The Red Devils' revival starts with retaining Mourinho

On the morning of July 10, all the players of Manchester United's first team said goodbye to their families and checked into the Red Devils Hotel located in the Carrington training base. This is part of the Carrington base upgrade plan implemented by Rowley after he took office. It was upgraded and renovated based on the original temporary dormitory of the first team players according to the standards of a five-star luxury hotel. It is used for the team's closed training phase and pre-match gathering on match days. All players check in to reduce and avoid the interference of fans' activities on the team's preparations.

According to the training outline of head coach Mourinho, in the next seven days, Manchester United's first team will start the first phase of "pre-season physical training week". The main task of this phase is to adjust body functions and reserve physical strength, including: "Gacon Test" intermittent running training, half-squat start posture training, hurdle jumping, agility and coordination training, lateral movement training, change of direction movement resistance training, speed explosiveness training, energy supply capacity training and other training contents.

Around nine o'clock in the morning, the players arrived at the training ground one after another. Everyone was wearing neat training clothes and talking and laughing with each other. Although the holiday's comfort had not completely faded, their eyes were already full of expectations for the new season and their concentration on training. Head coach Mourinho had already stood on the sidelines, with his arms folded across his chest, and his eyes were calmly observing the gradually gathering team. Assistant coach Scholes was whispering with fitness coach Rui Faria about the final training details to ensure that everything could proceed in an orderly manner as planned.

The first day of training revolved around endurance training.

With the whistle of fitness coach Rui Faria, the players quickly gathered and formed a loose circle. Rui Faria said loudly: "Guys, preparations for the new season start now. Let's warm up first and get moving!" After that, the players started jogging for 5-10 minutes. Goalkeepers David De Gea and Dean Henderson were jogging and chatting at the same time. After all, for them, such a relatively easy jog is more like a way to wake up the body. Forwards like Marcus Rashford and Erling Haaland are brisk and can't wait to get into the more challenging training program later.

After the jog, it is time to stretch each muscle group. Physical trainer Carlos Larin shuttled among the players, instructing everyone to perform the correct stretching movements. "Come on, straighten your legs, lean forward, and feel the stretch of your calf muscles. Yes, just like that, keep it." Carlos Larin patiently reminded everyone. Veteran player Matic is very serious. He knows the importance of stretching to prevent injuries. He also shares his many years of experience with the young players around him from time to time. The young players all listen carefully and follow his demonstration movements.

After the warm-up, the real endurance test officially kicked off - the "Gacon Test" intermittent running training began. On the wide football field, the physical trainers had already set up eye-catching markers in advance. Rui Faria took a stack of hypoxic masks and distributed them to each player, and explained the training rules in detail: "Everyone listen carefully, after putting on this hypoxic mask, you must quickly run to the opposite marker within the set time, and then jog back to the original place. After each run, take a 30-second break. We will do 8-10 sets in total. This is a big challenge for your endurance. Go all out!"

Erling Haaland was the first to stand at the starting line, with a look of unwillingness to admit defeat. As soon as the whistle sounded, he rushed out like an arrow from a string. Although he was wearing a hypoxic mask, his super physical fitness did not affect his speed at all. After quickly reaching the marker, he jogged back to the original place as required, adjusted his breathing, and prepared for the next set. Marcus Rashford was not to be outdone. He followed Haaland's pace closely, trying his best in every sprint, and his rapid breathing was clearly audible under the mask.

The youth players also gritted their teeth and persisted. Although Reece Bennett was slightly inferior to the big brothers in the first team in terms of speed and endurance, he was holding back his energy and thought that he must seize such a rare training opportunity to prove himself. He ran again and again, and although his steps were a little heavy in the last few groups, he still had no intention of giving up.

While the players were running, the goalkeepers did not slack off at all. David De Gea completed each set of training with concentration. He knew that as a goalkeeper, good endurance could also ensure that he could maintain a high degree of concentration and agile reaction in the second half of the game. And physical trainer Carlos Larin kept giving everyone on the sidelines.Cheer up and remind everyone to pay attention to breathing rhythm and running posture.

After the breathless "Gacon Test", the technical running training began. On the field, different passing points have been arranged. Rui Faria loudly explained the requirements: "Next, everyone will run long distances, catch the ball after running to the target passing point, and then run back to the original place with the ball. It is also 8-10 groups. This not only tests your endurance, but also tests the ball receiving and ball control skills. Come on, boys!"

Midfielder Marco Verratti shined in this link. With his superb ball control skills, he quickly ran to the passing point, easily and accurately caught the ball, and then steadily returned with the ball. The whole process was smooth, as if the distance and fatigue were not worth mentioning to him, which attracted applause from teammates around him. Ashraf Hakimi also completed one set of training after another with his amazing speed and flexible running. His agile figure shuttled around the field like a smart elf, and every successful catch and return showed his strength.

However, there were inevitably some small episodes in the training. When Scott McTominay received the ball, he failed to control the ball well due to the previous physical exhaustion. The ball rolled far away. He slapped his thigh in frustration and muttered: "Oh, I didn't catch it!" But he didn't hesitate at all, and immediately accelerated to chase the ball and continued to complete the training. He also kept cheering himself up: "It's okay, do it again, I will definitely be able to do it!" In this way, everyone worked hard to complete one set of training after another under the dual test of technology and endurance.

When all the training items in the morning were over, the players were sweating profusely, and the fatigue came like a tide, but everyone knew that this was just the first step in preparing for the new season. At this time, the professional physiotherapists arranged by the club's physiotherapy center had been waiting for a long time. The players walked into the physiotherapy room in an orderly manner, lying on the physiotherapy bed, enjoying professional muscle relaxation massage. The physiotherapists were skilled and pressed the players' tight muscles accurately, from legs to backs, from shoulders to arms, and every muscle was carefully cared for, helping them to relieve fatigue, reduce the possibility of muscle soreness, and allow the body to recover from high-intensity training as soon as possible.

At the same time, Giovanni Serra, head of the data analysis center, brought his team and various professional equipment to conduct a comprehensive monitoring of the physical changes of each player. They first measured the basic data such as heart rate and blood pressure for the players, and then used high-tech instruments to analyze the players' physical consumption, muscle fatigue and changes in various physiological indicators during training. Giovanni Serra carefully recorded every data, which will become an important basis for adjusting the training plan and evaluating the player's status in the future. It is related to the entire pre-season training and even the preparations for the new season, so there is no room for carelessness.

After completing the morning training and related monitoring, the players came to the restaurant at the Carrington base. The restaurant carefully prepared sufficient and nutritionally balanced meals for the first team, aiming to ensure that the players can eat in time within 30 minutes after training, replenish energy and nutrition for the body, and help recovery.

On the table, there are a variety of foods, first of all, eggs, milk, and meat are consumed in moderation. These foods are rich in protein and play a key role in muscle growth and repair. Low-fat or fat-free protein sources such as skim milk, egg whites, fish, skinless poultry and steak are very popular, and players choose the food that suits them according to their tastes and needs. Marcus Rashford took a fried steak and smiled and said to his teammates next to him: "You have to eat more of this, you have to continue training in the afternoon, and you have to let your muscles recover quickly."

High-carbohydrate foods are also indispensable. Steamed buns, noodles, rice, yams, oats and potatoes are full of the dining table. They are the main energy sources for physical training, which can quickly replenish energy and reduce fatigue. Harry Maguire scooped up a large bowl of noodles and ate while sighing: "I feel energetic after eating this carbohydrate."

In addition, in order to replenish the vitamins and minerals lost due to excessive sweating during training, the restaurant prepared a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as apples, strawberries, kiwis, tomatoes, bananas, potatoes, oranges, etc. The players are well aware of the importance of these nutritious fruits and vegetables, and will take them in moderation. At the same time, they also remember to drink more warm water to replenish the water and electrolytes needed by the body and maintain the body's normal metabolism and internal environment stability.

In addition to the common eggs, milk, and meat, high-quality protein foods such as tofu, lean meat, and fish are also selected.They further support muscle growth and repair. Alkaline foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, soy products and milk help eliminate fatigue and maintain the acid-base balance in the body, and are also valued by the players. Potassium-rich foods such as potatoes, bananas, oranges, orange juice and raisins not only replenish potassium, but are also rich in vitamin B and vitamin C, which help remove metabolic waste and are also frequent guests on the table.

While enjoying the food, everyone exchanged their feelings about the morning training. The restaurant was filled with a relaxed and warm atmosphere.