A football club should always have a set structure that doesn’t need to be ripped up and replaced whenever a manager changes and when Rangers parted company with Jack Ade as head of performance, it seemed like a strange move.
Who the manager is shouldn’t affect what fitness and conditioning training the players are doing, every manager will want the fittest squad possible.
The problem is, there is nobody at Rangers qualified to appoint a successor to Jack Ade who held such a key role.
AC Milan v Liverpool FC – UEFA Youth League
Rangers have to find Jack Ade replacement
Ade is very highly regarded in his field, not only does he have the practical skills and experience as an accredited strength and conditioning coach but he also has a PHD in Sport Science.
In short, he knows his stuff.
So why, after a preseason so heavily based around fitness, are players breaking down and having their conditioning questioned by the new manager
Jack Ade arrived from Liverpool where he was head of elite fitness development, this isn’t a personal trainer in a local gym we are speaking about, no disrespect intended to personal trainers.
It is a role, like Dr Mark Waller as head of the medical department, that should be independent of the manager.
They should be the best in class or as near as possible at least.
They should also be a constant.
It should be a club philosophy to have players who are the fittest in the league and it shouldn’t come down to what the manager thinks.
Rangers have had two individuals in Jordan Milsom and Jack Ade who are experienced and have a proven track record of success.
With a director of football in place, finding another head of performance should be a straight forward task, however, without one, are we relying on the manager’s contacts?
Either way, if Philippe Clement wants a fitter and more robust squad to work with, he’ll need to play his part in finding someone who is capable of delivering and making an almost instant impact.
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