The EFL Thread

HomerJSimpson said:
Only one place behind Reading too. Get them into the drop zone. I'd love it here at work. So many Royals fan. I may become a secret Miller for the season
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Don't you work in Reading? Nothing wrong with supporting your home Club rather than one of the big boys in the Premier league.😉
 
Lord Tyrion said:
Mark Robins has been sacked as manager of Coventry. Second longest serving manager in the top 4 leagues after Pep, 7 years. Remarkable achievement when you think of the tightrope managers in the lower divisions walk. I'm sure he will be picked up by a club soon.
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Always get nervous when a championship manager gets sacked. Selles could be off.:(
 
4LEX said:
How's everyone getting on?

Yet another takeover has fallen through for us, with a previously unknown personal debt secured on the stadium. So we could be part owned by a Chinese bank if they call said loan in, which will cause all sorts of problems. Just when you think things can't get much worse! New buyers are in ongoing talks, so hopefully a deal can be agreed but it's all a mess off the pitch.

On it we're just outside the play offs and performing really well. Great at home especially but away quite disappointing. That said we've had a lot of the top sides away so that should improve. The style of football is excellent to watch, a team of largely U21 players with a handful of top senior players. High press, intense attacking football and the players are really putting in a shift every match. Miles better than watching tedious football in the Championship from lazy mercenaries!
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Oh dear. Injuries to Smith and Wifi code could start to cost us.
 
Sad to see him jump ship at the first chance, feel like he's let the players and fans down. But football is a business and he's likely trebled his wages and more.

Hunt is decent replacement and let's be honest, until we get new owners we're not going anywhere or building towards anything. Bindon surely off in January?
 
Middlesbrough back up to 6th after a gritty 0-0 draw with Burnley. Grumbles from the terraces over the number of goals conceded this season, and more importantly the number of commanding leads considered. Boxing Day saw yet another 3 goal advantage ‘lost’ to a draw by full time. To say it’s frustrating is a mild understatement!

But what does the bigger picture look like? On the one hand the entertainment value of Carrick’s style is stellar. But for the 3rd season running it’s looking like the season will be severely derailed by injuries. 10 players in the squad are out injured, and that doesn’t include 2 players who would be first & second names on the team sheet if they hadn’t picked up long term injuries last season.

Currently;

1st & 2nd choice keeper out.
1st choice left back out before the season started necessitating bringing in another LB, only for the 2nd choice to pick up a long term injury.
1st & 2nd choice CB’s out.
1st choice RB out.
1st choice MF(capt) out one match after coming back from being out all season. 2nd choice out for at least 3 more matches after missing the last 3.
Striker out for several weeks - thank god he’s joint first choice. 3rd choice striker is out.

Middlesbrough were in a great position after the festive period last year but had half the squad go down with injuries and dropped to 10th before players started to come back. They climbed back into an automatic promotion place before several key players, again, picked up injuries and the dropped back out of the play off places.

What is the reason why for the last 3 seasons the treatment room has seen so much action? Are the players putting in too much training…?
 
@Hobbit if it's happening year after year it suggests training methods, intensity of play, style of play or simply lack of rest during a season, presumably dictated by squad size and quality. They'll have sports scientists involved, they must have an idea of what it is.

Maybe they are aware but are just running the risk and crossing fingers, unsuccessfully 🤷
 
Lord Tyrion said:
@Hobbit if it's happening year after year it suggests training methods, intensity of play, style of play or simply lack of rest during a season, presumably dictated by squad size and quality. They'll have sports scientists involved, they must have an idea of what it is.

Maybe they are aware but are just running the risk and crossing fingers, unsuccessfully 🤷
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I also wonder if modern equipment isn’t helping nowadays. Boots offer little protection, shin pads are pointless due to size and also wonder about grip socks. If they work as advertised and stop the foot slipping, are they leading to jarring and muscle injuries as there is no shock absorption?
 
Neilds said:
I also wonder if modern equipment isn’t helping nowadays. Boots offer little protection, shin pads are pointless due to size and also wonder about grip socks. If they work as advertised and stop the foot slipping, are they leading to jarring and muscle injuries as there is no shock absorption?
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I'm not sure the injuries relate to those issues though, could well be wrong of course. Are most injuries now not muscle related? The sheer pace of play, the intensity of games, it's no wonder players get so many injuries.

Leagues are not going to reduce matches/teams so it's up to managers to rotate more. Very difficult when your back ups are not as strong as your first string. No easy answer to this.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
I'm not sure the injuries relate to those issues though, could well be wrong of course. Are most injuries now not muscle related? The sheer pace of play, the intensity of games, it's no wonder players get so many injuries.

Leagues are not going to reduce matches/teams so it's up to managers to rotate more. Very difficult when your back ups are not as strong as your first string. No easy answer to this.
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Think it is probably a combination of all these things.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
@Hobbit if it's happening year after year it suggests training methods, intensity of play, style of play or simply lack of rest during a season, presumably dictated by squad size and quality. They'll have sports scientists involved, they must have an idea of what it is.

Maybe they are aware but are just running the risk and crossing fingers, unsuccessfully 🤷
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3 consecutive seasons. Carrick arrived in Oct(?) 22. They were in a relegation position when he arrived. He transformed their style of play, and they finished 4th. But they were a shadow of what they’d been a month before due to injuries and fatigue - they looked shot.

Last season saw a poor start but, again, they put in a superb run that petered out due to injuries and fatigue.

This season looks like going the same way.

If it’s a common issue why aren’t other teams seeing 10-12 players out at the same time. Contact injuries happen, as do some muscle/ligament/tendon issues.

The team plays a high press, high intensity fast breaking style. It’s great to watch, best Boro side for years. It’s almost a “we’ll score at least one more goal than you.” Playing that style with top players out sees the opposition score goals but doesn’t see the Boro score one/two goals more.

Squad selection/rotation happens partly through necessity and partly because he recognises the need to rest players, especially the younger ones. But I’m inclined to think the intensity is too great.
 
Hobbit said:
If it’s a common issue why aren’t other teams seeing 10-12 players out at the same time. Contact injuries happen, as do some muscle/ligament/tendon issues.
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Other teams are experiencing the same injury issues.

The game is now played at a very high intensity. The players are super fit and strong but the games come thick and fast with insufficient recovery time. Injuries are more likely to occur when the muscles are fatigued.

Training isn’t the issue. During the season the players are not training at high intensity during the week, it’s more focused on recovery and tactics.
 
We no longer have the poster Stokie on here so I'll post in his absence. Stoke sacked another manager this week. They are leaving Watford well behind on that front, they really have become a basket case club.
 
sunshine said:
Other teams are experiencing the same injury issues.

The game is now played at a very high intensity. The players are super fit and strong but the games come thick and fast with insufficient recovery time. Injuries are more likely to occur when the muscles are fatigued.

Training isn’t the issue. During the season the players are not training at high intensity during the week, it’s more focused on recovery and tactics.
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There’s a really good website called Besoccer. A quick search paints a different picture. Sunderland are the closest in terms of their injury list but the others are a fair bit lower. And it’s been like this for the last 3 seasons.

www.besoccer.com

Injured and suspended players for Sunderland

Check the status of players for Sunderland and find out details on those injured and suspended for the next match
www.besoccer.com www.besoccer.com
 
The Blackburn manager, John Eustace, has left the club, currently 5th in the table, to join Derby, currently 21st in the table :oops: . Apparently he still lives in the Midlands so it is easier from that point of view but even so.......Leaving Blackburn at this stage of the season, with them in a playoff position, he is sure to get a lively welcome next time back at the club.

At least anyone coming in to Blackburn right now is coming in to a good situation. Should be no shortage of applicants. Steven Gerrard? Easy to drive from Southport to Blackburn for training.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
The Blackburn manager, John Eustace, has left the club, currently 5th in the table, to join Derby, currently 21st in the table :oops: . Apparently he still lives in the Midlands so it is easier from that point of view but even so.......Leaving Blackburn at this stage of the season, with them in a playoff position, he is sure to get a lively welcome next time back at the club.

At least anyone coming in to Blackburn right now is coming in to a good situation. Should be no shortage of applicants. Steven Gerrard? Easy to drive from Southport to Blackburn for training.
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It seems a very strange move - must be money

Eustace has done well with any clubs he has managed

Can see Gerrard getting the offer for Blackburn
 
Arthur Wedge said:
It seems a very strange move - must be money

Eustace has done well with any clubs he has managed

Can see Gerrard getting the offer for Blackburn
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The main problem is the owners Venky’s and lack of investment from sales. There is an ongoing Court case in India preventing the release of funds. Adam Wharton sold last year for £18m and Smodics around £10m. Minimal invested, mainly loan players including Beck from Liverpool and Dennis from Notts F who is on 60k per week with Blackburn paying 20k weekly. They paid around 600k for Cantwell from Rangers.

Eustace despite Blackburn over achieving this season, they were 3rd favourites for relegation at the start of the season and had not offered Eustace an extension to his contract which expired at the end of June 2025. Moving closer to his family and the potential at Derby with average gates around 28,000 compared to 15,000.

Unlikely Gerrard as bookies have him @33/1.

Lee Carsley current favourite @5/4
 
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