Injuries

Quoted from mimma

Instead of bringing players on for the last few minutes because they are not " match fit", why not start with them and bring the off when they tire. That way they get match fit and we start with a better team and hopefully winning when they go off.

That’s not the way Hurst rolls though, is it? No surprise that we were unchanged last night but it didn’t take long to see that there were a couple not ‘at it’ last night and you can’t change it retrospectively.

It’s a bizarre thing for a non Lenny fan to admit but it was maybe a Lenny game last night.

The worry is we seem to get a lot of muscle type injuries, rather than a player taking a kick during a game.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

The worry is we seem to get a lot of muscle type injuries, rather than a player taking a kick during a game.

Who decides when running tights can be worn in training or pre match warm up? Is it our conditioning coach or the player? There must be some science to this especially in the winter. Greg certainly puts them through their paces. I do wander whether the one size fits all training regime is working. 'Fitness coach' does seem an oxymoron at GTFC.

Has anyone else noticed that Abrahams has a lot more timber on him than in his highlights reel? It can't do him any good sat on the bench on a cold night then suddenly be thrown on the pitch to try to win a game in the last ten minutes.

I seem to recall that going back a number of years we had something like 18 contracted players to see us through the season - no problem. It seems to be a bit of an anomaly that these days we have a much bigger squad who should be much fitter than in the day - yet we struggle to put a fit team together?

Now we have fitness coaches, strength and conditioning coaches and tons of science theory yet so many players are sidelined though injury. Is the game more demanding than twenty years ago as I remember the same line up week in and week out.  Or, is that my selective memory?

My grandad worked down dock, smoked 40 a day, lived off bacon butties and chips but still managed to get in a ring to box.  Maybe we are overly cautious these days.

The distance covered by players these days is a different order to that seen back in the day.

Look back at footage of the Buckley Mk. I and II eras and you'll see that there seems to be masses of space available with many not particularly athletic-looking players on show doing a lot of jogging around. Back then, 6' was a regular size for a central defender. Now, it's pretty commonplace for players to be a few inches taller and the fitness aspect means lots of training in the gym as well as on the training field so many are bulkier (with muscle). Most teams are just full of bigger athletic players who can run all game and they do. It's no coincidence that keepers are the players who tend to suffer the fewest injuries during a season.

The players are trained to within an inch of their lives and many are overtrained. The greater distances run means more injuries. The pace and physical demands are just so much greater.

Just did a quick search and this article contains some useful stats:

https://www.irishtimes.com/spo.....-schedules-1.4131276

Here's a quote:

Quoted Text

However, a 2014 study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine showed that in 2013, Premier League players were running 30 per cent further at high intensity, with 50 per cent more high-intensity running actions (i.e. runs) per match, than they had been in 2006, just seven years earlier.

That's the problem with sports science. It's mostly aimed at increasing performance and the resilience aspect probably isn't considered enough.

Quoted from Heswall Mariner

I seem to recall that going back a number of years we had something like 18 contracted players to see us through the season - no problem. It seems to be a bit of an anomaly that these days we have a much bigger squad who should be much fitter than in the day - yet we struggle to put a fit team together?

Bit different back then with only 1 sub allowed.

I think Villa won the Old First Division back in 1980/81 with only 14 players!

The fitness coaches are trying to get every ounce out of the players which only makes them more likely to have a strain or muscle injury because they are so finely tuned.

Look at players in the past Joe Waters was mentioned the other day in a thread saying he hardly missed a game well be was not on his own Paul Groves used to play every minute of every game and he never got injured , he played 68 games the season we went up via the play offs.

I am sure if Max Wright was given a little leeway on the training field he might not pick up so many injuries it's worth a try .

Other players have gone through their careers not being as fit as most other players but they performed well and were nearly always available,

Daily Thompson the decathlon   once said when he was winning all those gold medals he was always on the edge of being ill when 100% fit it was a very fine line.

Would these players have a slight drop in their performance if granted a little easier time on the training pitch well maybe but at least they would be available and not always on the injured list .

I might be talking rubbish but in Max Wright's case I think it's worth a try.

Quoted from grimsby pete

The fitness coaches are trying to get every ounce out of the players which only makes them more likely to have a strain or muscle injury because they are so finely tuned.

Look at players in the past Joe Waters was mentioned the other day in a thread saying he hardly missed a game well be was not on his own Paul Groves used to play every minute of every game and he never got injured , he played 68 games the season we went up via the play offs.

I am sure if Max Wright was given a little leeway on the training field he might not pick up so many injuries it's worth a try .

Other players have gone through their careers not being as fit as most other players but they performed well and were nearly always available,

Daily Thompson the decathlon   once said when he was winning all those gold medals he was always on the edge of being ill when 100% fit it was a very fine line.

Would these players have a slight drop in their performance if granted a little easier time on the training pitch well maybe but at least they would be available and not always on the injured list .

I might be talking rubbish but in Max Wright's case I think it's worth a try.

An ex pro I know has told me in no uncertain terms that he couldn’t cope with the standards of fitness that are demanded nowadays.  

Furthermore, what would the rest of a squad think if one player was allowed to have say, 80% of the level required yet was still only fit enough for the odd 20 minute cameo.

Quoted from friskneymariner

Gut wrenching.

Saw what you did there....

Gave me a belly laugh