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Charalampos Kostoulas and Maxim De Cuyper have adapted to the physical demands of the Premier League (Image: Nick Potts/PA Wire)
Charalampos Kostoulas and Maxim De Cuyper have adapted to the physical demands of the Premier League (Image: Nick Potts/PA Wire)
Albion are working, eating and planning their way to being a physically stronger team amid the demands of the Premier League.
Fabian Hurzeler loves the work of the experts at the club in getting his players fitter, stronger and more durable.
He also appreciates how all departments are aligned in their efforts and doing work which complements that of each other.
But the head coach believes his side can be better and stronger.
And he says some aspects of the 2-0 defeat at Liverpool underline that.
The work which goes on to get players and teams ready for action was highlighted recently in a Sky Sports feature which saw Jamie Redknapp get a tour of the training ground in Lancing.
All areas of player care and coaching were covered.
At one stage, nutritionist Paola Rodríguez-Giustiniani spoke about how players arriving from overseas were given diets which helped develop muscle and strength to cope with the physicality of the Premier League.
While Hurzeler says you might not be able to see that extra bulk from the stands, the results of it are quickly very clear to coaching staff.
He believes that extra strength has been a positive development among his squad but there is still room for further improvement.
Paola Rodríguez-Giustiniani
Albion nutritionst Paola Rodríguez-Giustiniani talks to Jamie Redknapp (Image: Sky Sports)
Hurzeler told The Argus: “First of all, I think Paola is doing is doing a great job.
“She's very impressive and her department. I'm really happy that we have her in our team.
“Every player has an individual programme.
“Every player has his own programme in the gym, his own programme regarding nutrition and I think that's very individualised, what we what we are doing.
“It's depending really on each player. What is he needing before a game?
“What does he need after a game? What does he need to gain muscle? How much gym work he needs to do?
“Some players gain muscle faster, quicker. Some players do it with different exercises.
“All these staff members who are working with the players do it very individualised and that's something which is quite positive.”
Even a relatively small gain or change of physique can bring results which the coaching staff quickly spot when they see their players train.
Hurzeler said: “For me, physicality is not always seen by gaining muscle.
“When a player gains 2kg or 3kg of muscle, you do not always see it from outside but you can feel it on the pitch.
“You can feel it in this acceleration and deceleration, you can feel it in personal duels.
“You can feel that he is more resilient in these kinds of personal dues.
“That's something also where we made a development as a team and it comes back to the game at Liverpool.
“I think we lost some very important individual duels and that also shows us in certain moments we have to even get more physical.
“We have to be more resilient in these duels and therefore I think it's not something you always see from outside that this player gains now 3kg in muscle.
“It's something what we as coaches can feel on the training pitch, we can feel in five-against-five.
“We can also feel it in an 11-against-11 that he's just more resilient in these personal duels and that's something where everyone is really involved in these kinds of developments.
“It's not only the nutritionists, it's not only the guys in the gym working with the players. It's not only the physios.
“I think one big key thing we have here is alignment.
“It's this alignment between the departments and that's something we're really keen on working.”
Hurzeler initially laughed when asked dfor examples of players who had made strides physically and said: “That’s your job to spot that!”
But he added: “Let's take an example of (Maxim) De Cuyper.
“I think he's definitely a player who really adapts to the Premier League’s demands.
“Also (Charalampos) Kostoulas, when he arrived first here, and when you see him now and how resilient he is in personal duels, it’s something completely different.
“There are a lot of players who really make these kinds of developments.
“Then, on the other side, you have players like Costinha,
“Costinha arrived quite physical. With him, you have to work more on technical things, on execution, on game understanding.
“That is really adapting to what the player needs, where he is, where do we want to bring him in two, three years?
“What is his goal, what is his achievement?
“And in the end, it always comes back to the player himself.
“We don't try to push the players. We sit down with the players and the player himself, he says, ‘Okay, that's my goal, what I want to reach, that's who I want to be in a few months', and then we try to make these kinds of developments measurable.
“Gaining muscle, you can measure it. Winning personal duels, you can measure it.
“Arriving 20 times in the opponents' box, you can measure it. Reacting fast, you can measure it.
“All these things you can measure, we try to put in the development because then you make a development very rational.
“You take away all the emotions and I think that's something we are quite keen on working on.”
Maybe the head coach himself might fancy bulking up a bit.
Hurzeler joked: “Regarding building muscles, I think it really depends on the person.
“I also try to build muscles, but I can't put muscles because I'm just not the person for that!
“I have to get in touch with Paola!”