10 Things We Learned From Newcastle's Open Training Session

10. Every Single Training Drill Newcastle Now Do Has A Specific Purpose

This may seem likes a none-point, but to some extent this is the most important entry on the list. Training sessions are what they are, that much is true, but the philosophy and ideas behind them is what really sets aside an average team from a very good one. Under Alan Pardew and John Carver sometimes drills, most notably pre-match ones, seemed to have little direction or real purpose behind them. This is not to say that all of them didn't and obviously we do not see what goes on behind the scenes in every single training session, but sometimes towards the latter stages of Pardew's NUFC career it seemed very much a case of: "here's a ball, go and do some preparation." Steve McClaren, Paul Simpson and Ian Cathro do not work like that, however. Far from it. Everything is done meticulously. Every drill has a specific purpose and is undertaken with a particular outcome in mind. The session opened with some close passing drills - almost like a super-refined version of "Piggy In The Middle" - where the players' control, distribution and communication were scrutinised. Then there were various micro-managed game situations, other defensive drills and so on and so forth. This may seem like a small thing, but the gains that the Newcastle squad could reap from this could prove extremely important going forward.