Glenn: Times Changing

Glenn Roeder says that keeping the players at the club for a week after the season ended is a sign of how things are changing at Upton Park.

Glenn is looking for a more detailed approach to how the players are looked after, and, having had them in for tests last week, explains: "The players have been in and now have break up and go for their holidays; we didn't want them to just go away after the game on Saturday because we needed them in at the training ground for some fitness tests.

"There was also some general testing like blood tests to see how that is looking after a long hard season, and we will re-test them after the 4th July when they come back and compare results.

"It is that much more scientific now; they say knowledge can be dangerous but I also believe it can be very useful in football terms now.

"We have John McCarthy who is our fitness coach, but, as I have said all season, calling him our fitness coach is 'under-cooking' him as he is more a sports scientist."

Having worked with England, Glenn was inspired to adopt the rationale, and adds: "Glenn Hoddle is very forward thinking; when we went to France '98 we employed a French doctor, Doctor Rouget, that Arsene Wenger uses at Arsenal.

"He came in and did tests so he could tell players what supplements they should be taking - basically vitamins, and how they could help us stay fit and healthy; it is something that we have probably lagged behind on in this country.

"I remember many years ago Chris Waddle telling me that from his time at Marseille in France players would come in every day all through the season and take a daily dose of vitamin pills; they were freely available on the table in the changing rooms.

"I think the Italians, the Dutch, and the Germans are all the same and do take vitamins to boost their immune system and generally make them feel healthy and raring to go."

Glenn says it is all about gaining whatever advantage possible, but adds: "A vitamin pill won't make a player into a £20m player; none of us can put in what god left out.

"A very ordinary player taking all the vitamins in the world will never come anywhere near a £20m player who is not taking anything."