[Football] Pep, Klopp, Tuchel, Conte stop whinging about festive matches

[Kosh]

Some interesting debate herein, especially around the annual festive season ‘moan fest’ ... as others have said, Tuchel was acting like a parody of himself the other night, agitated and looking like he’d had some seriously awful news... get a grip Thomas, you deserved at best a point and got just that.

As for the traditional Christmas/new year calendar, I love the thick and fast nature of the games. I love the drama and the fact that the big clubs find things hard and (yes) it’s a bit of a leveller for me... if you lose the agony isn’t prolonged as you’re back in action pretty quickly. As a spectator sport, I want to spectate ... this beats the international break stop start BS that dominated the early season fixture list... traction engines move quicker and with more drama. As for player welfare, that’s what vast squads are for, after all I’m sure GP would have loved to have had Leandro available the other night... so, Liverpool can’t play Salah every match...?? tough shit. That’s life.

Surely the players love the game and enjoy hectic spells just as much as we do? I’ve played twice this season with near fractured ribs, because I love the game... or am I missing something crucial, and more important than loving what these guys are paid extortionate amounts to do? I have little or no sympathy to be honest. If you’re struggling to field a team, then play the development players, again, surely for massive entitled clubs like Chelsea that should be enough to overpower the likes of us?

 

[Bodian]

OK I'll humour you.

Football as a spectator sport only existed, before tv, by having spectators. The only way these said spectators could go was when they weren't working. Most people worked 5 1/2 day weeks, finishing 12am on a Saturday allowing them to travel down to their local team.

The clubs were all owned by local businessmen, with little or no revenue streams other than the said spectators who could only attend when again they were not working. As many companies, especially up north where the mills and foundries would be shutdown over Christmas Easter and set weeks in the summer, it became a tradition that more games were played over that period.

It's wasn't about money and greed back then but about giving working class people something to look forwards too. The players back then were all working class and earnt a simple wage, the clubs themselves didn't need huge revenue streams to exist. Perhaps look at history before you spout shit, Sheffield Wednesday for example, called as such due to the founders of the club having Wednesdays off from work.


While you diss yesteryear football you do realise a lot of these players had other jobs, yet trained, played all on muddy ploughed fields with heavy boots and a heavy football. One sub was eventually allowed and many clubs went through a whole season using just 14 or so players. Bigger leagues, cups played over two legs, replays and if at the top Europe as well. Remarkable really considering they were all pisshead, smoking, unfit tough guys, eh! They certainly had far more stamina than the present players.

Of course these days the players are fitter, monitored to within an inch of their lives. Correct diets and so on. However perhaps it can go too far. I remember one of the top managers bemoaning the fact a few years ago if his medical staff had their way they'd stop him playing any of his players ever again.

To add to that - the Factory Act of 1850 introduced a requirement to cease work at 2pm on a Saturday. Men would pour out of the factories and start drinking. Things like churches and athletic clubs starting providing opportunities for sport, leading to football clubs and watching football. Kick-off was at 3pm to enable the workers to get from the factory to the ground in the hour. And that then, as you say, led on to the Christmas glut of games. Sometimes playing on both Christmas and Boxing Days, especially after the 1871 Bank Holidays Act (which also gave rise to the Easter set of games).

 

[Eric the meek]

As usual it's all about balance. Have a bigger squad and utilise it and players soon start moaning they're not playing enough (see Lukaku recently). Or they play too much and they get bad injuries that could affect their later lives. Re player welfare, there's interesting articles about the caffeine gel and other legal drugs players take to be able to play the "modern" high press game, running around like headless chickens. That's not good long term for player welfare (Liverpool couldn't sustain it last season after their title win). Won't be doing the heart much good.
Anyway, getting the "balance" right is about good management surely ie Tuchel and Klopp's job (so get on with it and shut up when you lose).
As for Xmas, I don't like the Xmas period. I'm not religious and I find it a dark and stressful time. One of the absolute highlights of the Xmas period is the extra football on. If necessary, have a "winter break" before or after the Boxing day and NY fixtures.

edit - isn't it ze German coaches that have introduced the pressing game into modern football? I find it odd that these same managers who introduced this high energy, knackering style of play then also moan about tired players.

That's a good point. I noticed that after our draw with Chelsea, Tuchel (a disciple of the gegenpress or high press), said his players were exhausted !

I would have thought that was what you'd want at the final whistle! Otherwise you'd wonder if they hadn't put in 100% effort, shirley?

 

[Guinness Boy]

As usual it's all about balance. Have a bigger squad and utilise it and players soon start moaning they're not playing enough (see Lukaku recently). Or they play too much and they get bad injuries that could affect their later lives. Re player welfare, there's interesting articles about the caffeine gel and other legal drugs players take to be able to play the "modern" high press game, running around like headless chickens. That's not good long term for player welfare (Liverpool couldn't sustain it last season after their title win). Won't be doing the heart much good.
Anyway, getting the "balance" right is about good management surely ie Tuchel and Klopp's job (so get on with it and shut up when you lose).
As for Xmas, I don't like the Xmas period. I'm not religious and I find it a dark and stressful time. One of the absolute highlights of the Xmas period is the extra football on. If necessary, have a "winter break" before or after the Boxing day and NY fixtures.

edit - isn't it ze German coaches that have introduced the pressing game into modern football? I find it odd that these same managers who introduced this high energy, knackering style of play then also moan about tired players.

That's a good point. I noticed that after our draw with Chelsea, Tuchel (a disciple of the gegenpress or high press), said his players were exhausted !

I would have thought that was what you'd want at the final whistle! Otherwise you'd wonder if they hadn't put in 100% effort, shirley?

Yep.

On energy gels specifically, I've used them for years for long distance running. I don't personally use the caffeine ones and you don't have to (I find they make me want to take a dump). They are just sugar really - a shot of quick carb. No different to having a Mars Bar or banana but easier to consume and digest,

The rest is spot on. The energetic press is beloved of Klopp and Tuchel, while the other hipster coach Bielsa works his players into the ground. Perhaps a good coach should change his tactics to suit the fixture list rather than the fixture list to suit his tactics?

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Perhaps a good coach should change his tactics to suit the fixture list rather than the fixture list to suit his tactics?

If only we had a coach who was prepared to change tactics like that....