tong Po, kicking the concrete pillar in his dressing room. You might cringe at seeing this, thinking a cool Hollywood shot has trumped a fighter risking injury pre-fight. Well, it is actually realistic. Thai boxers kick hard surfaces on purpose to damage the nerves in the skin over the shin bone, which means kicking an opponent becomes painless. It hurts to begin with, until the nerves die, at which point it's up to your shin bone to avoid being snapped.

Inspired by Kickboxer, in pre-season training I have been kicking pillars, tractor tyres, wasp nests, bamboo trees (which Van Damm eventually does in the film), and goal posts. Nobody is safe out there against Tenochtitlan in season 25, and I felt it wasn't fair to train with any teammates since I fear for their well being. In each game going forward, Tenochtitlan will either be earning 3 points or finish with the least players on the pitch as I earn more cards than completed passes.

Approved 

[Darthus]

Career PT#6

S23 was another largely successful campaign for Shingo Takechi, he helped guide the Shanghai Dragons to 4th place in the league, a massive improvement over the 9th place they got in S22, which ensured that the Dragons would play in Majors Division 1 when the league splits in S24, and he helped Asia to a quarter-final finish at WSFC.

All things considered, Takechi should've been pretty proud of what he accomplished that season. However, he is wary of the fact that despite all the individual awards he has gotten, he has yet to win anything with his team. The Shanghai Dragons in the 4 years of existence, have yet to win anything, neither the league, nor the cup, something which stung harder now that their biggest rivals, CD Tenochtitlan, have won the 23 SSL Cup. Thus, during the offseason, he buckled down and went on an intensive training camp with certain members of his team, with the aim of winning the S24 Division 1 Majors title.

There we're two aspects of his game that he specifically looked to improve in the offseason. Firstly, he trained with Thomas Hohenhahn and Marcel Voda to improve his command of area, hoping to take control of more balls that enter his box in the future. Then, as veteran Vito Habjanic was being moved down to the minors for S24, Shanghai was left without a dedicated penalty taker, a spot that Takechi was hoping to fill himself. Thus, he trained his spot-kicking ability with Hohenhahn filling in on goal for him, as his large frame made him an intimidating presence in goal, even if his agility was somewhat lacking.

With that, Takechi looked forwards toward S24, optimistic that this next season would be Shanghai's best yet, and that they might even contend for the league title.

Approved 

[anuragb]

Career PT #7 – Navigating the Off-Season
(Link to CPT #6: https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showt...#pid100633)

After completing another demanding season in his SSL Career, Andres Pedrillo approached the offseason with a clear objective: to refine the details of the game that allow him to have a greater impact in both defensive and attacking phases. He has great technical and mental attributes, but to take the next step in his career, he needs to improve his physical presence, movement, and agility to contribute effectively in advanced areas of the pitch.

During the offseason, Andres returned to his hometown and trained at a high-level performance facility alongside a group of experienced midfielders. These sessions were designed to simulate high-pressure scenarios, focusing on quick decisions, transitional plays, and positional awareness. Training in this environment allowed him to challenge himself against players of different styles and quickly adapt and refine his approach.

A key area of focus was the off-the-ball movement. Through tactical drills and small-sided games, Andres worked on recognizing empty spaces earlier, improving his timing of runs into the box, and positioning himself in the right spots between defensive lines. This was especially important considering his role as a deep playmaker with Liffeyside.

Physically, Andres incorporated strength and conditioning work to better handle the demands of midfield battles. Resistance training and balanced-focused exercises to help him better maintain control under pressure, and sprint-based training to improve acceleration. In the end, these improved at enhancing his ability to recover in the defensive phase of the game and to join the attack whenever needed.

In addition, Andres sat down with trainers and coaches to review match footage to understand areas of improvement in his game, whether in the defensive side, tracking players or in the attacking side, the correct timing of attacking the box.

By the end of the offseason, Andres felt more complete as a midfielder. With improved movement, physical strength, and sharper decision-making, he entered the season with a better mindset and a hunger to help Liffeyside go from just a team in the league to a top contender across both the league and the cup!

[OblivionWalker]

Career Task 6

When it comes to his training, Takeda takes it seriously and doesn't like to take a lot of time off during the off-season. Every little bit of improvement will help him to achieve his goals and with Liffyside having been relegated last season, he really wants to ensure that his time is well spent on the pitch and he's doing his part to help the team get back to the major league.

With having gotten his speed up, Takeda has decided to focus on some of the more technical aspects of his game, like his first touch on the ball, his vision on the pitch to get the ball to where it needs to go as well as his overall technique. He's put in a lot of time just going back to basics, working dribbling drills over and over until his feet are automatic when it comes to where he wants the ball to be at his feet.

He's also spent a lot of time working with some of the other midfielders on the team, like Andres Pedrillo and Carolien Miedema to ensure that the passing between them is almost automatic, something none of them have to think about. Given that they're also hard workers such as himself, Takeda enjoys the chance to work with his teammates and see how much they can push each other and grow in their quest to return to the majors. Even Snor Lax, Takeda's teammate from Team Asia in the World Cup is more than happy to let Takeda take some shots or work on set pieces with the midfielders to make sure the team is ready to score when they're in front of the net.

There's always more work to be done and Takeda is well aware of that, but he feels like there's definitely been progression in his game and he also feels like Liffyside has definitely been the best team for him.

[CuriousShadow]

Career PT 6

After the promotion match to the first division, Bernardo Fry needed new direction.  His training with Chronopoulos brought him to this point.  However - Fry's goals are already set for this season.

1.  Top three in assists for the league.
2.  Top two finish for Cataluna.
3.  Top two in MVP awards for the team.

Hard goals, so distant.  Fry went on another quest during the off season to find the answers.  What skills are needed?  How can he make this dream come to pass?  Once again he visited the monk on the mountain top.  However, this time the monk was silent, refusing to disclose any truth or falsehoods.  Just as well, he was unhelpful last time too.  Returning home, without answers, Fry turned to Virtual Reality training.  In the 4D systems, all coaches, all players are available to help - an endless resource.

His weakness entering the season has been concentration into the late game, and a certain amount of wasted work rate in key situations.  He reviewed the games of Ronaldinho, but Fry was never fated to be that flamboyant.  Then, flipping through the possibilities he found Wayne Rooney.  From Wayne he learned mental toughness to stay focused late into the match, and worked harder than ever to increase his work rate.  The ancient tapes of Rooney's game saving tackle for DC United played on repeat in his mind.

And while he worked his way up, increasing Concentration, Work Rate, Finishing - it's not over.  The extra credit goal for this season was to be the leading Tackler on the team, and Rooney provided still more inspiration.  Tackling skill is next on the list.  Fry does not have the TPE at this point, but very soon he will be there.

Fry returned to Cataluna after the Virtual Reality sessions - stronger - more dedicated - and ready for the biggest season.