Joe Cardle full of fight
Thursday, 12th Jul 2012Shaping up for the new season
Joe Cardle is up for a fight next season after some close season sessions with a light welterweight professional boxer. He didn't have to look too far for the advice since it was his 22 year old younger brother, Scottie who was putting Joe through his paces. Joe told the website:-
"I did some training over the summer with him. He was preparing for a fight so I couldn't get in the gym with him in Bolton doing all the hard stuff but I did a few runs with him. He was showing me what kind of training he does - it was completely different - there were things that I can do that he would struggle with and things that he could do that I would struggle with but it was good to have a few sessions with him.
"He trains constantly three or four times a day and is a fit athlete. We think we've got it tough, these boys have got it a lot worse than us!
The Pars winger admits it feels good to be back in training at Pireavie:-
"Don't get me wrong it has been tough but we are getting on with it. I am 25 now so it is not as easy as when you were 19, there is a big difference. I kept ticking over during the summer so that I felt better when I returned. The squad are all getting on fine together and hopefully that is most of the hard running out of the way now and we can get on with getting games under our belts. There are certain times that we have to beat on the runs and every boy has done it"
First stop is Berwick on Saturday and Joe is looking forward to it but most of all he is hoping for a good result on Monday when the SPL decide which club becomes Club 12 in the SPL next season:-
"I want to be going up because the SPL is where I want to be playing next season. We just have to keep praying and fingers crossed it happens. Whatever league we are in we just need to get our heads down and work hard. If we are in the SPL it will be a battle, we experienced that last season playing against a greater quality than we met in the First Division.
"If we end up in the First Division I think we will be good enough to get ourselves back up because we have a fit young team. If we play the football that I know we can play we will have a good chance."
Joe acknowledged that there will be plenty of competition for places in the starting eleven with midfield in particular having several good options:-
"You don't want to be the only player in that position in the squad; you would fall into a comfort zone that you do not want. Fighting for your place makes players play better. That has been the case for me in the last two or three seasons; you always have someone behind you wanting to get in front of you. That's the best way particularly for the central midfield role which is the main position on a football pitch.
"Hopefully we will sign another couple of players once we know what league we are going to be in but I think there is going to be a terrific competition for places."
With the team that Joe was part of last season he feels that relegation should not have happened but he is the first to admit that mistakes cost them and chances weren't taken when they were on top.
"We dropped too many points; we drew when we should have won and lost when we should have drawn."
The tendonitis that restricted Joe last season has been given a good rest during the close season and he is confident that he will be fit for whatever the new season brings. He is hoping that the summer monsoons cease soon so that training can continue as long as possible on grass:-
"I tried to rest over the summer, there were three weeks where I did nothing and I think that has done it a world of good. The final three weeks I did a wee bit of running to tick over; it has been good so far and I just hope it stays that way. The astroturf doesn't do it any justice so as long as I stay on the grass and get as much rest as possible it will be ok."
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