Injuries… in a wider context

[Jaime]

Each and everyone of us are torn between being sympathetic towards PH and the hand he has been dealt, versus wanting to see passionate performances from our beloved Blades.

Problems in the workplace (here we may call them an injury crisis) are usually time limited. Most of us are rationale, understanding and sympathetic towards these situations.… After a considerable passing of time, the injury crisis is increasing rather than decreasing. At what point do we start to examine the problem beyond: the league table; points; and tactics; and to consider (as Barnsley, Hibs and Leeds fans have alluded) the management?

How can Archer and Hamer (et al) be blowing out of their arse at 60 mins? Let’s think back to the match v Lincoln… at what point did their fans accept at 60 mins their players were knackered because they were playing PL opponents? Let alone what was the result!

We can accept ’one or twice’ being an accident; ‘twice or thrice’ being unfortunate; however ’repeatedly’ is akin to there ‘being no smoke without fire’. Repeated injury crises don’t happen by accident! There has to be a wider cause… This doesn’t repeatedly happen by coincidense!

Some may pose:

• training ground/facilities? (No…. It’s the same training ground with improved facilities which have yielded more injuries)
• new players getting up to speed? (Pretty much no… most arrived with some degree of fitness, even those arriving very late in the transfer window)
• the PL is a different league…. Yes it is, however, in the Championship or League One we would not have accepted ‘excuses’, so why are they suddenly acceptable?
• The Prince wants out…. like many, I’m sure he does… Even without PL investment in the past (even the Spurs match last season) we weren’t defined by this, rather our team lived by our values and stood up for themselves.

- Really unfortunate circumstances have dealt PH a ‘defence’ - Jesus wept, we would all love a defence! (injuries, Bash, Egan, late transfer arrivals, injuries again)…. These are all really difficult yet, we have PH who publicises the challenges/problems, yet rarely speaks up and empowers others! Just think Trusty… radio silence from PH as to why he wasn’t getting minutes!

Some may call it ’culture’, others may say ‘team spirit’ and others may say ‘leadership’…. Whatever we call it, it possibly arrives at the same conclusion. Currently, whatever we call it, there is something fundamentally wrong at BDTBL.

I’ve stood back previously from the PH ‘out’ votes, however, despite all of the excuses, I’m now believing there are reasons beyond the ownership and injuries that cannot be ignored.

Listening to YouTube whilst I type and I’m reflecting on music (unison we may call it). I’ve heard one or two people unite and make amazing music, versus a disconnected group (we may call it the Arsenal line up) beating out a disconnected tune whilst PH and others claim to be in harmony.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Agree.....our injury situation is put down to bad luck...but it's impossible to be continuously unlucky. For all we know behind the scenes it might be the injury situation that is the main cause of fracture in the Prince v Hecky relationship. Hence why Hecky is always secretive regards injuries and rarely gives timescale, heard him say many times "they are back when they're back". Maybe the reason the Prince might end up sacking Hecky is based on the apparent persistent bad luck regards injuries, most are innocuous muscle strains, something isn't right.

Another point I find strange is the inability for some Blades fans to change opinion based on the circumstances they see.
Regards Hecky staying and going, , it's never so black and white, there are nuances and the situation evolves over time.

However the number of people who have nailed their colours to the mass and almost have an emotional attachment to their decision.
I've heard comments like "Hecky was brilliant for us last season, so he deserves the full season and the start of next season too".
Comments like "I'm not bothered what Hecky does we should keep him because no other manager could do better".
Even comments like "we don't belong in the PL, much prefer it in the Championship, it's proper football there, so Hecky stays"
and "our players are poor, it's not Hecky's fault. We only lost 2-1 to Man City and Spurs so we're obviously on the right track".

I'm thinking surely players and especially the manager must always be accountable, not so much regards results but they must consistently be getting the best out of their team and ensure the players give maximum effort. Performances should always be decent with the players giving their best.
Losing is acceptable but regular falling short of once best is not acceptable.

If so many of our fans accept mediocrity and lack ambition, then that might explain why we struggle to attract a buyer.
If the fans don't think we belong in the PL and don't want to be there, then why would anyone buy us?

 

[Houston_Blade]

No one thinks it’s bad luck anymore, the problem is no one knows what the issue is.

We’ve been told that there’s been analysis done as to why, unsurprisingly no one has shared the results of this analysis, I can only assume because it paints some part of the management team or board of the club in a bad light.

We may be told one day, but for now I’m not holding my breath.

 

[YorkBlade]

Wasn't there a poster on here after the covid season that said he dated a witch, broke-up over his watching of United and she cursed our team? That's the answer right there.

 

[Champagneblade]

Another point I find strange is the inability for some Blades fans to change opinion based on the circumstances they see.
Regards Hecky staying and going, , it's never so black and white, there are nuances and the situation evolves over time.

Whilst the first half against Man U was encouraging, it was another example of, setting the name of the opposition to one side, we had an opportunity to take points and we're once more nearly men.

I'm starting to sense a bit of a shift of feeling in the fan base.

Hecky was given a poor hand, starting with a team worse than he ended the prior season.

But in terms of points, this is the worst possible outcome more or less right now. I expected us to average a point per game at home.

Have we suddenly become 4 points worse than Luton, the supposed whipping boys of the division?

I agree with long term planning. My concern is simply the club morale will be so low that bouncing back with the same manager and players may be almost irretrievable.

He/They desperately need a win to break the cycle. We can scarcely retain possession for 3 passes in most games and Championship team or not, that's not acceptable.

 

[Gaini Blade]

Wasn't there a poster on here after the covid season that said he dated a witch, broke-up over his watching of United and she cursed our team? That's the answer right there.

I'll get the torches and pitchforks, you sort us out some pack up.

 

[Nick Jansky]

So yesterday I spoke at length with the head of medical at a large and well established PL club. They get very few soft tissue injuries. I asked a lot of questions and got a lot of answers, some surprising. Happy to share it all on here, but I have an absolutely mental day ahead of me today so I’ll do it as soon as I get time.

What I will say, and bear in mind that I am usually (incorrectly) regarded as a happy clapper, is that the reasons aren’t all straightforward but I do now think the sheer number of soft tissue injuries is not simply down to “bad luck” (which my man doesn’t believe in, says you influence your own luck).

 

[Revolution]

So yesterday I spoke at length with the head of medical at a large and well established PL club. They get very few soft tissue injuries. I asked a lot of questions and got a lot of answers, some surprising. Happy to share it all on here, but I have an absolutely mental day ahead of me today so I’ll do it as soon as I get time.

What I will say, and bear in mind that I am usually (incorrectly) regarded as a happy clapper, is that the reasons aren’t all straightforward but I do now think the sheer number of soft tissue injuries is not simply down to “bad luck” (which my man doesn’t believe in, says you influence your own luck).

I for one will be interested to hear this.

One nugget I heard recently. The pitch situation at the training ground still leaves a lot to be desired. Whether this is the cause of any injuries, I do not know.

 

[Houston_Blade]

So yesterday I spoke at length with the head of medical at a large and well established PL club. They get very few soft tissue injuries. I asked a lot of questions and got a lot of answers, some surprising. Happy to share it all on here, but I have an absolutely mental day ahead of me today so I’ll do it as soon as I get time.

What I will say, and bear in mind that I am usually (incorrectly) regarded as a happy clapper, is that the reasons aren’t all straightforward but I do now think the sheer number of soft tissue injuries is not simply down to “bad luck” (which my man doesn’t believe in, says you influence your own luck).

It’s not been down to ‘bad luck’ for about 2 years, the problem is that no one at the club is willing to share the results of their analysis so it leads to speculation and supposition.

In my very unqualified opinion it’s a combination of poor conditioning, small squad being overworked, poor medical screening of incoming players, our seeming inability to rehabilitate injured players and the training surface.

The clappers will still point towards the black cat, gypsy curse or broken mirror approach though.

 

[ATL Recs]

Wasn't there a poster on here after the covid season that said he dated a witch, broke-up over his watching of United and she cursed our team? That's the answer right there.

It goes back to the South Stand build . Legend says that Yorkshire CC got a gypsy to put a curse on the club when they lost a home at BDTBL

 

[ATL Recs]

It’s not been down to ‘bad luck’ for about 2 years, the problem is that no one at the club is willing to share the results of their analysis so it leads to speculation and supposition.

In my very unqualified opinion it’s a combination of poor conditioning, small squad being overworked, poor medical screening of incoming players, our seeming inability to rehabilitate injured players and the training surface.

The clappers will still point towards the black cat, gypsy curse or broken mirror approach though.

If the conditioning and medical screening was better it wouldn't be a small squad being overworked

 

[Snowflake]

Each and everyone of us are torn between being sympathetic towards PH and the hand he has been dealt, versus wanting to see passionate performances from our beloved Blades.

Problems in the workplace (here we may call them an injury crisis) are usually time limited. Most of us are rationale, understanding and sympathetic towards these situations.… After a considerable passing of time, the injury crisis is increasing rather than decreasing. At what point do we start to examine the problem beyond: the league table; points; and tactics; and to consider (as Barnsley, Hibs and Leeds fans have alluded) the management?

How can Archer and Hamer (et al) be blowing out of their arse at 60 mins? Let’s think back to the match v Lincoln… at what point did their fans accept at 60 mins their players were knackered because they were playing PL opponents? Let alone what was the result!

We can accept ’one or twice’ being an accident; ‘twice or thrice’ being unfortunate; however ’repeatedly’ is akin to there ‘being no smoke without fire’. Repeated injury crises don’t happen by accident! There has to be a wider cause… This doesn’t repeatedly happen by coincidense!

Some may pose:

• training ground/facilities? (No…. It’s the same training ground with improved facilities which have yielded more injuries)
• new players getting up to speed? (Pretty much no… most arrived with some degree of fitness, even those arriving very late in the transfer window)
• the PL is a different league…. Yes it is, however, in the Championship or League One we would not have accepted ‘excuses’, so why are they suddenly acceptable?
• The Prince wants out…. like many, I’m sure he does… Even without PL investment in the past (even the Spurs match last season) we weren’t defined by this, rather our team lived by our values and stood up for themselves.

- Really unfortunate circumstances have dealt PH a ‘defence’ - Jesus wept, we would all love a defence! (injuries, Bash, Egan, late transfer arrivals, injuries again)…. These are all really difficult yet, we have PH who publicises the challenges/problems, yet rarely speaks up and empowers others! Just think Trusty… radio silence from PH as to why he wasn’t getting minutes!

Some may call it ’culture’, others may say ‘team spirit’ and others may say ‘leadership’…. Whatever we call it, it possibly arrives at the same conclusion. Currently, whatever we call it, there is something fundamentally wrong at BDTBL.

I’ve stood back previously from the PH ‘out’ votes, however, despite all of the excuses, I’m now believing there are reasons beyond the ownership and injuries that cannot be ignored.

Listening to YouTube whilst I type and I’m reflecting on music (unison we may call it). I’ve heard one or two people unite and make amazing music, versus a disconnected group (we may call it the Arsenal line up) beating out a disconnected tune whilst PH and others claim to be in harmony.

I struggle to see your conclusion.

 

[Bladesthorpe]

I for one will be interested to hear this.

One nugget I heard recently. The pitch situation at the training ground still leaves a lot to be desired. Whether this is the cause of any injuries, I do not know.

I was up at Shirecliffe recently and both 1st team training pitches were looking like bowling greens, in excellent condition.

 

[MosboroughBlade]

Wasn't there a poster on here after the covid season that said he dated a witch, broke-up over his watching of United and she cursed our team? That's the answer right there.

Our Gert is not allowed out anymore. Apologies.

 

[Westran]

Our long term injuries are overwhelmingly always LCB/RCB or wing backs. Maybe we're asking too much physically of certain players, asking them to operate in spaces that isn't natural for their position.

I've obviously thought about this a lot over the last few years, wondering why are we always so unlucky with injuries, this is my most rational assumption.

 

[Bell4]

So yesterday I spoke at length with the head of medical at a large and well established PL club. They get very few soft tissue injuries. I asked a lot of questions and got a lot of answers, some surprising. Happy to share it all on here, but I have an absolutely mental day ahead of me today so I’ll do it as soon as I get time.

What I will say, and bear in mind that I am usually (incorrectly) regarded as a happy clapper, is that the reasons aren’t all straightforward but I do now think the sheer number of soft tissue injuries is not simply down to “bad luck” (which my man doesn’t believe in, says you influence your own luck).

This reminds me of the conclusion to the Basil Brush show every Friday - boom boom

 

[Bladesman]

So yesterday I spoke at length with the head of medical at a large and well established PL club. They get very few soft tissue injuries. I asked a lot of questions and got a lot of answers, some surprising. Happy to share it all on here, but I have an absolutely mental day ahead of me today so I’ll do it as soon as I get time.

What I will say, and bear in mind that I am usually (incorrectly) regarded as a happy clapper, is that the reasons aren’t all straightforward but I do now think the sheer number of soft tissue injuries is not simply down to “bad luck” (which my man doesn’t believe in, says you influence your own luck).

I wonder if they think its wise leaving a player injured on the pitch for as long as we did with McBurnie.

 

[Ravoblades]

So yesterday I spoke at length with the head of medical at a large and well established PL club. They get very few soft tissue injuries. I asked a lot of questions and got a lot of answers, some surprising. Happy to share it all on here, but I have an absolutely mental day ahead of me today so I’ll do it as soon as I get time.

What I will say, and bear in mind that I am usually (incorrectly) regarded as a happy clapper, is that the reasons aren’t all straightforward but I do now think the sheer number of soft tissue injuries is not simply down to “bad luck” (which my man doesn’t believe in, says you influence your own luck).

Would I be right in assuming this established premiership team keep the ball better than us and don't spend 75 minutes chasing shadows.

 

[Jaime]

Would I be right in assuming this established premiership team keep the ball better than us and don't spend 75 minutes chasing shadows.

Let’s await to see what Nick feels able to share.… soft tissue injuries clearly depend on the situation but generally speaking they are caused by putting too much strain on something.

1. How many soft tissue injuries occurred on the training ground?
2. How many occurred in a match?
3. In a number of games, did we see the effort of chasing anything, whether this was the opposition or shadows?

It seems too many injuries occurred in point one to be coincidence.

As others have rightly said, a deep dive and review to understand the inexplicable number of non match soft tissue injuries is required.… as fans we deserve some transparency as to what said review disclosed. Without transparency we are left to for, our own conclusions. The medical facts of how soft tissue injuries occur don’t pain a positive picture.

 

[ATL Recs]

Let’s await to see what Nick feels able to share.… soft tissue injuries clearly depend on the situation but generally speaking they are caused by putting too much strain on something.

1. How many soft tissue injuries occurred on the training ground?
2. How many occurred in a match?
3. In a number of games, did we see the effort of chasing anything, whether this was the opposition or shadows?

It seems too many injuries occurred in point one to be coincidence.

As others have rightly said, a deep dive and review to understand the inexplicable number of non match soft tissue injuries is required.… as fans we deserve some transparency as to what said review disclosed. Without transparency we are left to for, our own conclusions. The medical facts of how soft tissue injuries occur don’t pain a positive picture.

Point 2 factored by point 1 in most cases

 

[Nick Jansky]

So yesterday I spoke at length with the head of medical at a large and well established PL club. They get very few soft tissue injuries. I asked a lot of questions and got a lot of answers, some surprising. Happy to share it all on here, but I have an absolutely mental day ahead of me today so I’ll do it as soon as I get time.

What I will say, and bear in mind that I am usually (incorrectly) regarded as a happy clapper, is that the reasons aren’t all straightforward but I do now think the sheer number of soft tissue injuries is not simply down to “bad luck” (which my man doesn’t believe in, says you influence your own luck).

OK, this is what the man told me.

By way of background, he is at his 2nd PL club. At his current club he heads a staff of over 100 individuals involved in all areas of sports science. He is a medical professor and as well as his full time job he also has a very successful private practice in his country of origin. Most of what he said makes perfect sense to me.

1. In the last 20 years the game has evolved from being a technical game to one that is played by elite athletes. This is particularly true of the PL. Therefore players should undergo fitness and conditioning training as olympic athletes rather than as footballers.

2. Because of this, the risk of soft tissue injuries has increased hugely. Therefore, much of his work is about prevention rather than treatment and they are very successful at this. If they got more than 2 or 3 soft tissue injuries in the first team squad throughout the course of a season he would consider he had failed. He does not believe that having a large number of such injuries has anything to do with bad luck.

3. One of the things that has changed is that during the game players have less rest time between intense sprints. There is rarely time for a breather during the match any more. This can very rapidly move them through the amber and into the red zone very quickly. The risk is highest when an "effort" comes too quickly after the previous "effort".

4. At his previous club they noticed that players transferring in from other leagues were very prone to soft tissue injuries once they started playing in the PL due to the increased intensity compared to any other league. This is also true to a degree in the Championship - his first club was promoted to the PL whilst he was there. There is no quick fix for this. Overseas players have to be conditioned properly before they are able to play more than a bit part.

5. This next bit seems to be a bit counter intuitive, but he says that one of the most important things they do in training is lots of intense sprinting. He says that this actually increases the risk of soft tissue injuries during training, but conversely decreases the risk of them happening during a game. But it is all about timing. If intense sprinting is introduced before a player has fully recovered from a game the risk is very high. The recovery has to be got absolutely right and each individual will be different.

6. He says that this next bit is the most important bit. Who designs the training & coaching routine? He says that if it is the coaching staff there will be problems. He is very lucky to have a manager who is 100% bought into sports science and has a deep interest in it. Therefore the medical team are given the final say over the timing and nature of training sessions and when certain sessions are or are not able to take place. He thinks this is still fairly unusual, but that their results speak for themselves. His manager provides him with training schedules in advance and he has sign off over whether it can proceed as the coaches want or whether it needs to be tweaked.

7. This goes hand in hand with communication, and all departments and sub departments knowing exactly what is going on with every individual player at all times. He says this can be a problem because of the sheer number of people involved - coaches, nutritionists, doctors, physios, performance analysts, fitness & conditioning staff, psychologists, sleep analysts & others. Every member of staff needs all of the data and knowledge on every player, not just a part or parts of the picture. This can't all be done via meetings because all that would ever happen is meetings, but they use technology to the fullest.

8. Nutrition has been important for a long time, but there is increasing understanding of the huge role that the right sleep at the right time plays.

9. Desso pitches do not cause injuries. Injuries are caused by lack of proper conditioning and doing the wrong things at the wrong times, often by coaches who haven't moved on in terms of how the game has developed.

This is all I can remember. I really enjoyed chatting with him, he's a very personable bloke. I'm not sure if you'll feel that you've leaned anything from this but hope some of you find it interesting. If anyone has any (non flippant) follow up questions I'll ask them next time I meet with him.

 

[Bladesman]

OK, this is what the man told me.

By way of background, he is at his 2nd PL club. At his current club he heads a staff of over 100 individuals involved in all areas of sports science. He is a medical professor and as well as his full time job he also has a very successful private practice in his country of origin. Most of what he said makes perfect sense to me.

1. In the last 20 years the game has evolved from being a technical game to one that is played by elite athletes. This is particularly true of the PL. Therefore players should undergo fitness and conditioning training as olympic athletes rather than as footballers.

2. Because of this, the risk of soft tissue injuries has increased hugely. Therefore, much of his work is about prevention rather than treatment and they are very successful at this. If they got more than 2 or 3 soft tissue injuries in the first team squad throughout the course of a season he would consider he had failed. He does not believe that having a large number of such injuries has anything to do with bad luck.

3. One of the things that has changed is that during the game players have less rest time between intense sprints. There is rarely time for a breather during the match any more. This can very rapidly move them through the amber and into the red zone very quickly. The risk is highest when an "effort" comes too quickly after the previous "effort".

4. At his previous club they noticed that players transferring in from other leagues were very prone to soft tissue injuries once they started playing in the PL due to the increased intensity compared to any other league. This is also true to a degree in the Championship - his first club was promoted to the PL whilst he was there. There is no quick fix for this. Overseas players have to be conditioned properly before they are able to play more than a bit part.

5. This next bit seems to be a bit counter intuitive, but he says that one of the most important things they do in training is lots of intense sprinting. He says that this actually increases the risk of soft tissue injuries during training, but conversely decreases the risk of them happening during a game. But it is all about timing. If intense sprinting is introduced before a player has fully recovered from a game the risk is very high. The recovery has to be got absolutely right and each individual will be different.

6. He says that this next bit is the most important bit. Who designs the training & coaching routine? He says that if it is the coaching staff there will be problems. He is very lucky to have a manager who is 100% bought into sports science and has a deep interest in it. Therefore the medical team are given the final say over the timing and nature of training sessions and when certain sessions are or are not able to take place. He thinks this is still fairly unusual, but that their results speak for themselves. His manager provides him with training schedules in advance and he has sign off over whether it can proceed as the coaches want or whether it needs to be tweaked.

7. This goes hand in hand with communication, and all departments and sub departments knowing exactly what is going on with every individual player at all times. He says this can be a problem because of the sheer number of people involved - coaches, nutritionists, doctors, physios, performance analysts, fitness & conditioning staff, psychologists, sleep analysts & others. Every member of staff needs all of the data and knowledge on every player, not just a part or parts of the picture. This can't all be done via meetings because all that would ever happen is meetings, but they use technology to the fullest.

8. Nutrition has been important for a long time, but there is increasing understanding of the huge role that the right sleep at the right time plays.

9. Desso pitches do not cause injuries. Injuries are caused by lack of proper conditioning and doing the wrong things at the wrong times, often by coaches who haven't moved on in terms of how the game has developed.

This is all I can remember. I really enjoyed chatting with him, he's a very personable bloke. I'm not sure if you'll feel that you've leaned anything from this but hope some of you find it interesting. If anyone has any (non flippant) follow up questions I'll ask them next time I meet with him.

So really the training pitch excuse last season was just that an excuse. I thought as much because previous managers have used those shirecliffe pitches and not had anywhere near the level of injuries that we have had under Hecky.

What he says makes sense and the recovery time and training sessions probably do need to be signed off by medical staff.

 

[jt64]

Very insightful post Nick, thanks

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

It's time for Hecky leave once we inevitably lose tomorrow. He's completely lost momentum and regaining it seems impossible. His tactical skills are simply not up to par for this league, and all your observations are spot on. The team's fitness levels are a joke, a problem we never encountered with previous managers (over a long period). I initially gave Hecky the benefit of the doubt last season, blaming the injuries on the COVID break and the World Cup, where we were playing every Saturday - Tuesday. But there was no improvement, and this season is again a disgrace. It's ridiculous that they're playing one game a week and yet appear exhausted after just 70 minutes of play, week after week.

If Wilder ends up being the one to take over, I'm fine with that. I'd like his first words to be an apology for the manner in which he left, and then we can focus on moving forward. My only hope is that the board doesn't drag their feet for two to three weeks to find the right replacement, essentially wasting games in which we could potentially be earning points, much like what happened at the start of the season.

 

[Addison]

OK, this is what the man told me.

By way of background, he is at his 2nd PL club. At his current club he heads a staff of over 100 individuals involved in all areas of sports science. He is a medical professor and as well as his full time job he also has a very successful private practice in his country of origin. Most of what he said makes perfect sense to me.

1. In the last 20 years the game has evolved from being a technical game to one that is played by elite athletes. This is particularly true of the PL. Therefore players should undergo fitness and conditioning training as olympic athletes rather than as footballers.

2. Because of this, the risk of soft tissue injuries has increased hugely. Therefore, much of his work is about prevention rather than treatment and they are very successful at this. If they got more than 2 or 3 soft tissue injuries in the first team squad throughout the course of a season he would consider he had failed. He does not believe that having a large number of such injuries has anything to do with bad luck.

3. One of the things that has changed is that during the game players have less rest time between intense sprints. There is rarely time for a breather during the match any more. This can very rapidly move them through the amber and into the red zone very quickly. The risk is highest when an "effort" comes too quickly after the previous "effort".

4. At his previous club they noticed that players transferring in from other leagues were very prone to soft tissue injuries once they started playing in the PL due to the increased intensity compared to any other league. This is also true to a degree in the Championship - his first club was promoted to the PL whilst he was there. There is no quick fix for this. Overseas players have to be conditioned properly before they are able to play more than a bit part.

5. This next bit seems to be a bit counter intuitive, but he says that one of the most important things they do in training is lots of intense sprinting. He says that this actually increases the risk of soft tissue injuries during training, but conversely decreases the risk of them happening during a game. But it is all about timing. If intense sprinting is introduced before a player has fully recovered from a game the risk is very high. The recovery has to be got absolutely right and each individual will be different.

6. He says that this next bit is the most important bit. Who designs the training & coaching routine? He says that if it is the coaching staff there will be problems. He is very lucky to have a manager who is 100% bought into sports science and has a deep interest in it. Therefore the medical team are given the final say over the timing and nature of training sessions and when certain sessions are or are not able to take place. He thinks this is still fairly unusual, but that their results speak for themselves. His manager provides him with training schedules in advance and he has sign off over whether it can proceed as the coaches want or whether it needs to be tweaked.

7. This goes hand in hand with communication, and all departments and sub departments knowing exactly what is going on with every individual player at all times. He says this can be a problem because of the sheer number of people involved - coaches, nutritionists, doctors, physios, performance analysts, fitness & conditioning staff, psychologists, sleep analysts & others. Every member of staff needs all of the data and knowledge on every player, not just a part or parts of the picture. This can't all be done via meetings because all that would ever happen is meetings, but they use technology to the fullest.

8. Nutrition has been important for a long time, but there is increasing understanding of the huge role that the right sleep at the right time plays.

9. Desso pitches do not cause injuries. Injuries are caused by lack of proper conditioning and doing the wrong things at the wrong times, often by coaches who haven't moved on in terms of how the game has developed.

This is all I can remember. I really enjoyed chatting with him, he's a very personable bloke. I'm not sure if you'll feel that you've leaned anything from this but hope some of you find it interesting. If anyone has any (non flippant) follow up questions I'll ask them next time I meet with him.

Very informative. Its a shame this person can't be part of the team brought in to independently assess what SUFC are doing. What stands out is the innovation of letting the medical side have the final say on training routines.

The reference to intense sprinting routines being a potential solution to avoid soft tissue injuries is interesting. People have questioned why under CW the team had a lot less injuries. Matt Prestridge was partly responsible for that. The players used to run and run during training sparking criticism that it was a dinosaur approach and that more focus should have been on ball skills.

The club the medical professor is employed by I suspect has state of the art sports science. I'm afraid the antiquated post injury recovery facilities and lack of joined up thinking due to resource issues is where SUFC are in part going wrong.

Point 9 says it all for me. Pitches don't cause injuries but a lack of conditioning and doing the wrong things at the wrong time do. To save money this could be inserted as the final conclusion in the forthcoming independent analysis. In any event if the rumours are to be believed Prestridge will be back at the Club shortly so his fresh pair of eyes may go some way to providing solutions.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

It's weird how under Wilder we pretty much had a fully fit side with little rotation to what we have now being the complete opposite. I don't think it's as simple as we were doing something right and now aren't though

 

[Conspiracy realist]

OK, this is what the man told me.

By way of background, he is at his 2nd PL club. At his current club he heads a staff of over 100 individuals involved in all areas of sports science. He is a medical professor and as well as his full time job he also has a very successful private practice in his country of origin. Most of what he said makes perfect sense to me.

1. In the last 20 years the game has evolved from being a technical game to one that is played by elite athletes. This is particularly true of the PL. Therefore players should undergo fitness and conditioning training as olympic athletes rather than as footballers.

2. Because of this, the risk of soft tissue injuries has increased hugely. Therefore, much of his work is about prevention rather than treatment and they are very successful at this. If they got more than 2 or 3 soft tissue injuries in the first team squad throughout the course of a season he would consider he had failed. He does not believe that having a large number of such injuries has anything to do with bad luck.

3. One of the things that has changed is that during the game players have less rest time between intense sprints. There is rarely time for a breather during the match any more. This can very rapidly move them through the amber and into the red zone very quickly. The risk is highest when an "effort" comes too quickly after the previous "effort".

4. At his previous club they noticed that players transferring in from other leagues were very prone to soft tissue injuries once they started playing in the PL due to the increased intensity compared to any other league. This is also true to a degree in the Championship - his first club was promoted to the PL whilst he was there. There is no quick fix for this. Overseas players have to be conditioned properly before they are able to play more than a bit part.

5. This next bit seems to be a bit counter intuitive, but he says that one of the most important things they do in training is lots of intense sprinting. He says that this actually increases the risk of soft tissue injuries during training, but conversely decreases the risk of them happening during a game. But it is all about timing. If intense sprinting is introduced before a player has fully recovered from a game the risk is very high. The recovery has to be got absolutely right and each individual will be different.

6. He says that this next bit is the most important bit. Who designs the training & coaching routine? He says that if it is the coaching staff there will be problems. He is very lucky to have a manager who is 100% bought into sports science and has a deep interest in it. Therefore the medical team are given the final say over the timing and nature of training sessions and when certain sessions are or are not able to take place. He thinks this is still fairly unusual, but that their results speak for themselves. His manager provides him with training schedules in advance and he has sign off over whether it can proceed as the coaches want or whether it needs to be tweaked.

7. This goes hand in hand with communication, and all departments and sub departments knowing exactly what is going on with every individual player at all times. He says this can be a problem because of the sheer number of people involved - coaches, nutritionists, doctors, physios, performance analysts, fitness & conditioning staff, psychologists, sleep analysts & others. Every member of staff needs all of the data and knowledge on every player, not just a part or parts of the picture. This can't all be done via meetings because all that would ever happen is meetings, but they use technology to the fullest.

8. Nutrition has been important for a long time, but there is increasing understanding of the huge role that the right sleep at the right time plays.

9. Desso pitches do not cause injuries. Injuries are caused by lack of proper conditioning and doing the wrong things at the wrong times, often by coaches who haven't moved on in terms of how the game has developed.

This is all I can remember. I really enjoyed chatting with him, he's a very personable bloke. I'm not sure if you'll feel that you've leaned anything from this but hope some of you find it interesting. If anyone has any (non flippant) follow up questions I'll ask them next time I meet with him.

Wow! all this to play a game of football, wonder what the players from yesteryear think of all this, I'm falling out of love with football after fifty odd years.

 

[highgreeninjapan]

OK, this is what the man told me.

By way of background, he is at his 2nd PL club. At his current club he heads a staff of over 100 individuals involved in all areas of sports science. He is a medical professor and as well as his full time job he also has a very successful private practice in his country of origin. Most of what he said makes perfect sense to me.

1. In the last 20 years the game has evolved from being a technical game to one that is played by elite athletes. This is particularly true of the PL. Therefore players should undergo fitness and conditioning training as olympic athletes rather than as footballers.

2. Because of this, the risk of soft tissue injuries has increased hugely. Therefore, much of his work is about prevention rather than treatment and they are very successful at this. If they got more than 2 or 3 soft tissue injuries in the first team squad throughout the course of a season he would consider he had failed. He does not believe that having a large number of such injuries has anything to do with bad luck.

3. One of the things that has changed is that during the game players have less rest time between intense sprints. There is rarely time for a breather during the match any more. This can very rapidly move them through the amber and into the red zone very quickly. The risk is highest when an "effort" comes too quickly after the previous "effort".

4. At his previous club they noticed that players transferring in from other leagues were very prone to soft tissue injuries once they started playing in the PL due to the increased intensity compared to any other league. This is also true to a degree in the Championship - his first club was promoted to the PL whilst he was there. There is no quick fix for this. Overseas players have to be conditioned properly before they are able to play more than a bit part.

5. This next bit seems to be a bit counter intuitive, but he says that one of the most important things they do in training is lots of intense sprinting. He says that this actually increases the risk of soft tissue injuries during training, but conversely decreases the risk of them happening during a game. But it is all about timing. If intense sprinting is introduced before a player has fully recovered from a game the risk is very high. The recovery has to be got absolutely right and each individual will be different.

6. He says that this next bit is the most important bit. Who designs the training & coaching routine? He says that if it is the coaching staff there will be problems. He is very lucky to have a manager who is 100% bought into sports science and has a deep interest in it. Therefore the medical team are given the final say over the timing and nature of training sessions and when certain sessions are or are not able to take place. He thinks this is still fairly unusual, but that their results speak for themselves. His manager provides him with training schedules in advance and he has sign off over whether it can proceed as the coaches want or whether it needs to be tweaked.

7. This goes hand in hand with communication, and all departments and sub departments knowing exactly what is going on with every individual player at all times. He says this can be a problem because of the sheer number of people involved - coaches, nutritionists, doctors, physios, performance analysts, fitness & conditioning staff, psychologists, sleep analysts & others. Every member of staff needs all of the data and knowledge on every player, not just a part or parts of the picture. This can't all be done via meetings because all that would ever happen is meetings, but they use technology to the fullest.

8. Nutrition has been important for a long time, but there is increasing understanding of the huge role that the right sleep at the right time plays.

9. Desso pitches do not cause injuries. Injuries are caused by lack of proper conditioning and doing the wrong things at the wrong times, often by coaches who haven't moved on in terms of how the game has developed.

This is all I can remember. I really enjoyed chatting with him, he's a very personable bloke. I'm not sure if you'll feel that you've leaned anything from this but hope some of you find it interesting. If anyone has any (non flippant) follow up questions I'll ask them next time I meet with him.

Thanks for this. A genuinely interesting read.

 

[Houston_Blade]

OK, this is what the man told me.

By way of background, he is at his 2nd PL club. At his current club he heads a staff of over 100 individuals involved in all areas of sports science. He is a medical professor and as well as his full time job he also has a very successful private practice in his country of origin. Most of what he said makes perfect sense to me.

1. In the last 20 years the game has evolved from being a technical game to one that is played by elite athletes. This is particularly true of the PL. Therefore players should undergo fitness and conditioning training as olympic athletes rather than as footballers.

2. Because of this, the risk of soft tissue injuries has increased hugely. Therefore, much of his work is about prevention rather than treatment and they are very successful at this. If they got more than 2 or 3 soft tissue injuries in the first team squad throughout the course of a season he would consider he had failed. He does not believe that having a large number of such injuries has anything to do with bad luck.

3. One of the things that has changed is that during the game players have less rest time between intense sprints. There is rarely time for a breather during the match any more. This can very rapidly move them through the amber and into the red zone very quickly. The risk is highest when an "effort" comes too quickly after the previous "effort".

4. At his previous club they noticed that players transferring in from other leagues were very prone to soft tissue injuries once they started playing in the PL due to the increased intensity compared to any other league. This is also true to a degree in the Championship - his first club was promoted to the PL whilst he was there. There is no quick fix for this. Overseas players have to be conditioned properly before they are able to play more than a bit part.

5. This next bit seems to be a bit counter intuitive, but he says that one of the most important things they do in training is lots of intense sprinting. He says that this actually increases the risk of soft tissue injuries during training, but conversely decreases the risk of them happening during a game. But it is all about timing. If intense sprinting is introduced before a player has fully recovered from a game the risk is very high. The recovery has to be got absolutely right and each individual will be different.

6. He says that this next bit is the most important bit. Who designs the training & coaching routine? He says that if it is the coaching staff there will be problems. He is very lucky to have a manager who is 100% bought into sports science and has a deep interest in it. Therefore the medical team are given the final say over the timing and nature of training sessions and when certain sessions are or are not able to take place. He thinks this is still fairly unusual, but that their results speak for themselves. His manager provides him with training schedules in advance and he has sign off over whether it can proceed as the coaches want or whether it needs to be tweaked.

7. This goes hand in hand with communication, and all departments and sub departments knowing exactly what is going on with every individual player at all times. He says this can be a problem because of the sheer number of people involved - coaches, nutritionists, doctors, physios, performance analysts, fitness & conditioning staff, psychologists, sleep analysts & others. Every member of staff needs all of the data and knowledge on every player, not just a part or parts of the picture. This can't all be done via meetings because all that would ever happen is meetings, but they use technology to the fullest.

8. Nutrition has been important for a long time, but there is increasing understanding of the huge role that the right sleep at the right time plays.

9. Desso pitches do not cause injuries. Injuries are caused by lack of proper conditioning and doing the wrong things at the wrong times, often by coaches who haven't moved on in terms of how the game has developed.

This is all I can remember. I really enjoyed chatting with him, he's a very personable bloke. I'm not sure if you'll feel that you've leaned anything from this but hope some of you find it interesting. If anyone has any (non flippant) follow up questions I'll ask them next time I meet with him.

The point about players moving from other leagues to the PL being ‘high risk’ is an interesting one.

Assuming that this is not known only by this individual (and someone at the Blades is aware) surely it points teams like us towards signing lower end PL players and not random punts at players from poor overseas leagues.

It would also be interesting to pickup on the point about players needing ‘Olympic style’ training. Is this something that’s possible for those who aren’t at the same level of athleticism as others, or do we just accept beforehand that the likes of Osborn, Norwood, Fleck etc. will always be short of the mark?

 

[Nick Jansky]

Assuming that this is not known only by this individual (and someone at the Blades is aware) surely it points teams like us towards signing lower end PL players and not random punts at players from poor overseas leagues.

I don’t think so. I think it just means the conditioning has to be got right before they are thrown into 90 minute stints.

It would also be interesting to pickup on the point about players needing ‘Olympic style’ training. Is this something that’s possible for those who aren’t at the same level of athleticism as others, or do we just accept beforehand that the likes of Osborn, Norwood, Fleck etc. will always be short of the mark?

An interesting point. I don’t recall Norwood ever suffering a soft tissue injury and Fleck’s recent issues have been caused by impacts. Having said that, I do think their lack of physicality (rather than athleticism) works against them in the PL.