The players are back
After a month’s break, the players and coaching staff returned to the training ground in Helsingør today.
There was a great atmosphere among the players and new faces were also welcomed – both on and off the pitch.
The newly signed striker Valdemar Schousboe had his first day at work together with the rest of the squad and after the players had been through their tests, they could lace up their boots and run onto the pitch for the first time in the new year.
Morten Eskesen
We pulled head coach Morten Eskesen aside to put a few words on the restart and the upcoming training matches FC Helsingør faces before the season resumes.
First of all, of course, we needed to check up on how the team and the players look after a good month’s break –
“Yes, tomorrow we do the beep test so we can see their physical condition then. But we’ve been down to measure muscle mass and body fat percentage, and that looks fine. And then we had a really good hour of training to get started slowly and steadily. And then tomorrow we do this beep test, which most clubs do, and see what their physical shape is, and then we build from there”
A little has already been added to the squad during the break, and we now have an extra striker on the team sheet. It is of course early, but what are your thoughts on newcomer Valdemar, and what considerations lie behind bringing him to the club?
“We had a good talk with Valdemar here in the summer, in relation to getting him attached already then. It didn’t work out. So we followed him in the autumn, where he has done really well. He has scored many goals, is very hard-working and good at getting into the box. Now it finally worked out, and Janus has done a good job of getting him to the club, so we are really happy about that. He is a player we have followed for a long time and I think he will be really good for us in terms of getting into the top-6, which is our overall goal. He has lots of energy, lots of desire and a lot of hunger to fulfil his ambitions. And then he has a drive. When we bring in players, it is typically people who are ambitious and hungry, and he is a prototype of that.
He helped FC Roskilde up from the 3. division with 28 goals. Is that something we hope he brings with him here?
“Yes, we have compared him a little with Tonni Adamsen, who was also one of the profiles in the 2. division, and Valdemar is too. And scoring goals is something all clubs like. There will be an adjustment period for Valdemar in relation to not overloading him. We train with high intensity and train a lot more. Also this matter of building relationships with teammates. What do they do when they have the ball? And his teammates also need to figure out where he runs when he moves into the box. When that falls into place, I think he will be really good for us.”
Right now there are a little over 20 men in the squad and the transfer window is, as mentioned, in full swing. Would you like to see the squad expanded and which positions do you yourself think we need to strengthen?
“That’s right, we were running with only 18 outfield players. And because 18 outfield players may sit on the bench each time, everyone was also selected every time. That means there is enormous satisfaction in the squad. There is not much disappointment when everyone is involved every time. On the other hand, when we do have injuries, we are really vulnerable. Now we have a really skilled physiotherapist in Michael, who handles that. And the medical staff in general have meant that we had few injuries in the autumn. But if we don’t get a broader squad, then we are simply vulnerable. I think we have a really strong squad, and we do not necessarily need to get more players. But on the other hand, as a coach you always want to get some even better players, so that all of us can fulfil our ambitions of getting into the top-6 and then see what happens. We are running right on the edge, because if we have 4-5 injuries like many squads often have, then we are really vulnerable, and then it is difficult to win football matches. But as things look right now, where we trained for the first time today and we have zero injuries, and we have got Valdemar, then it looks better than in the autumn – so I am hopeful.”
In addition to the transfer window being open, over the next month and a bit we have a number of training matches on the schedule. We are, among other places, visiting FC Nordsjælland, who play in the Superliga. Then we have this match against Helsingborg which we call the Øresund Cup. Are there any of these training matches that you value higher than others, or is it all solely preparation for the start of the season?
“Yes, the closer we get to the tournament, the more we value them. But now we start by giving everyone 45 minutes on Saturday against Nordsjælland and then we build from there. But for the match against Helsingborg, we field the strongest team and as you say, it is a match for the Øresund Cup. We have played them over the last few years and there are a lot of fans from Helsingborg too, who create a crazy atmosphere. So it is the match that is valued the most of the training matches we have, but then it is about using the matches and getting into good shape. We build slowly and steadily, so they do not get overloaded, and then we will be completely sharp for the first home game against HB Køge.”
