Player pre-match travel arrangements

[WestKentRam]

Was interested to hear in PC's Sheff Wed post match interview that the team stayed in a hotel last night, blaming the different bed as a possibility for Scott Carson's back flaring up again after it had improved during the week.

I've always wondered which away games the players travel to on the day, and which ones they stay closer to the ground overnight. At just over an hour between Derby and Sheffield I wonder why they didn't travel up earlier in the day today, nice little pub lunch somewhere, then off to get changed for the game.

Does staying in a hotel unsettle the players and a possible reason for the slightly jaded performance today, or is it thought good for team bonding? Would they have preferred to have been with their families and more rested from this, extra curricular activities allowing? There must be some logic used for the maximum coach journey thought ok for the players on a match day.

[ValeRam]

I think this is a really valid point and mused on it myself

I concluded that the kick-off time was probably the reason for the overnight stay - get to the ground an hour and a half before kick off/meet at our ground half an hour before leaving/leave plenty of time for journey/ stop somewhere for light lunch etc etc. All gets a bit messy and a bit of an early start  if you travel up that day.

But you wonder if actually it does contribute to the players being off-it. And perhaps its a bad thing that there has been so long since our last game, when the opposition have had two tough games themselves in that time. All contributes to a kind of "over-preparation" when maybe the best preparation is playing competitive matches.

Admittedly,  the back five didn't look too jaded today and were excellent. But from experience of playing in the back four (albeit not at an especially  high level), it really is so much easier doing a negative job than a positive one. When the ball comes to you instead of you having to make the ball do something creative: when you don't need to sprint from box to box to make something happen.

[WestKentRam]

Yes you are right it would mean leaving around 9am and not ideal preparation. Darren Bent would never get up in time.

With all the analysis of matches the club must look at this sort of thing and what is best for the team. There are so many variables with away matches such as the crowd, different pitch etc, but adding in a hotel stay or travelling time must be factored in.

Reminds me of watching a programme on Team Sky preparing for Tour de France and they took their own bedding and mattresses to hotels so the cyclists didn't have the unpredictability of these to contend with. A bit different admittedly for a 3 week tour than an overnight stay, but it surely can't just be left to chance how these things work out.

I wonder if the players being in a group overnight makes them think of the football and mull it over too much, and then by the time of the game they are stale and jaded. If they came straight from home they'd have been more distracted and could 'switch on' for the game and be up for it. Possibly.

[ilkleyram]

There was enough angst on here about someone putting Baird's name on the same team sheet twice.  What the effect of setting out at 9am and then getting caught in a traffic jam in the M1 roadworks would be I dread to think, never mind the impact on players having to travel from all kinds of different places.  Meltdown.

[rammieib]

A 1.15 kick off must a Bugger. Arrive at the ground around midday. 30 minutes I assume from a hotel. When do they eat, 11am and eat what? Pasta etc. I'm sure we have the experts for this behind the scenes but must be a nightmare.

i imagine the night before is analysis and tactics. How will we carry Ince again, how to win without looking a threat etc ok ok I jest before anyone jumps on me @eddie

[Philmycock]

Bent would have been offside if we'd travelled up on the day and have missed the bus