Morning Liverpool and Arsenal fans.
For as long as I can remember, Arsenal have had a harrowing injury list. I mean, teams go through injury crises now and again, but Arsenal always seem to have at least half a dozen players out injured at any one point. I've always wondered whether this was due, at least in part, to poor management and planning on the conditioning and sports science side of things?
Take Liverpool, for instance. We used to struggle with fairly regular injuries to key players, but that seems to have changed a lot since Rodgers and his team came in. Daniel Agger, usually a ticking time bomb, has played more football than ever. Steven Gerrard, who has historically been prone to muscle injuries, has played every Premier League minute this season, when you'd normally expect him to start winding down.
We've not had many strains at all. Borini and Kelly are out through impact injuries, other than that it's just Johnson and Enrique who've sustained muscle injuries recently I think, and Reina when he was with Spain. The only real blemish on our medical team was the ill-advised decision early on to risk Lucas when he had a tight muscle before City at home.
A few of the medical staff have said that each individual player has a designated training program. The likes of Agger and Gerrard have heavily tailored programs, whereas someone like Suarez is regarded as virtually injury-proof. I read that Steven Gerrard's sprinting in training has been curbed to 30% of what it used to be, and he's reaping the benefits now.
To be honest, I haven't even checked Arsenal's current injury list, I was just thinking about how fit Liverpool's squad has been this season and then Arsenal's traditional injury list came to mind. I used to be unsure about what caused Arsenal players to get so many injuries, but having seen how well the likes of Agger and Gerrard have been managed this season, I'm convinced that it can't just be bad luck.
What do you guys think?
Injuries and player management
posted on 8/2/13
Since Henrykamp joined ja606, he's been the best poster, doesn't mind having a well-reasoned debate, and has done his best to enhance the good reputation of the Arsenal board.
Well done Henry
posted on 8/2/13
Good post Serial. What happened a year or two ago with Vermaelen? I think I remember Wenger saying he was close to a return and then was forced to admit they'd no idea when he'd be back or something!
TOOR, there's been a couple of niggly injuries, but like I said, Borini and Kelly got impact injuries that you can't legislate for, and Reina got his while away with Spain (who always injure our players )
posted on 8/2/13
United have also had massive injury lists the past couple of seasons.
posted on 8/2/13
When Arsenal players get a serious injury, like Vermaelen and Wilshere, they go to specialists not connected with Arsenal football club.
Remember RvP with the horse placenta thing? Arsenal did not send him there!
Not sure if it is the same with all clubs, but players have certain surgeons and experts they prefer to use, often in their own country.
posted on 8/2/13
Didi
posted on 8/2/13
Didi
posted on 8/2/13
Didi
posted on 8/2/13
<hgual>idiD
posted on 8/2/13
I definitely think the training regime has an impact on injuries. I remember when Rafa was our manager, the team was very fit, but we picked up numerous annoying little injuries, ruling players out for a few weeks
I've also thought Arsenal suffer more than most with injuries...
posted on 8/2/13
There’s obviously some input from Sports Science, but it’s very hard to say how much, because with injuries there’s quite alot of luck involved too, and some players are just inherently less injury-prone than others.
Milan claim to have worked out from their Sports Science department which players are able to play until they’re quite old (eg Maldini), and they did at one stage, have quite a lot of veteran players still playing at the top level.
Maybe too, the Sports Science team at LFC are up-to-date with this research, but I don’t think the team they replaced were mugs, either. What’s clear though, is that even with this knowledge, only certain players have the physical atttributes to do it.
For a number of reasons the Press are being quite klnd to us at the moment, and they seem to have gone for the conclusion that it's down to the excellence of our Sports Science team, but SG’s form may or may not be a good indicator of this.
He was out for a long period last season because of an infection arising from an operation, and I would imagine this is outside the influence of the Sports Science team, because they don’t do the Ops.
As another example Fat Sam reached specious conclusions about Michael Owen’s injuries. (ie. that they were caused by LFC “overplaying " him). But Ryan Giggs made his debut at the same age as Michael Owen, and both made 2 appearances in that debut season.
In the following 4 seasons, between the ages of 18 and 22, Giggs made consideraby more appearances than Owen (at least 40: a whole season’s worth), yet Giggs is still playing, and Owen’s career has somehow been cut short by Liverpool “overplaying” him.