Complaints of workload on players

[Gene Parmesan]

The amount of money in football and amount of people profiting off it, who do you want to see get the money?
Personally I'd like to see the guys who have put the effort in from a young age, sacrificed things as a child and continues to work hard to receive what, is probably a tiny percentage of what is actually ran through the game.

In terms of to many matches.......i agree!
Its not really the domestic game that is causing this though, its clubs who tend to book in friendlies across the world in that small gap between pre season and a tournament and FIFA/Uefa adding more games to the European/International calendar. you can just see now how players rack up caps compared to what players back in the day used to get.

I’m not even saying cut their salaries or anything like that and I appreciate that with the money in football, players are going to command high salaries.

I just think it’s tough to listen to footballers bleat on about how hard done to they are from their incredibly privileged position.

 

[paultheblue]

The players need to bore off moaning and get on with it, the overpaid entitled gobshites.

Way too much money going into their bank accounts means that they are so out of touch with everyday people who actually have to work for a living. Stfu and get on with it.

Most of the top half of the premier league dragged their squads all over the world for lucrative pre-season friendlies, more or less as soon as the euros had finished, the clubs and PL are as bad. Players don’t moan much then.

if the players are tired, they or the medical teams should tell the managers they cannot play and that’s that - they don’t play.

The sports science is unreal now - the data should be handed over to an independent body for assessment, and if managers are picking players and players are playing when they shouldn’t, then clubs and individuals should be fined.

Academy kids might actually play games in the PL and these tired, bullwhipped, knackered players can get the rest their poor frail bodies need.

Maybe someone should sit them down and explain to them that these clubs need to play these games so they can afford to pay their wages.
In 2023 the premier league generated 6.1 billion of which 71% was paid to players that was 4.33billion

 

[degsy]

I see numerous player and managers are speaking out about the number of matches they are expected to play.
Do they have a point or not?

There's too much football, especially this add on International rubbish.

 

[cjuk87]

Go back to pay as you play. Players can decide if they need a rest and not take a full wage for it. The squad becomes more competitive, as everyone wants to play. Clubs keep more of the incoming money. Fans can be charged less. No, I've gone too far.

I'll try and think of a rule that helps the sky teams further and I promise we won't help the supporters. Maybe increase ticket prices and all sky teams are automatically through to the last rounds of the cup?

 

[The Binman]

I see numerous player and managers are speaking out about the number of matches they are expected to play.
Do they have a point or not?

They dont HAVE to play in euros or worl cups.

Though i have very little sympathy for the pampered pups. They get paid shedloads for doing something that isnt even worthwhile, gives some over inflated egos and wouldnt know hard work if it slapped them in the face

So i honeslty couldnt really care less... too many games, boo hoo... ffs

 

[Old Blue 2]

I've never understood the complaints of the top players about playing too many games.
Two games a week. Mid-week and weekend.
They're trained to the highest standards possible.
Should be easy for them!

Makes me smile when I think of 17/18 year-old me:
Saturday morning, played full game of rugby (scrum-half) for school (CAGS). Get home, grab a bite to eat, then off Saturday afternoon for a full game with Brunswick Boys Club U/18s in LBA League (yes, the Boys Club that 'Spitty' later played for).
OK, I was physically fit at that age:
One hour rugby training after school once a week as well as a couple of lunchtime sessions. PE circuit training for an hour a week on school timetable.
Brunswick Boys Club - Wednesday evening at Bootle Stadium, 9 laps (3 miles), then half-hour circuit training, THEN tactics and ball work.

Not saying I was anything special, I just did it. Saturday night I was knackered in front of the box watching MOTD, but I wouldn't change a moment of it.

Hence I don't buy the top players' complaints. If you don't like the regime, get out the game!

 

[larbert toffee]

Personally I think some play too much - those in Euro competitions and/or playing at a WC/Euros. Athletes these days are all finely tuned glass cannons and they're getting run ragged with some not really having a pre-season anymore because they feel they need PT's on holiday to stay in shape.

It also shows on the pitch as personally thought the Euros were crap and most teams looked knackered even in group stages.

New CL format has more games, Conference League wtf is that? Extra pointless internationals every few weeks and 800 team World Cup's.

I love footie but it's too much.

And Seamus wants to play in them all.

 

[KaiserEFC]

As every single person has said to me everytime I’ve moaned about work: well you knew what you were getting yourself into.

 

[bluenorthwarrior]

So many good points, bottom line is the point about huge squads held by the clubs with the most games - 25 internationals, why not use them?

International breaks kill me. One after 3 games, another after 6 or 7 with players flying all over the world. International football should just be a qualifier tournament over 2 weeks the summer before euros/world cup and the finals the next summer. Best 22 at that time just go for it, get rid of the meaningless semi-friendlies of current qualifying / euro nations league where managers develop boring defensive systems anyway for the most part.

 

[toffee82]

For most teams that just play 38 league games and get knocked out relatively early in the cups then there aren't too many fixtures.

Those that are in Europe and make the later stages of the cups (basically the scab 6) need to use their squads properly.

 

[Del-boy]

Being pushed by the cartel clubs of course. They already have 5 subs brought in which greatly benefits them.
All the money is in European competition and going as far as possible in that.

An easy solution would be for them not to take part in the league cup. But of course they don’t want to do that. They have had replays removed also.

The next thing I guarantee to be pushed will be for the league to drop to 18 teams. Less league games so more chance of the cartel teams being fresher for European games.

As for the lower teams not competing in European competition. Less games for us, but I guess thats tough..

 

[Rita_Poon]

There is a way through this that satisfies all, let me pull myself together and try and figure it out.
A solution for Internationals, and a solution for club sides. Has to remain continental to cut the travel burden. Pre tournament qualifiers. Regional.

 

[Bedfordblue]

Sky Sports fixture congestion study: Rodri, Pep Guardiola, Heung-Min Son and Alisson raised concerns over welfare

Rodri, Pep Guardiola, Heung-Min Son, Alisson and Manuel Akanji have spoken out about schedule workload and player welfare; Sky Sports study uncovers how modern-day workloads compare with previous decades

www.skysports.com

 

[BigDunc'sFod]

If they're that bothered, quit their massively paid jobs to send a message.

But they won't will they. So they should shut their trap.

 

[Jacko93]

Make all cup competitions straight knockout, no seeding. Including Euros and World Cup. That will massively reduce the number of games a player is expected to play, while giving greater opportunity for upset and potential for a more varied group of winners. Make the Champions League a cup for champions and (maybe) runners up only.

The trouble is that for every one of these clubs, without a single exception, value money over the wellbeing of their players.