Pienaar: I'm fully fit
Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar says he feels fully fit after a long pre-season and a tough start to the Premier League.
Pienaar has openly admitted that he suffered fatigue at various points during pre-season because of his role at the World Cup with South Africa. However, he says the club has nursed him back to full fitness
ahead of some important matches.
Pienaar has developed hugely in the last one to two seasons under the management of David Moyes and has been involved in Everton's first four matches. He is one of the most creative players in the club
and will play a big part in any success the side has this year.
Pienaar plays in a very competitive position where he has to be very fit to have an impact. Everton will have to handle his situation carefully as the Premier League season is long and has no breaks.
Midfield position
Pienaar plays in the middle of Everton's midfield. This is a position where he is running the pitch constantly during games. This means he has to be extremely fit to compete for 90 minutes.
The pace of the Premier League is very high and this places extra physical strain on midfield players. Pienaar has to do a lot of work off the ball and this is difficult when Everton plays good sides that
keep possession.
Everton is involved in a number of different competitions and Pienaar also regularly represents South Africa. This creates a huge number of games that Pienaar is involved in but he should cope now he feels
he is fully fit. His fitness will also help him to cope with travelling all over the world to play for his country.
He said: "When you come back for pre-season and join a team late, you have to catch up.
When I went to the World Cup I was feeling tired but now I feel much better.
It is down to the players if they have the desire to push themselves the following season and I think all the players that came back have that desire to do well."
Squad rotation
Squad rotation is as important in Everton as it is in any other club. David Moyes will have to rotate Pienaar in and out of the team to stop the South African from suffering
burn out.
Everton does not have the biggest squad in the Premier League. The role of coaches in monitoring fitness is crucial to keeping players fit for longer. The importance of
competing in all competitions has never been greater and this turns into pressure on the fitness coaches at Everton to protect players.
This should allow Pienaar to stay fresh for a longer part of the season. He will benefit from squad rotation because he will be able to play harder and longer when he is
selected.
He added: "It is up to the players mentally to start from scratch."
Betting advice
Pienaar is crucial to the way Everton plays. He will start all games when he is fully fit and not tired. He is an ideal player to back to score at any time during games
against the toughest opponents.
He takes the majority of Everton's set pieces, which means he will have a higher number of chances to score than other players. Free kicks and penalties are the South African's
speciality and should ensure he nets a few goals over the year.
Everton has a great chance to do well domestically this season. The side is worth a bet in the English cup competitions but the quality of the Premier League will stop
Everton competing for the title.
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