Seeing the tough schedule and dirty opponents taking their toll on our players, should we down-prioritise the FA Cup totally, considering we still have a good chance at a domestic double and maybe even a better shout than ever at the CL title? Wouldn’t mind seeing a total 2nd string formation against Burnley personally.
No dirty opponents are taking any toll on our players.
Mendy stupidly went in for a challenge he didn't need to and came off worst, played on and is out for most of the season.
Stones did a hamstring - a hugely common injury to any sportsmen who run fast and need to slow down quickly.
Kompany is injury prone.
Silva has had family problems.
de Bruyne took a kick but is absolutely fine, it's a contact sport and these lads are stronger than their little frames would suggest and can take a lot (despite it being a cowards tackle from Puncheon).
Jesus slipped and did the splits and did his knee ligaments.
I think it might come out that Walker did his groin last night right with the last kick of the game because he mis-read the bounce of the ball because he was looking at their man instead of the ball and took an air swing.
How many of these injuries are because of players of other teams or the fixture list taking their toll on our players?
It's just an excuse from managers so they can get more time to prepare for games instead of the quick turnaround and lack of preparation to study the opposition.
I'm sick of hearing these managers come out every year moaning about the Christmas fixtures. Players will start to believe it too the way some of these managers go on about it. Jamie Redknapp said it right the other day, he said players loved playing around Christmas when he played and it was never on the conscience of anybody that it was a problem. When you start being told it's a problem - even when it isn't in reality - you will start to believe it is.
Now don't get me wrong, i think with the price of football over the last decade, there are too many games for us fans to keep up with affording to be able to go to. But these players can handle two games a week, every week, for nine months. It can be done. The way the body can recover with nutrition, massage, cryotherapy, oxygen therapy, hydrotherapy, their cardio fitness and muscular endurance capabilities and the training they do, they can handle two games a week on the whole. There are players i've noticed over the years like Joe Cole, Yaya and Ozil (and probably many more) who don't seem to be at the fitness level of other top professionals in the top leagues. But on the whole the majority can handle it, easily.
