Crystal Palace installed sleeping pods for players to nap between Frank de Boer's double training sessions

Sleeping pods: Palace players were able to take a nap between training sessions
Giuseppe Muro7 August 2017

Crystal Palace installed sleeping pods at their training ground to help players rest between the double sessions put on by new manager Frank de Boer.

Palace have at times this summer trained in the morning and the afternoon and the club set up 20 pop-up inflatable rooms with beds.

Each player had their own pod which allowed them to sleep on site and were brought in to help them while De Boer started to implement his style on the squad.

The decision to use the pods, provided by the company Snoozebox, was initially made when Sam Allardyce was Palace boss.

It was hoped the pods would help players recover between sessions and they were on site for five days at the beginning of pre-season. The pods, measuring 2.3m x 2.3m x 2.4m, had a USB port and LED lighting.

After the trial, Palace decided not to continue using the pods. Some players liked them but others struggled to sleep during the hot weather at the start of the summer.

Swansea City introduced sleep pods at their training ground in 2015 and used them for two weeks during pre-season. Snoozebox also provided rugby fans with accommodation in Cardiff during the 2015 World Cup.

Take a break: Martin Kelly, Julian Speroni and Lee Chung-Yong outside one of the pods

As well as fitness training, De Boer has done a lot of tactical work with the players during pre-season. The Dutchman has introduced a 3-4-3 formation and there were signs Palace are still adapting to it during their 1-1 friendly draw with Schalke 04 on Saturday.

But new signings Jairo Reidewald and Loftus-Cheek both impressed a week before the season opener against Huddersfield at Selhurst Park.

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