Player Watch Player Watch: Cristian Romero

[thehipster]

This season doesn’t seem fair.

I think Ange is going to have to figure this injury-accumulation in to his strategic plan.
As a consequence of playing this fabulous style of attacking, all-passing football, the players are a lot more involved in the game.
They are covering a lot more ground and more dynamic than in previous seasons. Yes, it may seem unfair (the injuries)....but we are utilising the players far more than in previous seasons.
Can the Strength and Conditioning team elevate all our players to be able to play at this level week-in-week-out? Who knows?
But with European football next season, there's no way we can play this style of football without serious investment in the squad size and capability.
What we are seeing first-hand is that we need to be rotating players every 2-3 weeks to keep them capable of playing this fast-paced football.

I, for one, do NOT want to see a shift in our style. I think our ambition is beyond all other clubs. I truly believe Ange is on to something special.
But our style of football means that the players are being run long and hard....and that can create weaknesses in physiology as temperatures/seasons change, as niggles are picked up, as other key players get injured, over-eagerness and big derbies....all these things accumulate and it sometimes doesn't take much to then pick up a 2 month injury (as we are seeing now).
Next season...more fixtures, less rest, more travel.

So yes, we could run a little less and be less dynamic in our play....or we bring the whole squad up to a very high level of skill and capability...and recruit at least another 5 capable players.
We need more squad rotation to compete at the top.

 

[Marauder]

Imagine we also had European football and were still in the EFL Cup Which will be the case next season.

Someone better open their wallet bigtime in 5 days time.

 

[TheChosenOne]

Cameron Carter Vickers had a knee injury last year, but no hammy issues.

He went off injured yesterday vs Dundee

 

[Locotoro]

I think Ange is going to have to figure this injury-accumulation in to his strategic plan.
As a consequence of playing this fabulous style of attacking, all-passing football, the players are a lot more involved in the game.
They are covering a lot more ground and more dynamic than in previous seasons. Yes, it may seem unfair (the injuries)....but we are utilising the players far more than in previous seasons.
Can the Strength and Conditioning team elevate all our players to be able to play at this level week-in-week-out? Who knows?
But with European football next season, there's no way we can play this style of football without serious investment in the squad size and capability.
What we are seeing first-hand is that we need to be rotating players every 2-3 weeks to keep them capable of playing this fast-paced football.

I, for one, do NOT want to see a shift in our style. I think our ambition is beyond all other clubs. I truly believe Ange is on to something special.
But our style of football means that the players are being run long and hard....and that can create weaknesses in physiology as temperatures/seasons change, as niggles are picked up, as other key players get injured, over-eagerness and big derbies....all these things accumulate and it sometimes doesn't take much to then pick up a 2 month injury (as we are seeing now).
Next season...more fixtures, less rest, more travel.

So yes, we could run a little less and be less dynamic in our play....or we bring the whole squad up to a very high level of skill and capability...and recruit at least another 5 capable players.
We need more squad rotation to compete at the top.

From a strength and conditioning perspective, the players are quite probably already at maximum capacity with their training load. There are things that can be done to alleviate the onset of muscular injuries that we seem to be getting but it's a question of opportunity cost. If you're adding something into the training program of an elite athlete then you need to be removing something else because the load becomes too much. In England, it's especially hard because the game is so fast so you need the explosive drills and you're doing it for 90/100 mins continuously. So the likelihood of muscular strains increases compared to a league like Spain where the game is much slower.

On a connected note, I'm really surprised that the media haven't connected the dots yet and noticed that.its not just us having an injury crisis. Every premier league side it seems is having an injury crisis. I think I remember reading that as of last month Premier League clubs were averaging 5.5 long term injuries (more than 2 weeks) compared to La Liga which was 3.7 injuries per club.

There's a reason why it's happening here more than other European leagues and why this season more than others

 

[TheChosenOne]

Imagine we also had European football and were still in the EFL Cup Which will be the case next season.

Someone better open their wallet bigtime in 5 days time.

Hoping it is not a H. Maguire shaped wallet

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I think Ange is going to have to figure this injury-accumulation in to his strategic plan.
As a consequence of playing this fabulous style of attacking, all-passing football, the players are a lot more involved in the game.
They are covering a lot more ground and more dynamic than in previous seasons. Yes, it may seem unfair (the injuries)....but we are utilising the players far more than in previous seasons.
Can the Strength and Conditioning team elevate all our players to be able to play at this level week-in-week-out? Who knows?
But with European football next season, there's no way we can play this style of football without serious investment in the squad size and capability.
What we are seeing first-hand is that we need to be rotating players every 2-3 weeks to keep them capable of playing this fast-paced football.

I, for one, do NOT want to see a shift in our style. I think our ambition is beyond all other clubs. I truly believe Ange is on to something special.
But our style of football means that the players are being run long and hard....and that can create weaknesses in physiology as temperatures/seasons change, as niggles are picked up, as other key players get injured, over-eagerness and big derbies....all these things accumulate and it sometimes doesn't take much to then pick up a 2 month injury (as we are seeing now).
Next season...more fixtures, less rest, more travel.

So yes, we could run a little less and be less dynamic in our play....or we bring the whole squad up to a very high level of skill and capability...and recruit at least another 5 capable players.
We need more squad rotation to compete at the top.

Great post

 

[RuskyM]

Honestly, I'm more annoyed that he missed three games due to his immaturity now that we've lost him for natural reasons.

 

[allatsea]

Sack the medical department.

Ridiculous

 

[E17yid]

Ridiculous

I disagree. We need witch doctors. Not doctor doctors.

 

[whitechina]

I disagree. We need witch doctors. Not doctor doctors.

IIRC The Thompson Twins had one of them back in the day

 

[Westmorlandspur]

The injuries are just ludicrous. Solomon, Perisic, Romero, VDV, Maddison, Bentancur, Sessegnon, Richarlison, Whiteman, Johnson and GLC all missing a significant number of games so far. Insane. That's about half the fucking squad.

Whiteman……..seriously.

 

[Westmorlandspur]

One player who is rarely injured is Salah. Why is this. When did you last see him helping out Trent at full back.
He doesn’t do it. Shows how super fit Son is because he runs, presses, runs some more and keeps running.

 

[beats1]

2nd half against Everton was the same back four against wolves:

Porro
Dier
Davies
Royal

We really struggled 2n half on Saturday.

But this looks a good bit better to me for the next two games anyway:

Porro
Royal
Davies
Udogie

But that's partly down to the fact with the wingbacks coming inside in Ange's system. You have to be good on the ball(dribbling, passing or intelligent)

Emerson Royal slows down the midfield when he comes insides.

So while defensively he maybe good, his stats are good, his actual play in those matches are a different story going forward

 

[Mr Pink]

But that's partly down to the fact with the wingbacks coming inside in Ange's system. You have to be good on the ball(dribbling, passing or intelligent)

Emerson Royal slows down the midfield when he comes insides.

So while defensively he maybe good, his stats are good, his actual play in those matches are a different story going forward

He played well against Everton. And he came inside to great affect after the three backheels ...and he drove forward and won the free kick

But obviously we struggled second half after a good first half.

Look its not ideal but its the best solution at the moment imo.

 

[mil1lion]

I think Ange is going to have to figure this injury-accumulation in to his strategic plan.
As a consequence of playing this fabulous style of attacking, all-passing football, the players are a lot more involved in the game.
They are covering a lot more ground and more dynamic than in previous seasons. Yes, it may seem unfair (the injuries)....but we are utilising the players far more than in previous seasons.
Can the Strength and Conditioning team elevate all our players to be able to play at this level week-in-week-out? Who knows?
But with European football next season, there's no way we can play this style of football without serious investment in the squad size and capability.
What we are seeing first-hand is that we need to be rotating players every 2-3 weeks to keep them capable of playing this fast-paced football.

I, for one, do NOT want to see a shift in our style. I think our ambition is beyond all other clubs. I truly believe Ange is on to something special.
But our style of football means that the players are being run long and hard....and that can create weaknesses in physiology as temperatures/seasons change, as niggles are picked up, as other key players get injured, over-eagerness and big derbies....all these things accumulate and it sometimes doesn't take much to then pick up a 2 month injury (as we are seeing now).
Next season...more fixtures, less rest, more travel.

So yes, we could run a little less and be less dynamic in our play....or we bring the whole squad up to a very high level of skill and capability...and recruit at least another 5 capable players.
We need more squad rotation to compete at the top.

Is this an interview with yourself?

 

[Dazzazzad]

I think Ange is going to have to figure this injury-accumulation in to his strategic plan.
As a consequence of playing this fabulous style of attacking, all-passing football, the players are a lot more involved in the game.
They are covering a lot more ground and more dynamic than in previous seasons. Yes, it may seem unfair (the injuries)....but we are utilising the players far more than in previous seasons.
Can the Strength and Conditioning team elevate all our players to be able to play at this level week-in-week-out? Who knows?
But with European football next season, there's no way we can play this style of football without serious investment in the squad size and capability.
What we are seeing first-hand is that we need to be rotating players every 2-3 weeks to keep them capable of playing this fast-paced football.

I, for one, do NOT want to see a shift in our style. I think our ambition is beyond all other clubs. I truly believe Ange is on to something special.
But our style of football means that the players are being run long and hard....and that can create weaknesses in physiology as temperatures/seasons change, as niggles are picked up, as other key players get injured, over-eagerness and big derbies....all these things accumulate and it sometimes doesn't take much to then pick up a 2 month injury (as we are seeing now).
Next season...more fixtures, less rest, more travel.

So yes, we could run a little less and be less dynamic in our play....or we bring the whole squad up to a very high level of skill and capability...and recruit at least another 5 capable players.
We need more squad rotation to compete at the top.

Thing is, most of our biggest injuries are to players who hadn't played that much football in the season. If it happened to Son, Deki or Porro tomorrow I'd be more inclined to blame the style as, even though we're only playing a game a week, they've put a real shift in for 3 months.

Romero had just come back from a month off from competitive football.

I'm sure the style plays some part but would want to see a longer trend before assuming it's more than (mostly) bad luck.

 

[Johnny J]

Whiteman……..seriously.

Yes, he's injured. Even if you arbitrarily exclude him, the point stands that our injury list is ridiculous.

 

[mark87]

 

[Trent Crimm]

One player who is rarely injured is Salah. Why is this. When did you last see him helping out Trent at full back.
He doesn’t do it. Shows how super fit Son is because he runs, presses, runs some more and keeps running.

He has Pharoah hair tho.

 

[philll]

Silver lining - if injuries "balance out over a season" we're going to be invincible from February onwards.