Season 2022/23 couldn’t have been much worse for Rangers, with fitness issues the heart of every perceived problem, a problem Michael Beale appears to be fixing.
Alfredo Morelos was suspended for his conditioning and key players looked a shadow of their former selves, a team that had once played extra-time more like injury time rather than another 30 minutes.
With Jack Ade, as head of performance, confirming that the intensity of Rangers training is being ramped up by Michael Beale once again, Heart and Hand’s David Edgar took to Twitter to react.
In response to a post from Rangers official Twitter page which has now, strangely, been deleted, Edgar said:
“This is good news. Team didn’t look as fit last season as we were used to.”
For fans, it is an easy observation to make.
A recent Rangers problem being addressed by Michael Beale
In victory, players’ fitness is never questioned, however, the heavy nature of some of the early season defeats under Giovanni van Bronckhorst saw the conditioning of the Rangers squad come under scrutiny.
Key members of staff like Jordan Milson and Dr Mark Waller had left the club and Gio preferred a more technical approach to training.
The only issue was that when players started dropping down with injuries, the squad became thinner and the pressure on those that were fit increased.
To perform at intense levels, training also has to be at the same level and David Edgar is right about fitness supremo Jack Ade’s comments
Added to the new players and upgrade in quality it is a good start.
On and off the pitch we were a shambles for much of last season but Rangers have turned the corner under Michael Beale.
From the top down, the club has been re-energised, hopefully, we see Ade’s impact where it matters most – on the pitch.
