Swiss skiers into the top 5 and became the fifth wom

The cancellation of Mondays Manchester derby in Beijing was a blow to Pep Guardiolas pre-season plans, but the Manchester City boss has been praised for the initial impact he has had on his squad by pundits, players and observers alike. But how has Guardiolas pre-season training differed from what Manuel Pellegrini and his coaching staff did last summer?The Spaniard is renowned for doing things his own way, so, with the help of Sky Sports News reporter James Cooper, former Man City player and club ambassador Mike Summerbee, and two members of the current first-team, we take a look at Guardiolas approach to pre-season… Type of trainingGuardiola wants his Manchester City team to be leaner and meaner so they can keep up with the demands of the pressing football he wants them to play, says Cooper, who is keeping a close eye on the clubs pre-season preparations, which began on July 6. A lot of the players have lost significant amounts of weight - including those who looked like they didnt need to lose any!However, while some managers favour sending their players on long, hard running drills to get them back into shape, Guardiola takes a different approach. Author Marti Perarnau, in Pep Confidential, his book about Guardiolas first season in charge of Bayern Munich, wrote about players returning from the off season to a mountain of footballs and, from day one, Citys squad have been doing work with the ball. Man Citys players have been training with the ball since day one of pre-season But that does not mean the players have been getting off lightly. While Guardiola has given his players time off, there have been plenty of double sessions too, and midfielder Fabian Delph has spoken of how intense the training days have been.The intensity has gone through the roof, he said. Its so intense - high pressing, very energetic. Its been tough but its been very, very good.Summerbee, who won the league title, FA Cup and League Cup with City in consecutive years from 1967/68, has been an impressed onlooker and reckons Guardiolas methods will pay off when the season begins.Ive watched training three or four times and it is very high tempo, he said. Ive been very, very impressed. Theyre pressing all the time. Its very intensive, very aggressive, something the game of football in England needs.Theres only one way you can go when you train as hard as that and work as hard as that and thats to be successful. Guardiola has introduced more stretching sessions at Manchester City Another element Guardiola has added to Citys training regime is increased stretching time. Manchester City players picked up a combined total of 81 injuries in 2015/16, according to physioroom.com, and it is an area Guardiola is keen to address. Hes anxious to cut the number of injuries that City suffered last season, explains Cooper. The players have been doing a lot more stretching before and after sessions than they previously did.Tactics Guardiola gives instructions to Yaya Toure against Bayern Munich Manchester City fans got a hint of how their team may shape up this season in last weeks friendly with Bayern Munich.City were sent out in a 4-2-3-1 formation, set about building attacks slowly from the back before accelerating their play in the final third and aimed to win the ball back quickly high up the field when Bayern were in possession.I am so happy, we did many things we spoke about well and in the right moment, Guardiola said after the 1-0 defeat. In the second half we played with a little more intensity and Im really satisfied with what we did because weve only been together for two weeks. I am so happy, we did many things we spoke about well and in the right moment. Pep Guardiola on Man Citys display against Bayern Munich The approach appears to have been received warmly by the players. Everybody seems to be pressing their claims and the new systems of play have been very interesting, said Delph.Defender Gael Clichy, meanwhile, has spoken of Guardiolas eagerness to protect his side against the threat of counter-attacks.What he wants is for his team to play offensive football and for that he wants the full-backs to support - without getting beaten when we lose the ball, said the Frenchman. Thats something new as before we were quite open and if you look at our games from last year we were conceding a lot of goals on the counter-attack because we were an offensive team and open. Sergio Aguero and the Manchester City squad have been in China in pre-season I guess hes trying to make us as offensive as previous years but just as solid at the back. He doesnt want the onus to just be on the back four to defend but its the responsibility of the whole team to get the ball back quickly when we lose it.Its clear that, as well as the physical preparation for the upcoming season, Guardiola is eager to stamp his own style of play on his new squad.Relationship with players Guardiolas methods have so far proved popular with his players Given his success as a manager, Guardiola unsurprisingly commands respect from his playing staff but it appears the former Barcelona boss has also put his man management skills to use in Manchester.So far, he has been unbelievable with everyone, enthused Delph. From day one, he knew everybodys name. He makes you feel good about yourself and makes you want to do well and push on. He seems like hes been wanting to come to the Premier League to showcase his skills for some time and Im really excited to have him here now. He makes you feel good about yourself and makes you want to do well and push on. Fabian Delph on Pep Guardiola Guardiolas personal touch has also impressed Summerbee. He does it the right way, said the former winger. The way he is with the players, when someone does something good he always says well done, which is great. Hes very personal with people.The challenge for Guardiola will be maintaining that intensity, excitement and good feeling throughout his debut season in England. Sky Sports Fantasy Football Pick your team here, create a league and let the mind games begin! Also See: VOTE: Best PL home kit 2016/17 Nolito: I snubbed Barca for City International Champions Cup guide Power of Pep impresses Delph Custom Houston Texans Jerseys . Louis Blues just continue to roll -- especially against the Nashville Predators. Houston Texans Jerseys .C. -- LeBron James called comments on an audio recording of a man identified as Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling "appalling" and said hes not sure if he would suit up for the remainder of the NBA playoffs if he played for the Clippers. http://www.officialhoustontexanspro.com/Arian-foster-texans-jersey/ . "Ive got a lot of work to do on this team and the sooner that I can get back to my office and start that work, itll be better," he said straight-faced as the rest of the room erupted in laughter. Justin Reid Jersey . Austin Watson, Scott Ford, Filip Forsberg and Mark Van Guilder had the other goals for the Admirals (30-21-12). Scott Darling made 30 saves for his 10th win of the season. J.J. Watt Jersey . New Zealand brushed aside England 26-7 to win the event and reclaim top spot in the overall standings. The All Blacks, the defending World Series champions, won their third tournament this season in style, running four tries past England to claim their 11th Cup championship in Hong Kong and first since 2011.Tina Maze of Slovenia matched the time of Dominique Gisin, leading to an unprecedented tie for the Olympic gold medal in the womens downhill on Wednesday. Both skiers crossed the line at Rosa Khutor in one minute, 41.57 seconds. Gisin last won a downhill on the World Cup circuit nearly four years ago, but the 28-year-old served notice of her desire to win with the fastest time in the third training session at Sochi. Gisin led three Swiss skiers into the top 5 and became the fifth woman from her country to finish first in the womens Olympic downhill. The last was Michela Figini, who did it as a 17-year-old in 1984. Mazes result was less surprising, but history making. The 30-year-old, who enjoyed a dominant 2012-13 season, becomes Slovenias first ever Winter Olympics gold medallist in any sport. The country now has 11 medals in Winter Games competition through the years, including Mazes silvers in super-G and giant slalom four years ago in Vancouver. Lara Gut won the bronze. Gut, who has five World Cup wins this season, gave a stern challenge to her compatriot Gisin but finished 1-10th of a second behind. Three skiers later, Maze laid down her time to stun observers. Canadian Larisa Yurkiw finished 19th. The Owen Sound, Ont., native crossed in a time of 1:43.46. Yurkiw, 25, poured thousands into her Olympic dream and raised sponsorships when funding dried up following iinjury-plagued seasons.dddddddddddd Several expected contenders did not factor. Julia Mancuso of the United States was eighth, while Maria-Hoefl Riesch of Germany and Elisabeth Goergl were out of the top 10. Mancuso and Goergl rounded out the podium at the 2010 Vancouver Games behind Lindsey Vonn, who isnt in Sochi due to knee surgery. Hoefl-Riesch was looking to become just the third skier to win four Olympic gold medals in her career, but shell have two more chances over the next 10 days. Meanwhile, Marianne Kaufmann-Abderhalden of Switzerland and Anna Fenninger of Austria skied off course. Both had been on the podium in the downhill this season. Fenningers run, coming right after Maze, signaled that there would likely be a historic tie. Swiss veteran Fabienne Suter was first out of the gate, and her time held up as the best until Gisin seven skiers later. Suter finished fifth, one spot behind Daniela Merighetti, the Italian who complained about the dangerous nature of the course after a mishap on the first day of Sochi downhill training last week. Frances Marie Marchand-Avrier, the fourth down the hill, lost her balance and crashed into the netting but was able to get up under her own power after a few minutes down. Carolina Ruiz Castillo of Spain skied off course, skidding just short of the net. The next womens alpine event is super-G on Saturday. 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