@JHunterChron Tony Mowbray doesn't expect Bennette to be ready to train this week when he returns from international duty with Costa Rica. Ba picked up a dead leg while away with France and will train over the next few days to see whether he could play on Sat. #safc Thats abit of a bummer.
@JHunterChron Mowbray: We'd hoped Simms might be OK after the international break, but that's not going to be the case. #safc @JHunterChron We thought it was some ligament damage to his toe. He's on loan from Everton so they will decide whether he gets a scan now. #SAFC
I’d like to see amad given a go up top him running in behind with the likes of Neil Pritch and roberts putting balls in could be exciting
I hope I'm wrong but I get the impression Simms is "the type" who feel pain and injury more easily than others. He seems to spend a hell of a lot of time with injuries that drag on longer than expected (happened at Blackpool and Everton). Absolutely not saying he's doing it on purpose, everybody's brain is wired differently. I know from experience I feel injuries a lot easier than some would, as my brain overthinks everything my body tells is. I stopped playing football at 23/24 because I could still feel every niggle and bruise etc a few days into the working week and could never feel comfortable. He might be the same, and its just a gut instinct that tells me I think his impact for the rest of the season will be very stop / start. And when those periods of "start" are off the bench, it really limits how much impact he can have. Broadhead suffers same fate. And I reckon Rodwell does too. I'm being massively generalist and bang out of order, but its just a gut instinct. All Everton kids fwiw..
I don't know if he's ever played 90 mins for us, when he starts he always gets replaced. Anyone with the stats at their fingertips I'd be fascinated by it. Does he have issues or is it data-driven?
Interesting piece on the radio this morning about the high injury levels among younger players in this country, the conclusion was far to many games , especially, back to back games involving younger players in particular. Certainly International tournaments, extra cup tournaments, and the criminal World Cup scenario, all add to pressures on clubs and players. Not saying this has anything to do with us specifically but it is a thought.
I'd have to agree with you on all of that. I think once hed hurt his toe hed already decided at that point he wasn't going to play on anymore or try to till at least half time
Him and Pritchard rarely, if ever, play 90 mins. I think its fine actually. If you think about it, managers now have the ability to substitute 50% of their starting eleven during the game. They don't really want to change defenders, which leaves it more likely that an attacking player will be subbed than not. At which point you want your attacking players running their socks off as there's little point them being conditioned for 90 mins when they're going to average 70-80 mins
Yes I meant starting a game with the intention of playing 90 mins. He tends to go missing and then inevitably gets replaced. Coming from the bench he seems to be alot more influential
His body language looked to me like somebody who was both expecting to get injured and both entirely depressed about it from a "given up" perspective. Have to feel for young sports people who go through this. I'm aware they're not helped by keyboard psychiatrists like me.
There's certainly something in this. My own feeling is that the modern player has become a little like a thoroughbred racehorse.....finely tuned for maximum performance...with every muscle and sinew operating on the edge,and not ever too far away from breaking point.
I still think football needs to go further down the route of not seeing being a substitute as a bad thing. When we live in an era where there are 5 subs - they can massively impact games. Some players will be better and more effective coming on when defenders are tired or games are stretched.
Agree. How long before we have a 5 man substitution to impact a match depending on the position at ,say,60 mins......NFL style....an attacking unit or a defensive unit.
Managers who don't make the maximum use of substitutions are dangerous long term. This has been a hobby horse of mine since the numbers allowed has risen. Our cup game against Arsenal a while back was a classic case of pointless stupidity, their have been many more since.