Are We Playing Too Much Football ??

[SlunkSoma]

Footballers these days are pushed to the limits in terms of human athletic ability - the argument that no one in the old days complained about tiredness is due to the game being remarkably different. It would take a certain type of fitness, but footballers these days are honed within an iota of human potential. There are limits, and that's why it takes 72 hours of rehabilitation to properly prepare - there is very little margin for error, if any.

What winds me up about the then vs now argument as its always the old pros mugging off the new lot, usually just to seem tougher/more able. Its nonsense.

A recent Spurs Show podcast had Jimmy Greaves on who said that he doesn't pay much attention to football now days. He then went onto suggest that footballers being tired was a load of rubbish, much to the delight of the audience. You can't really have a worthwhile opinion on the latter, due to the former.

Tiredness does come into it, absolutely. Footballers are tightly wound springs, which have breaking points. Trying to keep the balance must be incredibly difficult for fitness coaches etc.

Would love to see the Prem league introduce support for their teams in Europe, but they would then be helping out their rival brands (CL, EL), so unlikely to ever happen.

 

[yido_number1]

Did anyone see Joe Harts comments at the weekend? Basically said we don't need to win this cup anyway and someone caught it on camera lol... I think that sums up why City, Chavski and probably us went out. The other teams simply had more desire to win the games.

I'm gutted we're out of the FA Cup but in the latter stages of the season that could help our run in the league and also shots at Europa and League Cup...

 

[dudu]

What amazes me these days is how it is supposed to be so hard for profesional super fit footballers to play twice in a week?

I appreciate recovery times and occasinally some players may need a rest and time to recover from injuries etc but come on. Is it really too much to ask? I just dont get it.

Is it though? Most of the time its is 3 games in 8 days i.e Saturday, Wednesday, Sunday or the like - and we have already see a number of our players play 2 games a week for us - more on occasion.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Is it though? Most of the time its is 3 games in 8 days i.e Saturday, Wednesday, Sunday or the like - and we have already see a number of our players play 2 gamesome a week for us - more on occasion.

After the first week of 3 games it would revert to two (work it out for yourself) and that's if there are midweek games and now we are out of the FA Cup possible no game on an upcoming Sat/Sun.

As well, the League Cup only has one game to go after this week if we make the Final.

That will leave just the PL and Europa.

Not enough football ?

 

[tttcowan]

Is it possible to for footballers to play games three days apasrt yes. Can you expect them to play at 100% for both games no. Fuck all to do with how much they get paid and everything to do with physical and mental recovery times.

 

[dudu]

After the first week of 3 games it would revert to two (work it out for yourself) and that's if there are midweek games and now we are out of the FA Cup possible no game on an upcoming Sat/Sun.

As well, the League Cup only has one game to go after this week if we make the Final.

That will leave just the PL and Europa.

Not enough football ?

You are missing my point

between the 10th and the 31st of this month we would have played 7 games include the two at the end of Dec that's 9 in 4 weeks....28 days.

That's a game every 3 days for 4 weeks. It's not just two games in one week....

Will we be ok going forward when our schedule is not that packed.... Yes!

Has it been a run of games too much for a player to play all of them in succession? Absolutely - I'm not sure why this is in debate???

 

[mil1lion]

I dont know how we can play too much football. I mean we are a football team. I would be more worried if we were playing too much ping pong.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

You are missing my point

between the 10th and the 31st of this month we would have played 7 games include the two at the end of Dec that's 9 in 4 weeks....28 days.

That's a game every 3 days for 4 weeks. It's not just two games in one week....

Will we be ok going forward when our schedule is not that packed.... Yes!

Has it been a run of games too much for a player to play all of them in succession? Absolutely - I'm not sure why this is in debate???

How many players played the whole match in every game ?

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Is it possible to for footballers to play games three days apasrt yes. Can you expect them to play at 100% for both games no. Fuck all to do with how much they get paid and everything to do with physical and mental recovery times.

We've changed our starting team by up to 9 players and sometimes 1 of the other 2 has been a goalkeeper who does not physically exert much at all.

 

[dudu]

How many players played the whole match in every game ?

None, because there are too many for our best team to play every game.

I understand your point mate but the premise of this has to be wheater we have too many games for our squad to cope with in a consistently competative manner.

We do, as proven by the fact or squad hadn't been deep enough to allow us victories in games we should have won i.e Burnley away in the cup and Leicester in the cup.

 

[Riandor]

Bayern Munich 2013/2014:
League: 34 (Winners)
DFB: 6 (Winners)
CL: 12 (lost in final)

Total Matches: 52

Tottenham 2013/2014:
League: 38 (6th)
FA Cup: 1 (lost to Arsenal)
League Cup: 3 (lost to West Ham)
Europa: 10 (lost to Benfica)

Total Matches: 52

Same amount of games with pretty poor runs in the cups for us and BM getting to the final of all of theirs.

Germany win the WC.
England fail to get out of group.

Compared to our neighbours, we play on average many more games and whilst within our shores it is comparable, it is easy to see that when we face European teams or International teams, who the fresher faces are (especially towards the end of the season). Not to say there isn't more to it, but it is not surprising that people like Van Gaal say what he says.

Too much football? Wrong question, the issue is not can teams cope with lots of games, yes they can... BUT the more you play, the less likely you are to be at your peak, pick up injuries etc... and this is highlighted when you play teams with larger squads orones who have played fewer games.

Just look at how well Liverpool did in the season they didn't have Europe! Or Manchester united now, you cannot tell me there is not a direct correlation.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

None, because there are too many for our best team to play every game.

I understand your point mate but the premise of this has to be wheater we have too many games for our squad to cope with in a consistently competative manner.

We do, as proven by the fact or squad hadn't been deep enough to allow us victories in games we should have won i.e Burnley away in the cup and Leicester in the cup.

We have no divine right to win those games. In the PL and Cups anyone would be foolish to even bet their house on predicting winners.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Bayern Munich 2013/2014:
League: 34 (Winners)
DFB: 6 (Winners)
CL: 12 (lost in final)

Total Matches: 52

Tottenham 2013/2014:
League: 38 (6th)
FA Cup: 1 (lost to Arsenal)
League Cup: 3 (lost to West Ham)
Europa: 10 (lost to Benfica)

Total Matches: 52

Same amount of games with pretty poor runs in the cups for us and BM getting to the final of all of theirs.

Germany win the WC.
England fail to get out of group.

Compared to our neighbours, we play on average many more games and whilst within our shores it is comparable, it is easy to see that when we face European teams or International teams, who the fresher faces are (especially towards the end of the season). Not to say there isn't more to it, but it is not surprising that people like Van Gaal say what he says.

Too much football? Wrong question, the issue is not can teams cope with lots of games, yes they can... BUT the more you play, the less likely you are to be at your peak, pick up injuries etc... and this is highlighted when you play teams with larger squads orones who have played fewer games.

Just look at how well Liverpool did in the season they didn't have Europe! Or Manchester united now, you cannot tell me there is not a direct correlation.

That's why we have and can keep a big squad.

 

[Riandor]

That's why we have and can keep a big squad.

But that does not circumvent the issue.
Bayern Munich as 1 example, also have a big squad. They are still playing fewer games than we will in all likelihood this season!! So not only do they have the power and money to attract top players, but they can have lots of them and not play as many games, thereby have fewer injuries and overall a fresher squad.

Our advantage of a large squad will only count against opposition in our Leagues and at this point in the season it is unlikely to bear as much fruit vs later on. Leicester beat us because they focussed on it, that may well hurt them later in the season, it is unlikely that had we progressed that it would of hurt us as much.

 

[dudu]

We have no divine right to win those games. In the PL and Cups anyone would be foolish to even bet their house on predicting winners.

I never said we did but we have a better team than both of those sides and should have been more competitive than we were.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

But that does not circumvent the issue.
Bayern Munich as 1 example, also have a big squad. They are still playing fewer games than we will in all likelihood this season!! So not only do they have the power and money to attract top players, but they can have lots of them and not play as many games, thereby have fewer injuries and overall a fresher squad.

Our advantage of a large squad will only count against opposition in our Leagues and at this point in the season it is unlikely to bear as much fruit vs later on. Leicester beat us because they focussed on it, that may well hurt them later in the season, it is unlikely that had we progressed that it would of hurt us as much.

What size squad of good players does Bayern have ?

 

[DJS]

Are you having a laugh? What a shite example

no im not, but you clearly don't know what you're talking about