by Lewis Ambrose

Once again this summer, Arsenal are aiming to literally strengthen the existing squad by working on our physicality and durability.

Last season saw Shad Forsythe brought in as Head of Performance Enhancement after he was with the Germany squad which won the World Cup. After a rocky start to the season, he seemed to have had an impact long-term with most players returning to full fitness – and maintaining it – after January.

The newest addition to the club appears to be Barry Solan, who the club have reportedly employed as Strength and Conditioning coach.

Earlier in the year Arsenal were advertising the role, and according to Midwest Radio, Solan has been the successful candidate.

Solan has been working with the Polish national team for over three years, as well as being a Sports Science lecturer. Like Forsythe, Solan appears to work for EXOS – an American company geared towards getting the very best performance levels out of athletes.

It is nice to see that the club are not resting on their laurels after Forsythe’s initial success with the squad.

Huddersfield Town physio James Haycock has already joined Arsenal’s medical staff this summer.

This is an area that is often dismissed as good or bad luck but that simply isn’t the case. The way players train, and are trained, impacts hugely on whether or not they get injured – the majority of muscle and ligament issues are due to wear and tear or misuse, not a fluke situation.

It is a shame that we have had to act so proactively in this area, but the club now seem very serious about reaching the forefront of Sports Science once again, and that will only reflect well on the pitch and (hopefully) with an emptier treatment room.