Too much football for the top players?

[those were the days]

Be interested in thoughts

Just noticed Portugal have Euro qualifiers against Serbia and Lithuania (both away) on Sat 7th and Tue 10th. Assuming some of our players get picked, that'll be (at least) the 9th country they've had to fly to in 3-4 months. Most have only had 3 weeks break from football over the summer and today's their first day off in over a month! Many have young families back at home to add to the mix.

While footballers are amply rewarded and all that, there's a heap of pressure to play at your best each week and with that schedule it's damn difficult. The flights arriving back in the early hours and being expected to cram in training and prepare next day must be killers too.

For me, the schedule needs looking at. The Nations League tournament wasn't necessary while the Europa qualification games could be 1-leg affairs with the stronger teams entering a stage later at least.

I'm genuinely amazed we're unbeaten in 8 (10 incl Asia Trophy) and if somehow we remain unbeaten over the next two that wld rank up there as the players and Nuno's best achievements to date imo. Not most important, but most impressive.

 

[Big Saft Kid]

I agree. Too much football. They need rest time.

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

Would help slightly if we had more players to pick from.
With a proper sized squad there would be no need for any players to play in the Europa and the Premier League.

 

[The Wolf In The North]

From another perspective, it's not like the schedule comes as a surprise. Clubs know in advance how much football there is to be played, and you can't have it all ways - you can't have a small, close-knit squad AND have a team full of high quality internationals AND have them playing minimal games. The Nations League was daft, BUT Portugal won; would our players have swapped that for an extra couple of weeks rest to be fit to play for Wolves? Were Wolves forced to go to China for a week? Is there a rule saying we have to have such a small squad?

If the Premier League was reduced to 16 teams it would be more competitive, there would be longer rest periods, an easier mid season break... But would we want to only see 30 Wolves league games a season instead of 38, or 46 when in the Championship?

So it comes down to internationals, which have always been a mid-season bane for numerous reasons. But qualification for tournaments require those games, and travelling, and an awful lot more fans care about those tournaments than don't. If you want to be a top club you need top players, and top players play international football.

The answer isn't less football, it's more players so they aren't having to play every minute of every game...

 

[Ewok vs Wolf]

I think its just part of being a top level player.
The only thing i would look at is pointless interntional friendlies do away with those and the players would get quite a few extra weeks rest over a season

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

When Arsenal and Manure come into the Europa they won't play the same players that play in the league as they have more sense. They can easily have a really competitive team just for the Europa but we have decided to do the opposite so whatever happens we only have ourselves to blame.

Nuno has done wonders but his idea of playing the same players in every game won't work, it simply won't.

 

[Tezthewolvesfan]

Would help slightly if we had more players to pick from.
With a proper sized squad there would be no need for any players to play in the Europa and the Premier League.

Nuno likes a small squad so that's not going to happen

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

Nuno likes a small squad so that's not going to happen

I know he does and he may well regret it.

 

[TooMutchBull]

They get their meals cooked for them, they'll all have cleaners and gardeners, all travel will be arranged for them and they don't clean their own kit. They just focus on the 90 minute games and if that's 3 a week then so be it.
It's what they love to do, it's what they're best at...I don't see the difficulty.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Would help slightly if we had more players to pick from.
With a proper sized squad there would be no need for any players to play in the Europa and the Premier League.

Completely disagree.

 

[those were the days]

When Arsenal and Manure come into the Europa they won't play the same players that play in the league as they have more sense. They can easily have a really competitive team just for the Europa but we have decided to do the opposite so whatever happens we only have ourselves to blame.

Nuno has done wonders but his idea of playing the same players in every game won't work, it simply won't.

Adding a bit more squad depth wld have helped with games played but it's still fairly brutal for the top players regardless.

I agree with you to an extent but not sure how fair it is to compare with Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal etc. as they've been competing in Europe for decades and have had plenty of time (and spent a lot of money) to evolve their squad size and depth. We've spent 85m odd this window so personally I'm a bit uncomfortable grumbling at the squad size too much this year.

 

[reanswolf]

They get their meals cooked for them, they'll all have cleaners and gardeners, all travel will be arranged for them and they don't clean their own kit. They just focus on the 90 minute games and if that's 3 a week then so be it.
It's what they love to do, it's what they're best at...I don't see the difficulty.

Sorry bud I disagree................I think 2 games a week IS too much.
Its one thing to play a game of ordinary football twice a week, but its a different thing altogether to expect Jota, Jiminez, Neves, Moutinho, Donk etc to play to the requited 100% level twice a week, accumulatively. They can only reach 95%,and the difference showed in yesterdays performance. Without that extra edge they are considerably less effective.

I am genuinely concerned. Need a much deeper quality squad to get through.

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

Ruddy, Traore, Cutrone, Neto, Saiss, Vinagre, Dendonker, Vallejo, Kilman, none of whom started on Sunday could all play against Torino and do a decent enough job.

 

[reanswolf]

Ruddy, Traore, Cutrone, Neto, Saiss, Vinagre, Dendonker, Vallejo, Kilman, none of whom started on Sunday could all play against Torino and do a decent enough job.

Probably true - but I expect we'd lose.
It is a genuine issue.

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

Probably true - but I expect we'd lose.
It is a genuine issue.

At least these players would be fresh and not dead on their feet and jaded which the team looked to be on Sunday. I cannot believe Ruddy doesn't play he's quite good enough to play in Europe.

 

[Contrarian]

while the Europa qualification games could be 1-leg affairs with the stronger teams entering a stage later at least.

The Europa league qualification is just a bad joke all round. It's just insane to have a competition where teams finishing 4th in countries such as Gibraltar and the Isle of Skye get to "Qualify for Europe". The Champions League and Europa league need to be reworked from top to bottom. First off, far fewer no-hopers that just increase fixture clutter for no known reason. The champions of low ranked nations should qualify for the Europa League and that's their lot. And as you say, let them compete with each other in August to see whose good enough to get through and have a go against a bigger club, the kind that actually have professional footballers playing for them.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

Ruddy, Traore, Cutrone, Neto, Saiss, Vinagre, Dendonker, Vallejo, Kilman, none of whom started on Sunday could all play against Torino and do a decent enough job.

You're ahead of me; I was going to write along these lines as I read through this thread. If you add say Coady (who always plays!) and MGW I'd say that side could have done a decent job in both legs in despatching Crusaders and Puynick. Torino may have needed a bit of flexing but I'd say we have 22 players to compete in the Prem and the EL. Whilst it will get tougher in the Gp stage imo we have more than enough talent to compete on 2 fronts; whether Nuno wishes to utilise all that talent is a different matter?

 

[reanswolf]

I agree they are good alternative players on paper, but you can't just dismantle tried and trusted pairings in any section of the field, without adversely affecting performance.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

I agree they are good alternative players on paper, but you can't just dismantle tried and trusted pairings in any section of the field, without adversely affecting performance.

If we want some success in both Europe and in the Prem (+ cups) I'd say that's exactly what Nuno has to do? Surely that's what training/coaching is all about? Talented players surely should all be able to 'mix and match'? I'd say possibly bar Coady all our players have a perfectly good understudy and Nuno imo should be able to alternate 4/5/6 players most games if need be. It just seems Nuno has a very fixed 1st x1 which he tends to stick with every game - yesterday showed that this policy will not work with the number of games needed to be played.

 

[Irish_Wolf]

At least these players would be fresh and not dead on their feet and jaded which the team looked to be on Sunday. I cannot believe Ruddy doesn't play he's quite good enough to play in Europe.

It's not the same for goalkeepers.

 

[reanswolf]

If we want some success in both Europe and in the Prem (+ cups) I'd say that's exactly what Nuno has to do? Surely that's what training/coaching is all about? Talented players surely should all be able to 'mix and match'? I'd say possibly bar Coady all our players have a perfectly good understudy and Nuno imo should be able to alternate 4/5/6 players most games if need be. It just seems Nuno has a very fixed 1st x1 which he tends to stick with every game - yesterday showed that this policy will not work with the number of games needed to be played.

I don't disagree with that, but in reality, you take Coady/Boly out, you take Neves/Moutinho out, you take Jota/Jiminez out, how are the alternatives going to do on Thursday? I agree that is what he has to do, but the moment we let a lead slip at home to Torino in front of 30,000 demanding fans, he gets accused of throwing the game away or not treating it seriously.

Its really tough for management.

 

[OLDGOLD]

They get their meals cooked for them, they'll all have cleaners and gardeners, all travel will be arranged for them and they don't clean their own kit. They just focus on the 90 minute games and if that's 3 a week then so be it.
It's what they love to do, it's what they're best at...I don't see the difficulty.

Largely this. Training will be tailored around individuals playing schedules in this day and age as well. Yes they may well get tired later in the season, but young fit athletes, three weeks in. No.

 

[clivewolves]

A nice short video below discusses some of the issues

 

[Dingle Chris]

Completely agree but the powers that be at Wolves would have known about this. The lack of quality in the transfer window was very poor.

 

[northnorfolkwolf]

I don't disagree with that, but in reality, you take Coady/Boly out, you take Neves/Moutinho out, you take Jota/Jiminez out, how are the alternatives going to do on Thursday? I agree that is what he has to do, but the moment we let a lead slip at home to Torino in front of 30,000 demanding fans, he gets accused of throwing the game away or not treating it seriously.

Its really tough for management.

I think Jesus looks good, Saiss and Donk would work and Neto and Cutrone up top looks promising? + Traore and Vinagre. Imv he has to rotate, certainly as we get into the Gp stages and if things are not working out he has a pretty good bench to call on for the 2nd half?

 

[sc91]

Completely agree but the powers that be at Wolves would have known about this. The lack of quality in the transfer window was very poor.

What utter claptrap nonsense.

 

[Flea]

Well,I am of that opinion that it is more tiresome to work a soul draining boring job in say a factory 47 weeks per year than what it is to play football on top levels.
I understand that players get tired,but to be quite honest I do fail in feeling sorry for them.

 

[Stratman Wolves]

Nuno likes a small squad so that's not going to happen

I wonder how much of this is just FFP and wage-talk? If you're competing season-long for cups, European league, and Prem, you'll have plenty of football for everyone to be happy even with a larger squad.

 

[wwbug]

Well lets give Nuno a chance to learn, or to be proved right.

And that will probably be this season.

 

[Tezthewolvesfan]

I wonder how much of this is just FFP and wage-talk? If you're competing season-long for cups, European league, and Prem, you'll have plenty of football for everyone to be happy even with a larger squad.

Could be some truth in that, however keeping them all happy is not easy.

 

[Monketron]

Wolves: Can Nuno Espirito Santo's side cope with Europa League commitments?

Apologies if someones posted that in another thread, but an interesting read about Wolves and how they prepared all the games we've had.

 

[DarloWolf]

Be interested in thoughts

Just noticed Portugal have Euro qualifiers against Serbia and Lithuania (both away) on Sat 7th and Tue 10th. Assuming some of our players get picked, that'll be (at least) the 9th country they've had to fly to in 3-4 months. Most have only had 3 weeks break from football over the summer and today's their first day off in over a month! Many have young families back at home to add to the mix.

While footballers are amply rewarded and all that, there's a heap of pressure to play at your best each week and with that schedule it's damn difficult. The flights arriving back in the early hours and being expected to cram in training and prepare next day must be killers too.

For me, the schedule needs looking at. The Nations League tournament wasn't necessary while the Europa qualification games could be 1-leg affairs with the stronger teams entering a stage later at least.

I'm genuinely amazed we're unbeaten in 8 (10 incl Asia Trophy) and if somehow we remain unbeaten over the next two that wld rank up there as the players and Nuno's best achievements to date imo. Not most important, but most impressive.

So who needs the rest

 

[wolvesdb]

I am getting ahead of myself but if we were to get to the FA Cup final with replays in the 3rd and 4th rounds, the league cup final and the Europa League final, I am sure we would have to play 4 games in a week in the season at some point.

It is not the amount of matches, but how badly organised the football calendar is.

 

[Jamwolf]

As Nuno has a preferred 11, the size of the squad is not that relevant. We have more than enough good squad players, if Nuno wants to play them.
Cutrone would be a case in point. I thought he might start against Burnley to rest Jota or Jimenez.
Nuno’s choice.

 

[John de Wolf's hairdryer]

As Nuno has a preferred 11, the size of the squad is not that relevant. We have more than enough good squad players, if Nuno wants to play them.
Cutrone would be a case in point. I thought he might start against Burnley to rest Jota or Jimenez.
Nuno’s choice.

I strongly suspect that Nuno sees Cutrone as competition/cover for Jiménez not as a complement to him. As Jiménez is such an important player for us (with six goals already this season), Cutrone is probably going to have to be patient. Also Cutrone has yet to be fully Nunoed and inculcated/indoctrinated in 'the system', which is not being helped by the ferocious match schedule making training time more patchy since Cutrone joined. We know from the Dendoncker experience that Nuno isn't generally keen on playing a new player until he's completely confident that player can do the job that Nuno wants him to do, and when that job is replacing Jiménez, which is a tall order, as Jiménez is so good, it seems Cutrone's day in the sun may have to wait.

All that said, I'd play Cutrone with Jota from the start on Thursday, with Jiménez and Neto replacing them on the hour mark, but Nuno I'm not!

 

[SoCal_Wolf]

I strongly suspect that Nuno sees Cutrone as competition/cover for Jiménez not as a complement to him. As Jiménez is such an important player for us (with six goals already this season), Cutrone is probably going to have to be patient. Also Cutrone has yet to be fully Nunoed and inculcated/indoctrinated in 'the system', which is not being helped by the ferocious match schedule making training time more patchy since Cutrone joined. We know from the Dendoncker experience that Nuno isn't generally keen on playing a new player until he's completely confident that player can do the job that Nuno wants him to do...

I agree with the bold and it applies to Jesus and Neto as well. These guys just arrived a few weeks ago and it takes time to get them integrated into the team, especially for such a methodical "system coach" as Nuno. I think we will be alright once we get through the qualifiers because Nuno will have time to develop trust in the new players and figure out the proper rotations for later in the season. From what I've seen, with the emergence of Traore at RWB and the initial play of Cutrone, Vallejo, and Neto, I'm pretty encouraged with the quality and depth of the squad actually. More so than last year...

 

[justfriggin]

Naargh ! believe me. Its far more knackering flying around this ******* planet clocking up air miles than working in a Flea Pit factory. Listen to the Voice of Experience.

 

[OLDGOLD]

I agree with the bold and it applies to Jesus and Neto as well. These guys just arrived a few weeks ago and it takes time to get them integrated into the team, especially for such a methodical "system coach" as Nuno. I think we will be alright once we get through the qualifiers because Nuno will have time to develop trust in the new players and figure out the proper rotations for later in the season. From what I've seen, with the emergence of Traore at RWB and the initial play of Cutrone, Vallejo, and Neto, I'm pretty encouraged with the quality and depth of the squad actually. More so than last year...

I agree that our match day squad is potentially stronger, but I do see the point of those thinking another couple of players and we would be golden. If Jordao and Cutrone settle as well ultimately as Neto is seeking to be then great.

 

[Knocker Lite]

I can see a problem when some players are getting very few minutes while others are playing twice a week due to having a training/coaching schedule geared to coaching the whole team rather than individual programmes.

 

[Uncle Festa]

Can only speak from my own experience, but playing twice or three times a week is not an issue. Only an issue when you are carrying a knock (even a slight one) as you run the risk of being more injured. When you are fit, you cant wait for the next game to come along. You just want to play everyday. The press have brain washed the public into believing that a big squad is needed probably from speaking to the likes of Bruce, Pullis and the other dinosaurs who would play a combative style of football and then wonder why half their squad are in the treatment room. I, for one, don't buy it. Fully agree with Nuno on this one. Providing the players rest and re-fuel correctly there isn't an issue especially in a sport now that has multiple substitutions, bowling greens for pitches, and first class science departments analysing every last minute detail.