Does Football Fatigue Really Exist in Today's Game? And To What Extent?

[exiledclaseboy]

Martin was a prick who thought he was better than he is. Williams just wasn’t very good.

 

[Pentyrchjack]

Bear with me on this one. With us having to play Preston next week and having 10 days rest vs 3 Days for them due to FA Cup, it got me thinking.

We hear about football fatigue and granted I get tired from going shopping and takes me a day to recover . But other than mental strength and or tactics, we really have no excuse next week.

Dare I say it, when Martin came into the Swans I remember him saying, his style of play is designed to wear teams down. And while the game progressed we would get more opportunities. But I never saw any proof in this and in fact, we was the one leaking goals at the end.

So my point being with all the technology, stats etc. Can we blame fatigue or bad coaching?

Russ' style of play wore the fans down too....

 

[bakajack]

I did some research about half a year or so ago into football compared to forty years ago.

The average professional footballer in the top two divisions (Premier League and Championship) on average cover twice as much ground and make 70% more high intensity sprints now than they did in the 80s. Combine that with an average of 60% more games in a season (this figure is higher for those at the very top of the game) both internationally and domestically and there really is no comparison.

The average championship player compared to Division 2 (as it was called back then) has over triple the workload on his body. There are very valid reasons why the PFA have talked about striking against FIFA who only seem to want to find even more ways to cram games in to the annual football calendar (and get more money)

Managers used to manage the workload by players picking up "knocks" before international friendlies before miraculously recovering the next weekend. Now with the Nations League there isn't such a thing as friendlies anymore, add to that they often are expected to play two games in a week compared to one (or potentially none) AND both of those are in a more competitive mindset.

It was actually quite rare in the 80s for players outside of the top division to be involved in international duty, and indeed a team with at least three international callups were exempted from playing that match week with the game rescheduled for another date.

 

[LaJollaJack]

Hearing the extended time off has worked a treat - re-energised and properly refreshed with a spring in the step knowing the Martin-Williams toxicity is no more.

Exciting times, off and on the pitch ……

 

[Smurph]

Fatigue has always existed in football. These days it's is highlighted more so by the technology and media coverage.

In the past it was never really talked about. The players were either told to or just got on with it.

 

[Fbreath]

We'll have report players are not match fit because they haven't played a competitive match for 10 days