You Have To Laugh

Just reading that Roy Hodgson didn't play Raheen Stirling for England because he was too tired. FFS, he'd played one game following the International break but despite being only 19 years of age and fit as a butchers dog he was too tired.
What planet are these prima donnas on?

 

probably up all night roasting

 

Personally I can't see the problem. The player was tired. He has not looked at his sharpest since the world cup. The correct decision was made to leave him out. I don't think being tired makes you a prima donna. Nor do I think it matters how much they earn which some have put forward as the problem. Professional sportsmen and sportswomen get tired/fatigued when they perform on a regular basis. That is not made up, it is a fact.

I just can't see what all the furore is about. The manager was thinking the player was not at his best, his club manager felt he was suffering from fatigue, the player has confirmed he is suffering from fatigue. Correct decision made for all parties, nothing to see here.

 

'Much Ado About Nothing'.

The player doesn't play because he's fatigued - what's the problem.

or alternatively

The player does play when he's fatigued, has a crap game and both himself and the Manager get castigated for him playing.
That's a problem.

 

No he is a prima donna, a premier league football player in terms of primary economic activity has to work for 90 minutes per match, forget training for now, this equates to a primary economically active work time of 57hours per football season if they play all 38 matches, I kinda remember when England came calling the likes of Sheringham, Bryan Robson, Osgood and so on pulled the top on and played, I don't remember the bit where they said no ta I'm a bit tired.

 

A very valid point. I read this story and to me it smacked of "Bwendan phoned me last night and was worried we're doing ****e in the league, admittedly not as ****e as Newcastle, but ****e nonetheless...".

If he's tired, he should have said so on being called up and surrendered his place to someone who isn't and actually has the capacity and willingness to play

He played the first 45 minutes against SAN MARINO. Either England training sessions are too much (unlikely), Brendan has told him he had to withdraw (quite probable), or Raheem was genuinely tired (should have told the coach before the San Marino game... If he did, Hodgson should be sacked for selecting him and playing him vs San Marino). There's no other scenario here. It reflects very poorly on Raheem's desire to play for England, or Roy Hodgson, maybe both.

However, not two ****s were given about England, so why should I be surprised if the players don't care either? In fact, they ****ing started the not caring thing, it's why we don't care.

 

Different time and different demands physically. More importantly though, different types of player. I don't think Robson or Sheringham were built quite the same way as Sterling? (explosive pace)
I assume you can also recall the likes Owen, Aguero, Tevez, Overmars etc. Explosive footballers who would regularly pick up injuries and needed managed in a different way. It was intersting to hear Tevez used to sit out training at Man U to ensure he was tip top for games. Paul McGrath, Ledley King. All different types of players with either explosive capabilities or fragile bodies who needed to be managed differently. This is not a one size fits all approach, or if it is, then it is archaic and doesn't work.

Even the German coach Low has spoken about the physical/mental demands coming off the world cup. This is a guy who knows first hand what it takes to win and is seeing these players first hand. People just love to try and link it back to any old day and age but it just doesn't apply. "Well they used to play 60 games a season" etc etc. yes and half of them ended up crippled in later life. We have a squad and a better understanding of the human body. Its seems foolish to me not to use that knowledge. Regardless of the above about different types of players, even the most robust players can get tired. It doesn't make you a prima donna. It might make you a bit selfish for accepting the call up in the first place. It doesn't really matter though, because if he had refused the call up on the grounds he was tired, he'd still be getting wrongly hammered.

I'd much prefer a player is honest and the team gets the best players for the job on the pitch.

The other argument of course is, on current form does Sterling actually deserve his place in the squad? Probably not but again its about building towards something over the long term. I'm not sure I agree with Roy revealing it to be honest. That seems a bit of selfish act from the manager. Something that should probably stay between player and manager, as the average fan on the street is incapable of accepting or understanding.

 

Horse droppings, I've been working 16 hour days for the last 3 weeks, stripping old beams out, knocking walls out, plastering and decorating. I've got serious problems in my right elbow but I'm still up for lifting a dozen pints tonight.

All Sterling's got to do is kick a bag of wind round a pitch for 90 mins, the youth of today don't know they're born.

 

I have no clue why everyone is so upset about this. He was feeling a bit like he wasn't firing on all cylinders. Happens to everyone. It was a competitive game if he thought he couldn't give his best and there are others who could then why not mention it and let the boss make up his mind what to do for the best.

 

I could understand fatigue at the end of a long season, however, in 2 months he has only played in 11 matches ( excluding Internationals) and in 3 of those he was either a sub or subbed. The fact is he has only played 914 minutes of football in 2 months and if he's not up to playing against the likes of San Marino & Estonia, because he's too tired , god help him.

 

****sake, I'm sick of hearing this ****e. It's not that these guys CAN'T do two games a week or whatever; they COULD play every day if they had to. It's that that their performance will drop because of the physical demands of playing so many games at the highest level of their physical performance. A 5% drop in performance is the difference between a player being on top in his position or being dominated by the opposing player. As far I can tell it wasn't Sterling wanting to be dropped anyway. If he was told the day before during the SSN footage I saw then he looked very disappointed to be being left out. Most, if not all, of these lads want to play but they need to be rested for their own good to keep them at their best. We won both games so I guess Hodgson was vindicated.

 

The problem is fatigue doesn't creep up on a player, certainly not after playing 45 minutes vs San Marino. If he was tired, he should have told Roy Hodgson so and allowed a fresh player to be selected for the initial squad, or alternatively shut up and put in his best performance under the circumstances. We've heard it over and over again, very rarely does a player play at 100% fitness, hence why lots of them have that physiotherapy tape applied all over them.

National team training sessions aren't as hard as club work-outs, so it's not like he's got the excuse of training making him tired.

Roy should also make it a point of principle to confirm with each player they are fit to face both sets of opposition, so it's partly his responsibility.

He was joking mate

 

Glad to hear it but it sounds exactly like a lot of other comments made in full seriousness.

 

" I wish I was a fisherman "

 

Missed your vocation in life Jimi.

 

He could be Robson Green for all we know...

 

A strangely likeable twat who doesn't know which accent to speak in?

 

who
gives
a
****
anyway

 

For my tuppence worth - I think Rodgers had something to do with this. He was completely pissed off when Sturridge returned to Liverpool injured. I'm not saying he told Sterling to say he was tired but I do suspect he was coerced into having that mind set. After all, what 19 year old would ever turn down a chance to play footy at any level ever? Even if it was a kickabout in the park he'd say yes!