rotation and player fitness

[Mike]

our players looked absolutely f***ed in the second half. carra is the only outfield player we had who has started 8 or more league games i think? arsenal had 8 players playing yesterday who had started 8 or more league games.

 

i thought the idea was it kept them fresh.

Edited October 29, 2007 by Mike

[CaptainXabi]

Chasing the ball is hard work.

[nvdm]

How long is the flight to Turkey and back?

[Mike]

we had plenty of the ball.

there was no urgency to support the man in possession though.

[boohog]

Alonso wasn't up to doing his fair share of work, Hyppia is slow and the midfield was having to provide extra cover for Finnan. So players were doing a lot more running around. Add to that the fact that we decided not to attack them and get schat on like last time we kept possession meant there was a lot of ball chasing. Unfortunate use of long balls from the defense meant our strikers probably tired themselves out too early in the game aswell.

Edited October 29, 2007 by boohog

[The Guv]

Because we were chasing shadows while they ran circles around us.

Edited October 29, 2007 by The Guv

[Cobs]

How long is the flight to Turkey and back?

not long enough to be used as any kind of excuse.

 

Mascherano flew to Argentina the week before, played for his country, flew back played the full 90 in the derby, flew to Turkey, played 75 there, flew back and was our best player yesterday.

Edited October 29, 2007 by Cobs

[Cobs]

Alonso wasn't up to doing his fair share of work, Hyppia is slow and the midfield was having to provide extra cover for Finnan. So players were doing a lot more running around. Add to that the fact that we decided not to attack them and get schat on like last time we kept possession meant there was a lot of ball chasing. Unfortunate use of long balls from the defense meant our strikers probably tired themselves out too early in the game aswell.

a more accurate explanation.

[boohog]

Because we were chasing shadows while they ran circles around us.

 

Not many circles in our 18 yard box though was it. For all their show compared to what it actually produced they might as well have had Ronaldinho doing keepy ups on the half way line. Some people here probably would have tugged one off over that aswell.

Edited October 29, 2007 by boohog

[Leo No.8]

Carra has looked knackered all season to me.

 

Not sure if it's all those heroic defensive efforts over the past few years catching up on him or what but he looks like he's struggling most of the time.

Edited October 29, 2007 by Leo No.8

[nvdm]

not long enough to be used as any kind of excuse.

 

Mascherano flew to Argentina the week before, played for his country, flew back played the full 90 in the derby, flew to Turkey, played 75 there, flew back and was our best player yesterday.

 

I was just asking as I have no idea. How long is it?

[Spike]

3-4 hours isn't it? Can't see why sitting on a plane is so knackering myself

[Cobs]

I was just asking as I have no idea. How long is it?

about 4 and a bit hours

[MFletcher]

I think Carra came back a bit early from his rib injury and he's suffering for that.

 

Really though, we were playing like the away team yesterday and were basically chasing the ball for most of the game. Torres was a passenger in the first half and the rest of the team needed to cover for him and Alonso. It's no surprise they were getting tired towards the end.

[Rimbeux]

Pace and movement from the oppo, thank f*** we dont have to play them every week.

[boohog]

3-4 hours isn't it? Can't see why sitting on a plane is so knackering myself

 

i think its more todo with the fact that it prevents training on the day of the flight because of the time inconvenience and the fact that it is not particularly sensible to train until blood distribution has returned to normal throughout the body which can take 24 hours.

[sutty]

I always wonder why in cup finals all our players are going down with cramp after 70 minutes.

[Mike]

I always wonder why in cup finals all our players are going down with cramp after 70 minutes.

 

im not imagining it am i...we do look f***ed half the time.

[MFletcher]

im not imagining it am i...we do look f***ed half the time.

 

It's because Rafa has the players closing down all the time when we don't have the ball.

 

There really is only so much running you can do before you start to struggle.

[boohog]

It's because Rafa has the players closing down all the time when we don't have the ball.

 

There really is only so much running you can do before you start to struggle.

 

Aye. In general we close down more than any other team in the league which is why defensively we are so good. Just look at the Chelsea match this season if you want to see that in action. Chelsea are good at closing down, but we gave them a lesson in closing down in that match.

 

oh, and regarding all the cup finals - they have all been played in high temperatures.

[Guest Ant]

im not imagining it am i...we do look f***ed half the time.

 

Not to mention our players are indeed literally f***ed

 

Torres

Alonso

Arbeloa

Agger

 

Rotation is having the opposite effect of which it should be having....

[boohog]

Not to mention our players are indeed literally f***ed

 

Torres

Alonso

Arbeloa

Agger

 

Rotation is having the opposite effect of which it should be having....

 

You're right. Rotation is famous for preventing broken metatarsals.

[John am Rhein]

literally f***ed

 

Well that's some consolation, I suppose

[RP]

not long enough to be used as any kind of excuse.

 

Mascherano flew to Argentina the week before, played for his country, flew back played the full 90 in the derby, flew to Turkey, played 75 there, flew back and was our best player yesterday.

 

 

 

Mere details.

[John am Rhein]

It's because Rafa has the players closing down all the time when we don't have the ball.

 

There really is only so much running you can do before you start to struggle.

 

Is this reflected in the 'distance covered' measurements they seem to take nowadays for each player?