Injury list: Ange's philosophy, or squad depth?

Seems to be a fair bit of anger and frustration aimed at Ange this morning.

I don't think anyone though it was a wise move to bring on Kyogo.

But as been pointed out by posters with a bit more of a cest la vie outlook... It was perhaps a forgone conclusion.

Once a hamstring decides it's time, it's time. A ticking clock if you like. I happen to agree with this, it could have happened last game, this game , Saturday, or next week. While not unpreventable, but it's highly likely imo.

The big question is, are all these injuries from lack of depth in the squad, as in the inability to rotate players, or is Ange's training and style just far too high tempo given the massive amount of games we play?

I happen to believe it's the former.

I had a wee look at Ange's past teams. Soft tissue and muscle injuries were rare, if not highly unlikely, due to conditioning. On the other hand, would it be unreasonable to suggest that Ange SHOULD be a little more pragmatic regarding training?
He's already pointedly remarked on his displeasure at the amount of games we are playing. Surely he could see that it would be better to perhaps lower the intensity of a few sessions to make up for the gruelling fixture schedule?

It's all a bit of a perfect storm as I understand it.

The fixture list is a disgrace, the squad doesn't have enough depth to rotate, and Ange is unwavering in his training and style.
These injuries were always going to bite us in the *.

That being said, our recent history, and by recent, in mean the past decade or so, has been * lousy with injuries. I mind NL musing that he wanted the surfaces at Lennoxtown examined because of recurring soft tissue injuries. I also recall both BR and Deila, openly lamenting our rotten luck with injuries; specifically the timing of them, with a number of key players all out simultaneously. Other teams in the league, including Sevco, play a similar amount of games, but don't have a fraction of the injury list we seem to get every season. Our club doctors and physical therapists must be the busiest in the league, probably the country.

Definitely something that needs looked into imo.

 

People have always said season 2 is when Ange’s teams really get going. It makes sense really. Initially I thought it was got to do with players buying into the style of play etc and team cohesion, but now it seems it may take a season for players’ bodies to adapt to the extreme demands.

 

I can't blame Ange, like you said, we've had problems with injuries like this for year's, squad depth is somewhat lacking but is part of that due to a reluctance to use players? Some of the lads out there yesterday looked pretty good, why haven't they had more of a chance yet?

Kyogo coming on at all I'd say is a bad descision, I will give Ange some flak for that, I'd have not even had him on the bench, that was a fitness and see what other players can do match, aye it's some coefficient and some cash but * that there's more at stake that that in the next 2 weeks never mind the rest of the season.

 

It was a daft decision but squad depth is clearly lacking.

 

Think it's a bit of both.

We've seen quite clearly that we do not have the depth to change things up too much, so some players are playing without getting any sort of rest.

Depth would help that, giving folk who are high risk, a break every so often. However it could just be delaying some of the injuries.

The intensity in training combined with the amount of games will be playing a big part in it as well. That's not making excuses, I'm not going to demand less games due to this current crop of injuries(league changes are needed for a host of other reasons though, that in turn would help).
This is something I don't think Ange will be too used to (open to being told otherwise as my knowledge of the J and A leagues is low), as his previous clubs, well in Australia at least, they play a lot less games over the course of the season, so the intensity he brings is probably given a bit more rest between games than what we are normally seeing over november-december where we are fitting in cup quarter semi and final, the bulk of a European group stage, a 3 game international "break" and a traditionally busy few weeks of league fixtures to accommodate a "winter break"


Our main concern, is that we won't have new players in time before more players drop like flies and in turn we start to drop points.

Refs won't be protecting our players and will happily let opponent's kick us, knowing injuries are more likely for us.

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Should be said as well, when deila and Rodgers both took over, the fitness both times was lacking to the level they wanted and we saw ij both their first half of season 1, players blowing out their * before the fitness levels really got to where they are meant to be as professional footballers.

Could just be the same again here, more depth and time for players to get up to speed fitness wise.

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• Squad depth or lack of
• Intense training
• Maybe players are not up to Anges levels
• Play way too many games nowadays
• * Scottish pitches
• Getting kicked up and down the place by hammer throwing diddies on a weekly basis
• Is our medical team up to scratch?
• Not enough recovery time

 

It’s both

 

Bit of everything. Squad is thin and we needs bodies in the door in Jan. But f me when your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice CF are all out injured it’s just plain bad luck. Kyogos injury could be down to the intensity and amount of games but can’t say that for GG and Ajeti.

 

Both and this has been an issue long before Ange. The reason Rodgers gave Christie a go at CM was out of desperation because of injuries to CMs, the same with McGregor playing deeper rather than one of the three behind the striker.

Every December this happens, Rodgers last year when we lost to them, Lennon in the 19/20 season we were flying in November and lost our forward line Elyounoussi and Edouard out, last year we just seemed to permanently have them.

I have no doubt Ange’s methods are hard going to get fitness levels up and keep them there but I think this has a lot more to do with volume of games and the nature of the games all being important.

That is why when we had a dead rubber like last night there was no need to bring Kyogo on one of the young guys should have been on the bench and brought on.

Squad depth is an obvious problem as we are always going to have the high volume of games. As has been the case for a while we have bodies but many of them aren’t good enough. Whether it’s been injury or rotation the games he has trusted or had to trust others we dropped points Livi away (no McGregor, no Kyogo), DUTD at home (same two missing), Livi at home (rest Kyogo at the start, no Rogic).

We definitely need more depth in the forward areas as it is so evident the drop off in quality from Jota, Kyogo and Rogic to the replacements.

Essentially it’s probably both are contributing factors but I think volume of games, therefore lack of rotation is a bigger one given we had these problems prior to Ange.

 

Quite clearly both, even if Kyogo was the only striker out injured does anybody actually trust Ajeti or GG to come in and give us the same level up top?

Ange pushes these guys to the maximum and I'm confident we will reap the rewards 9ver the course of his time here. The squad looked unfit and unmotivated last season and it's polar opposite right now. The injuries are a * but it's a by product of that extreme change imo.

We need the depth to sustain the type of football and we simply don't have it across 4 competitions right now.

 

Could be purely players giving thier all and pushing too hard for the manager ,colder weather and heavier pitches don't make for a good combination.

 

I believe it's got a lot more to do with lack of squad depth. I was happy with the amount of players he chose not to start last night and I really don't think he's going to be stupid enough to push players to the limits of injury during training sessions. Squad rotation and adding to the playing staff in January is key. There's been a couple of occasions where we've seen Postecoglou bring players off early or not start them in an attempt to keep the squad fresh, so he's clearly aware of it. It's just unfortunate that a team in our position does have to play so many games in a season. Smaller clubs generally get more rest as they aren't in Europe, and a lot of our European opposition only have one national cup competition to contend with, so it means our workload tends to be more strenuous. We're always going to need depth to cover it.

 

Defo a bit of both

Could ange reduce the intensity in training with sonmany games and so little squad? Yes
Could ange have been brought in earlier to get the squad depth needed to handle crazy amount of fixtures? Yes.

No point crying over spilt injury lists. Hopefully some aren't as bad and hopefully amge might go a little easier on training coz playing twice a wee is enough. And hopefully some of our youth and fringe players can step up until January

 

we got rid of 4 strikers and brought in 2 in the last window .giakomakis hasnt been fit since we signed him and kyogo has already played a lot of football and probably needs a rest ( which will be the same for any of the japanese players we are hoping to get). everyone knows the player recruitment is nowhere near good enough

 

It’s not Ange’s fault IMO.

The problem is lack of squad depth (which was clear after the transfer window) and lack of investment in proper fitness coaching.

Jack Nayler was poached in the summer and wasn’t replaced until our first injury crisis in around September, by a guy who had been managing or assisting managing Morton if memory serves.

I don’t mean to slaughter the new guy but it shows how seriously we take in when it takes months to hire a guy and he’s been working at Morton.

 

Meh. Its the same every year except when lennon manages with chips and bru. Even then he * forrest. We'll be fine. BTW I warned everyone we would start picking up big player injuries because we're playing the huns soon. Seems I was right.

 

I actually think it has something to do with Lennoxtown being built on an ancient Indian burial ground

 

We've got the same in-form players playing twice a week and they've all picked up hamstring injuries. He needs to use more rotation or work in a less demanding play style for some games. Something's got to give.

 

The guy who had been working at Morton is Anton McElhone and he's the head of Sports Science.