The Biggest Problem in Football
Why are injuries becoming so common in football? Why are more players developing lasting injury issues? Why is nothing being done to stop this?
Football is changing. Intensity used to mean moving the ball from defence to attack as fast as possible, now it refers to being out of possession and constantly pressing the opposition. This new level of intensity has to be met every game or the standards are dropping, the players aren’t good enough, or they don’t care enough. Every three days they are expected to play 90 minutes of football and move the ball quicker than ever before, work harder out of possession than ever before, and rotate positions more than ever before. This is just on the pitch. Intensity in training is even more important because if the standards aren’t met there, then they won’t be met on the pitch. However, one problem is not accounted for. Injuries.
Taken from @FabrizioRomano on X
Players can't keep up with the current workload expected of them. They play from August to May in the league season, with many first-teamers also chosen to play in international competitions from June to July. The average starting footballer from the Premier League to League Two will play competitive football from the start of August to the beginning of July, with two weeks off if they are lucky. Injuries will become more common for every team, including Bolton Wanderers.
How Many Games Do Players Actually Play?
Physical overload is a prevalent issue in League One. With 24 teams in the division, every team plays 46 games in the league alone; across all competitions, each team will play a minimum of 51 games if they are knocked out of the first round/group stage of every competition. However, if they reach the playoffs and perform as expected in cup competitions, every team can play over 60 games.
An international footballer is expected to play even more games, as they will play two games in every international break throughout the season. In the 2024/25 season, there are four international breaks for World Cup Qualifying, Nations League games, and more. However, it doesn’t stop there for international footballers: every two years there is a major international tournament (European Championships, Copa América, or the World Cup). The most recent World Cup included three group-stage fixtures, with another four games if a team reached the final. Most teams also played two friendlies before the World Cup to prepare for the competition. Therefore, if a player plays every game for his club and country in a World Cup season (and they are always knocked out at the earliest opportunity) they will play 62 games and over 5500 minutes of football. This is simply too much.
Injuries in League One
League One teams typically play every Saturday and Tuesday, this has changed slightly this season due to the new Sky Sports TV deal but most teams still play twice a week. Fans travel up and down the country to watch their team through highs and lows, they deserve to watch their best players but they can’t because so many are injured. Currently, the team with the most injuries is Northampton Town, with seven first-teamers unavailable for their last league fixture. The average amount of first-team injuries is 1.7 (according to the data available), meaning that every team has been without a key player this season and most are missing one for the upcoming games.
Taken from @ChronandEcho on X
Several teams are without a reported injury but have had key players missing this season due to match overload or injuries that are kept quiet. Suspensions are also becoming more common in football, with new rules regarding time wasting, simulation and even talking to the referee. The maximum number of yellow cards before suspension (5 or 10 depending on the time in the season) has yet to be changed, despite the harsher rules regarding yellow cards.
Bolton Wanderers’ Injury Woes
Bolton Wanderers have not been without their injury problems this season. From the first-team squad of 24 players, 12 have missed at least one game this season due to injury. This includes starting players and squad players but having half of your squad unavailable by the beginning of November, makes it almost impossible to play consistent football. Injuries will be a big reason why Bolton are playing so poorly currently, but why are there so many injuries? Is training too intense? Is the playing style too intense? We will likely only find out the answers to the questions if Ian Evatt is sacked. Is he the problem?