Are We Playing Too Much Football ??

[Everlasting Seconds]

No, we are playing one too set system which either works or not, partially influenced by dumb luck.
Admittedly Pochettino's 4-shit-3-1 line-up does look like it works at times. Sometimes, it works very very well. But there are always these matches where our team cries out for something so different that it would be like putting another manager in charge of those games. The lack of plan-B syndrome that some of us addressed before he was hired is proving it self to be a very valid concern.

 

[TheChosenOne]

Yes and no. European competitions were knock out (home and away? rather than mini leagues which IS more games. By contrast FA Cup games could go to multiple replays until a result was reached. Remind me, did replays of replays get played at the original home side's ground again?

Toss of a coin

 

[TheChosenOne]

Us oldies often refer back to the 'olden days' but .. In the 1972/3 season we played 65 competitive matches, 42 in the league plus 23 cup matches, reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA and winning the League Cup.

I particularly remember this season because I went to at least 50 of those matches.

The point I am trying to make though is- as Cosmic says - the team and squad back then was tiny and the same 11-12 played most of the matches without the benefits that our modern players have. The treatment tables/diets plus travel was different back then. Many a time at an away match the team would into a station while we're being marshalled off the football specials.

Jumpers for goalposts etc.

 

[prawnsandwich]

MoPo is doing an amazing job in keeping the players happy. But it is at the expense of the fans. We want to see our best players play. It is a slap in the face to 35,000 punters that they only got to see a few minutes of Harry Kane.

 

[EastLondonYid]

All this ''are we playing too much football?'' is a get out card for the modern footballer and sucks.

The season begins and the excuse is ..''the players need 10 or so games to get fully match fit''

The season reaches halfway point and gets to xmas by then, and the excuse is '' we are playing too many games''

The season nears its end and the excuse is '' the players are fucked after a grueling season''

So when is the 'perfect' time for them??......when your losing or playing shite you pull out the above bollocks.

 

[Chimbo!]

Indirectly, yesterday's result was a product of too many games. We've been playing two games a week almost non-stop.

The constant run of games meant Pochettino had to rotate and when you do that you risk over-rotating. With hindsight now it's easy to see that resting Kane and Eriksen, with Chadli unavailable, was a mistake. A mistake that would not have happened if we didn't have a League Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

But I don't think that mistake will happen again. Even with the Europa League our fixture list will ease a little because we'll only have two competitions to think about - the League Cup is basically over.

In October, November and December we had three competitions and an intense Christmas fixture period to manage.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

I'm not defending the result as I feel the squad we have should be capable of putting in a better perfformance than we saw yesterday but it's two games a week for a month, not just two games a week.

That's not entirely a regular amount of games and players are unlikely to be able to play 8 games to an equally high standard in a month without rest.

The same players are not playing all those games !

 

[jurgen]

The problem for Poch is while we were in 4 cups it all looks rosy, but should we contrive to get knocked out by Sheffield, and then crumble at the first decent team in Europa as per, it suddenly looks like a pretty crappy season. Maybe he'll need to send Eriksen and Kane on a lads trip to Jamaica at some point. Personally I think Man Utd will only get stronger, their midfield must be so fresh compared to others right now, and the only potential issue might be the number of neck strain injuries they're liable to get...

 

[hellava_tough]

I think motivation is certainly something that needs to be discussed in a thread like this

With the big money and fame that players and managers get, they probably find it difficult to motivate themselves 100% of the time

I'm not saying that this happens all the time, but it's going to be a factor if you're living an opulent life-style. In fact I think quite a few managers have spoken about motivating 'young millionaires', in the past

Oh and btw, I'm not saying that this is a valid excuse for players, I'm simply observing something that happens; afterall they're flawed humans like the rest of us

 

[allatsea]

Us oldies often refer back to the 'olden days' but .. In the 1972/3 season we played 65 competitive matches, 42 in the league plus 23 cup matches, reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA and winning the League Cup.

I particularly remember this season because I went to at least 50 of those matches.

The point I am trying to make though is- as Cosmic says - the team and squad back then was tiny and the same 11-12 played most of the matches without the benefits that our modern players have. The treatment tables/diets plus travel was different back then. Many a time at an away match the team would into a station while we're being marshalled off the football specials.

Jumpers for goalposts etc.

Incredibly lucky with injuries that season.

 

[theShiznit]

Yeah lets go back to the old days when training consisted of standing around with a pint and a fag for 20 minutes twice a week, and they ran around like lady boys.

Those teams would get rinsed by a team of players from any goals up and down the country today.

Old football was rubbish. Looking back at football as late as the 90's and half of them look like pub players. It's a different game now.

you've had Van Gaal moaning this season when Man U have played less than any other Prem side this season, and We have played the most games out of all the Premiership sides.

With all the science involved now, they know how hard they're working, how much they run and how well they recover.
I prefer to believe that than just saying "used to play the same XI every week for the whole 90" which gets spouted every time someone brings up tiredness.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Yeah lets go back to the old days when training consisted of standing around with a pint and a fag for 20 minutes twice a week, and they ran around like lady boys.

Those teams would get rinsed by a team of players from any goals up and down the country today.

Old football was rubbish. Looking back at football as late as the 90's and half of them look like pub players. It's a different game now.

you've had Van Gaal moaning this season when Man U have played less than any other Prem side this season, and We have played the most games out of all the Premiership sides.

With all the science involved now, they know how hard they're working, how much they run and how well they recover.
I prefer to believe that than just saying "used to play the same XI every week for the whole 90" which gets spouted every time someone brings up tiredness.

Sorry but that's daft.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

This isn't directed at you Twizzle, but when did it become difficult for players to play two 90 minute games a week? They are supposed to be super fit multi millionaire professionals, have proper diets, play on snooker table baize type pitches. Way back when, players had it much tougher AND they won things! I don't know when players became so delicate, (maybe it's for insurance reasons?)
I remember beginning of this season, after only a few games there was talk of 'resting' players! I mean, really?!

players from the era you're fondly thinking of wouldn't last ten minutes In today's football due to fitness.

 

[CockFlavour]

Its not just Spurs as its a given we wont make it through all the cups, but if you look at the 2 Manchester Clubs, Chavs and Scousers efforts today, wtf is going on ?

The lower league clubs looks much fresher.

City arrogantly played their match 24 hours after landing from a week in Arab Emirates, Man United too many matches? They have hardly played any this season?! Chelsea played with quite a few reserves and Liverpool are just average as fuck, aren't they.

 

[dudu]

The same players are not playing all those games !

Right, but im pretty sure we will see the bulk of our first team play on Wednesday this week and next Saturday in the league.

Then we have two more huge games....

Its never ending right now.

We have to utilise the squad.

 

[yiddopaul]

players from the era you're fondly thinking of wouldn't last ten minutes on today's football due to fitness.

That's not really a statement that can be backed up/proven, it's an opinion. Football was a lot tougher, pitches were rough.
You may or may not be right, but I think we can all agree the reverse is more likely. Players in the past, played nearly every game, often carrying injuries due to small squad sizes and less substitutes. Conditions were a lot worse, the game was a lot more physical/fast.
If as you say, modern footballers are 'super fit' (and I agree) and is kind of my point, why do they need so much rest? 2 games a week is not a lot. When taking previous eras of footballers under harsher conditions played 2 games a week, pretty much every week – and that, according to you is from inferior fitness levels.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

That's not really a statement that can be backed up/proven, it's an opinion. Football was a lot tougher, pitches were rough.
You may or may not be right, but I think we can all agree the reverse is more likely. Players in the past, played nearly every game, often carrying injuries due to small squad sizes and less substitutes. Conditions were a lot worse, the game was a lot more physical/fast.
If as you say, modern footballers are 'super fit' (and I agree) and is kind of my point, why do they need so much rest? 2 games a week is not a lot. When taking previous eras of footballers under harsher conditions played 2 games a week, pretty much every week – and that, according to you is from inferior fitness levels.

Don't get me wrong, they'd play 90 minutes every match. They'd just get beaten a lot.

 

[THFC_67]

Yeah lets go back to the old days when training consisted of standing around with a pint and a fag for 20 minutes twice a week, and they ran around like lady boys.

Those teams would get rinsed by a team of players from any goals up and down the country today.

Old football was rubbish. Looking back at football as late as the 90's and half of them look like pub players. It's a different game now.

you've had Van Gaal moaning this season when Man U have played less than any other Prem side this season, and We have played the most games out of all the Premiership sides.

With all the science involved now, they know how hard they're working, how much they run and how well they recover.
I prefer to believe that than just saying "used to play the same XI every week for the whole 90" which gets spouted every time someone brings up tiredness.

Well there's no denying that players are fitter now, but better ?, I'm not sure really, it's impossible to compare eras due to the changes in the game but in season 81/82 that Tottenham team played over 60 games, winning the FA cup, runners up in the league cup, semi finalist in the cup winners cup and finished fourth, (today's holy grail) in the league. I'm not sure how many players were used in that season but squads were definitely smaller and I reckon those players would give our current team a fair old game if such a thing were possible.

 

[theShiznit]

Sorry but that's daft.

No this is daft.


I look at old footballers even "greats" like Pele and George Best, and think when is someone going to tackle him? not just let him jog through like a pit pony?

In top clubs now everyone is an athlete they have to be at their physical peak, and the coaches' job is to try and keep them there for as long as they can, and that includes knowing when to rest them whether in training or for matches knowing full well that if they go beyond it that's where injuries come in.

I look at football pre 90's and find it funny how unfit they look, more like the pub players of today.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

Well there's no denying that players are fitter now, but better ?, I'm not sure really, it's impossible to compare eras due to the changes in the game but in season 81/82 that Tottenham team played over 60 games, winning the FA cup, runners up in the league cup, semi finalist in the cup winners cup and finished fourth, (today's holy grail) in the league. I'm not sure how many players were used in that season but squads were definitely smaller and I reckon those players would give our current team a fair old game if such a thing were possible.

I was comparing the 60's players.
Could you imagine our defence from the double winning team playing week in week out against premier league strikers?
We'd either concede a lot of goals and/or or finish games with 8 players every week.