Who thinks the main problem isn't the manager or players but too many games?

I think we need to have the winter break cancelled and have the season brought forward by 2 weeks to give our players more time off in the summer.

2015/16 = 57 games
2016/17 = 59 games
2017/18 = 61 games
2018/19 = 63 games
TOTAL = 240 games

60 games a season on average in the last 4 seasons.

People have said look at Ajax this season how can we not be capable of that but look at the games they've played...

2015/16 = 46 games
2016/17 = 56 games
2017/18 = 41 games
2018/19 = 58 games
TOTAL = 201 games

They've played 39 games less than us over the last few seasons, not only that but their season finishes either 1 week or 2 weeks before ours and then their season doesn't usually start until 2 weeks to 4 weeks after ours.

So they are playing roughly 10 games a season less and then getting a summer break 3-6 weeks longer than us. This builds up every season.

The winter break coming in has * us as the 3 weeks are useless, theres not enough time for any decent recovery and it's means that we now play an extra 3 domestic games in the first half of the season then we were further * by having to play an extra 2 qualifiers so now we play 5 extra games we never used to in the first half of the season meaning that usually from August-January we don't get a single midweek off unless we get knocked out of Europe or a Cup which we havent been for years.

This for me is our biggest problem in recent seasons, the Invincible season hampered us as well as the players didn't relax at all that season to try and remain unbeaten the whole way so they pushed themselves too much and then probably clocked that we get too short a summer break to go full tilt over a season, so since then after realising they * themselves they now take their foot off the gas far too much.

I can't be arsed checking but I bet there is no teams in Europe playing the number of games we are and definitely none that are doing it and have as short a winter break as us.

Theres no real correction to this problem either that is realistic. For me we are pretty much going to have tired players for the foreseeable future that will never really be playing at 100% as they are not getting enough rest in the summer and then they are playing too many games during the season.

To put it into perspective as well, Ajax reached the EL Final in 2017 and they only played 56 games. If we reached the EL Final this season we would have had 70 games.

This is how we compare to Spurs and Liverpool as well.

Celtic
2017/18 = 61 games (7 weeks 3 days between last and first competitive game over summer)
2018/19 = 63 games

Spurs
2017/18 = 55 games (12 weeks 2 days between last and first competitive game over summer)
2018/19 = 57 games

Liverpool
2017/18 = 54 games (11 weeks 1 day between last and first competitive game over summer)
2018/19 = 53 games

 

It’s all about the SPL and maximising the number of games vs the Huns. Farcical

 

Nah, they are professional athletes

If someone could prove our injury list is down to overload, then yeah. But until then, nope.

 

But it’s all muscular injuries so that proves players are over working their muscles and that’s why they breakdown it’s overload on their bodies.

 

The winter break is our killer..

Usually isn't even the worst period of weather either so a farcical..

Europe and about 7/8 domestic league and cup ties all crammed in to 1 month of December and absolutely always ends in us having injuries during and after. The one's that make it through are absolutely * in the second part of the season..

We probably play the most game's in Europe. Start before everyone and finish after everyone. (That's just an educated guess but won't be far off)..

 

Yeah that may well be the case, I’d just rather have some sort of study to demonstrate that

I wonder how our treatment table compares to other teams across Europe that may play a lot of games too

 

It's not just injury though, it's just never being near fully fit as you are never getting to recover so wear and tear builds up and up and is never corrected because you don't get enough rest then it accumulates.

So in season 1 you finish 90% fit, season 2 85%, season 3, 80%, season 4, 75%. You never get the chance to get fully fit because you never get enough rest.

Ideally a footballer should get to sit on their * for 6 weeks doing nothing every summer, put on maybe a stone, all the pain they were in disappears so they return fully fit nothing wrong with them then spend 3/4 weeks getting back fit before the season - we get nothing anywhere near that. Our players are getting robbed of a month of rest every year.

 

This year also wil be one of the worst, we'll play 63 games this season (our most ever I think) and our last game is the 25th of May and then we have our first qualifier on the 9th/10th July - we have already cofirmed a pre-season friendly for the 3rd of July.

So well only have 5 weeks and 3 days between our last game and our first pre-season game. I imagine we will return to training on the 24th of June so we'll only have 4 weeks and 2 days off from training.

 

No professional footballer should be sitting on their * over summer doing F all and putting a stone on, that isn't healthy for them.

Football players now a days get a schedule to do over the summer break which helps maintain their fitness to a very good level so when they return they only really have to get match fit again while also giving them plenty of time to go on holiday and relax, you dont have to be going at it 100 percent all the time to maintain fitness and you deffo should not be putting on drastic weight.

 

Professional athletes burning out is ridiculous. I know it happens, but still, it's hard to understand at times.

 

Interesting perspective @ILoveTheCeltic I think the sheer volume of them and lack of decent rest at the end of a season certainly has a bearing.

We should have a strong, competitive squad that is able to bear the brunt of such a gruelling schedule but our over-reliance on some eg. McGregor, Tierney, Forrest will definitely impact on them means our performances will peak and trough.

 

Progression to the final of the Cup competitions three times in row is a factor..

As well as the extra CL Qualification tie, which I’d rather have instead of a meaningless friendly Tbf.

 

I think there is something there. When some of guys were/still are? Playing the most football in Europe is it any surprise we seem to be lacking a little something?.

Of key Scottish players mainly McGregor, KT and Forrest I'd be interested to see how many games they are playing every season over the same period including internationals.

Compared to say, the elites like a Ronaldo. I know that sounds mental to compare but I bet even a Ronaldo is 15ish games a season better off.

 

Most players get good breaks though, ours don't.

If you only have 45-50 games a season so are never at breaking point and then getting 6-8 weeks off between your last game and first pre-season game then it doesn't really matter. But when you have 60 games and then 5 weeks between games then you are likely never getting close to mainting a good level of fitness.

Your knees, ankles, calves etc will be in pain, to manage that pain you will be training less, you probably are never moving freely so risking injury more and then it's never fixed because you don't have enough time to let the problems heal.

 

Like, imagine if our guys go on for anotber Treble next season and reach, I dunno say last 16 of Europa, also playing bullshit internationals at any level. Without injury, surely they are teasing at playing 70 games a season?.

There is only 52 weeks in a year ffs.

 

I would say it adds to our problems but loads of other teams do it.

Recovery does play a massive roll, regarding Match fitness, injuries etc but if you * it all up by not recruiting properly and selling our best players and not replacing them it stacks everything against us before a ball is kicked.

 

Something we dont seem to do very is rotate the squad, there are games where we should be able to give CMG & KT ect a break by bringing someone else in without weakening the team so much that we jeopardise the result, players want to play every game but it isn't always necessery to play ur best 11 vs Hamilton at home

 

Ajax have played the same amount of games as us. Got to a champ league semi and blast teams away everyweek in the Eredivise

 

That was the first team I checked

De Ligt has played 52 games this season

Blind - 54 games