At Swansea FC's academy, Landore, things have changed. Pre-season is especially different, with two sessions during the day, focussing on fitness in the morning from 10am and skills and strategy in the afternoon from around 5pm.
Things quieten down as the season rolls on but pre-season is vital and has to be thorough so teams can hit the ground running, so to speak.
The drone hovers above the pitches to give a bird's eye view of what is going on at pitch level.
Players will run between 10-12 kms a game and most of this is at speed and with changes in direction. Training is not just about long distance stamina runs. Everything has to be planned scientifically.
Wearing GPS, players are monitored through every step and groups of players are treated differently, depending on the their on field job. Concepts have to be put across and nobody can cheat-football preparation is transparent.
So when lunch comes round at 12.30 and the players have eaten their planned diet, it is off to the snoozebox or "pod" for a touch of shut eye. Some players could go home but with troublesome traffic and the sense of team spirit prevailing, the pod is a good place to get your head down until the late afternoon session.
Players are surrounding by gadgets that monitor their sleep patterns at home, the coaches are "miked up" and sessions are recorded and filmed for future reference. The hamstring tester, the ice baths, power structures and nutritionists all add to the fine margins that lie between success and failure at this premier level.
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