Town owner Marcus Evans says the club will be aiming to introduce a universal playing style at both academy and first-team levels and increase the Blues’ sports science expertise under new manager Paul Hurst.

“It’s a new era and a key part of my vision for the club moving forwards is to create an innovative and modern culture in the way we operate at the training ground in the development of players and coaching staff,” Evans told the club site, outlining his blueprint going forward in addition to the fundamentals previously set out in his Five-Point Plan.""

“We already have a good foundation in place and now we want to take the best of what we have and enhance it.

""“As we have always done in the past, the manager will have full authority in the running of the football side of the club and he will be ably supported by Chris Doig and existing staff covering coaching, sports science, medical, fitness and recruitment.

""“A key responsibility of Paul’s will be to oversee our evolving strategy to develop a playing style as well as a fitness and mental attitude ethos throughout all aspects of the club, and to work with [academy head of coaching and player development] Bryan Klug and the club’s coaches who will translate these goals as appropriate through all age groups. "

“To further assist the transition of players from one squad to the next there will be greater involvement of coaches across the board, so our U23 coaches will be part of the first-team set-up, while Paul and Chris will have an active role within the U23s and U18s where possible.

""“Sports science is becoming an increasingly important area of the weaponry at clubs and we are making great strides forward in this area and that will continue.

""“[Academy manager] Lee O’Neill will head up this department and will be supported by a soon-to-be-appointed first-team sports scientist and fitness coach, ensuring we transfer best practice in fitness and medical across all squads with a goal to significantly increase availability for minutes on the pitch for all players.”

The likes of Andre Dozzell, David McGoldrick, Tom Adeyemi, Emyr Huws and Teddy Bishop missed much of 2017/18 due to injury and Town hope an expanding partnership with Dr Gavin Devereux and the University of Suffolk will help reduce the casualty list going forward.

""“We will be monitoring players closely through training and games using GPS techniques,” explained O’Neill, who was the academy’s head of sports science prior to his current role, having gained a degree in that field from Loughborough University. "

“We will also be in a position to step up our observation of players’ well-being, looking for signs of fatigue, nutritional needs, making sure their sleep patterns are right. We will be doing saliva, hormone and cortisol tests.

""“There will be a constant screening of players’ physical needs using the most advanced equipment in bio-mechanics to aid strength and conditioning.""

“It is all designed to give players from first-team to academy the best possible chance of reaching their maximum potential physically and of course, reduce the risk of injury.""

“This area of the game is only part of the evolving jigsaw puzzle that makes up a football team and it’s there for the manager to take what he wants from it, but it’s important we provide the best support service we can to the players and coaching staff.”

New boss Hurst was a firm believer in sports science while at Shrewsbury, where his comparatively small squad was among the fittest teams.

He says he wants his Blues side to play on the front foot but will also expect them to put in the hard yards.

"“I won’t be reinventing the game. The requirements of hard work and commitment will be there,” the new manager, who officially takes charge on June 18th, added. "

“I will be looking for the players to give their all. That should be a minimum requirement in any team but it doesn’t always work out like that. "

“From that base, I want us to play on the front foot though. I want to have energy and intensity in our performance and, above all, I will be encouraging the players to go out and play and enjoy their job.

""“I have always tried to do that wherever I have been as a manager. To get players to enjoy the way they play on a football pitch.”

Photo: ITFC

Razor added 10:10 - Jun 7 This is excellent news and I am so glad this at last being addressed, the fitness and medical side. We had just too many players not playing last season and for far too long, some probably for very good reasons but others----------. We are coming in to the 21st century and the appointments to be made are crucial and so important. COYB!!
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Reuserscurtains added 10:18 - Jun 7 Without being negative, it looks to me that Evans is doing everything he can to make us sound good, without investing any more money. He has spoken about sports science, but how will sports science change our playing style? Seems to me that Hurst will play in a similar way to Mick, with less quality than the bigger teams but hoping to be even fitter. Not that inspiring to me, if this was Mick, we would be moaning. If they said quality footballers and passing football, i'd be impressed.

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PortmanTerrorist added 10:44 - Jun 7 Have some limited connection to junior squads and there has definitely been a sense of "WTF" watching the first team. A point being missed on here is that this openly stated move may actually help attract better youth and, indeed, keep them. Especially if that pathway to first team football is shown to work.
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No9 added 10:54 - Jun 7 This probably says more about Mr Evans disatisfaction with MM than anything else we have heard. Mr Evans is putting a lot of trust in Paul Hurst no doubt he will have someone looking over events as they are revealed rather than awaiting fan annoyance
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Northstandveteran added 11:51 - Jun 7 Aw, he's a lovely fella that Marcus Evans isn't he? He gave us all a lovely choreographed interview and he came across as such a lovely man. Again, he has just given us a lovely vision of the future by stating the bleedin obvious. But he is a very nice man. A very very nice man. How opinions change on this forum. One minute he is the devil incarnate, tax fiddling ticket tout and now he is a lovely honest man. He is very smiley and nice though isn't he?

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TimmyH added 12:03 - Jun 7 Bringing the younger players through mixed with hopefully one or two new signings with experience already here sounds okay to me but hopefully the difference now between McCarthy era and the new Hurst one will be of a completely different playing style and more entertainment (hopefully) to Portman Road which might take a season or two to develop. At least it's good we're hearing more now from our owner...

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Barty added 12:19 - Jun 7 I would be happy & smiley if I was worth £800 million
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brendenward35 added 13:17 - Jun 7 You just can't please some people, look at Sunderland, now got an owner who going round to his mates to drum up some cash to buy players and pay the wages. Only paid £5 million so far owes the Texas billionaire £40 million Sunderland in trouble if his mates don't buy into his ideas. At least Marcus has been steady not gone mad but still there keeping the club a float we could be in a lot worse situation so be grateful his still the owner

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Bergholtblue added 13:42 - Jun 7 This does rather sound like something ME has learned as part of his 'consultation' process when searching for a new manager. Still it is positive and if made to work rather than just to play lip service to it, it can only be good for the long term. However, we are so far away from these ideals at the moment that it must be given time and success cannot be guaranteed overnight. My big fear is that the moaners and groaners will be out in force as soon as the results don't go right for us.

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ArnieM added 15:39 - Jun 7 Northstandbeyern: Maybe opinions have changed about Evans because after s decade of owning the Club he has finally understood that the “ customer” needs to be communicated with in an open , candid way. Amazing how people respond in kind when you honest with them . As for the “obvious” being stated. That's as maybe , but under McCarthy the obvious was definitely NOT happening. Maybe the Club having gained in some respects by McCarthy's steadying influence which kept us up, but we also suffered with an element of staleness and predictability too. Fresh young ideas, training methods supported by evidence based medicine is the way footrests now. Obvious it is , practical application under Mick it most definitely wasn't. COYBs

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dirtydingusmagee added 16:52 - Jun 7 Northstandveteran I rarely disagree with your posts, but on this occasion I cant in all honesty. Things have been dire, we had a manager who was at odds with the fans and was never going to change anything.The owner was a like a Unicorn everybody heard of one but never actually seen one.Mick thankfully has gone even though its been a saga, Evans has popped his head up out of the trench at last, we can hope all this will be the start of better things and we are going to move forward. Lets give credit and hope this is a new dawn.Lets not prejudge and start sticking the boot in before we have even seen a ball kicked .If Evans is trying to hoodwink the fans ,he will get found out soon enough,.

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Edmundo added 17:02 - Jun 7 When you look at the (long term) best: Ajax, Barcelona, Manchester United, they all have this philosophy. We are finally getting our ducks in a row. It won't be quick but I am extremely hopeful for the first time in 10 years.
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Spirit_of_78 added 17:17 - Jun 7 Question for all you moaning gits on here.... what has the man got to do? He's given you a good new manager, he's given you a vision, in my mind given us some hope, wtf else do you lot want?
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Northstandveteran added 18:21 - Jun 7 I wasn't or can't recall ever knocking Marcus Evans. And I am not accusing him of pulling the wool over the fans eyes. It just makes me laugh how opinions have changed because he did an interview that made him come across as your favourite uncle. Apologies if my previous post came across as being somewhat sarcastic. Personally I am happy with the appointed new manager and am optimistic for the future of the club and the team. 😁

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cat added 18:26 - Jun 7 N.S.‘Vet' - I rarely disagree with your posts, and I simply ain't going to on this occasion neither!!! Get where Arnie M is coming from, but there are a few on here, and I refer to them as the ‘merchants of Doom' who only a few months ago were banging on about us as a club being finito, but that's easy for me to say as I've never had a problem with the Guy. Don't think for one minute our Marcus is ‘Mr Nice' (that name also applies to a cult hero of mine) (lol) cause you simply don't get to where he has by being exactly that, more ‘Mr Nasty'

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Northstandveteran added 18:53 - Jun 7 His big interview just reminded me of Tony Blair in his interviews. And for that matter the vast majority of politicians. All smiles and telling the people what they wanted to hear. I will, however, again state that I am happy the club is under his control. But you can fool some people all the time, But you can't fool all of the people some of the time..... Oh. And Mick out

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Northstandveteran added 19:02 - Jun 7 Oh, and top film cat, And the 'simply lovleh?' I know what whattsapp videos you get on your phone every Friday 😉😂 You frisky Feline!
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 19:12 - Jun 7 All sounds good. But proof of the pudding and all that. Let's not put too much pressure on PH to perform from day 1, though. I'll just be glad if we have a better atmosphere around the club and get the support back. Results, though important, are almost secondary to that. Everyone needs to be patient and pull together. COYB!
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cat added 19:54 - Jun 7 North - you know what, I've been posting let's say snippets of ‘lovleh' lines on here for some months now and congrats to you fella, for being the first to acknowledge the fruits of my labour. I was beginning to think that the social craze that sweep the country had simply passed sleepy Suffolk by. There again from memory ‘mate' I belief your an ‘Essex boy' Plenty in the tank Sir! Be seeing you 👌

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Northstandveteran added 21:26 - Jun 7 Indeed I am mate 😁 Lovleh 👏
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black_shuck added 01:52 - Jun 8 This is pie in the sky talk. We're limited by the mess left by the previous manager, the existing players, coaching squad and management. And for the last 18 years they have all been found wanting. Will take at least 4 years to repair the damage. Will Paul Hirst or ME still be here. And what division will we be in then.
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hyperbrit added 16:24 - Jun 8 ...MM's blood and guts traing tactics were ruinous and caused huge damage to both players and club in terms of injuries.I was in one of the London symphony orchestras and if we had a conductor riding us too hard in rehearsal we simply told him that he could have it now or on the concert but not both!!
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