Injuries - do we have the numbers to cope?

[wormy]

 

But then, in recent years not only did we lack cover but we were decimated with the worst injury lists the Premier League has ever seen, sometimes 10 or more first team players at a time. Were we just f*cking unlucky under a series of managers, were we just signing crocks or have our training methods improved? That's one for another thread.

 

Had to pull this out from ohmelads post. Maybe it's not one for another thread, this one is about injuries after all...

 

It's a very good point. Do people think our injuries will be as bad these days anyway? I genuinely think that, barring multiple freak accidents, we won't see nearly as many injuries this season. In particular, muscle injuries and the like, and general lack of fitness with Hughton. He seems to have got pretty much everything else spot on in revitalising the club. I think it's safe to say that forgetting a curse, it had to be management that were hindering our players' fitness in the past. So many injuries just couldn't be explained after a while.

 

Let's not forget of course the amount of crocks we did have on the books, which is one kind of player Hughton just hasn't seemed to invest in once, thank God.

[Spider Jerusalem]

Where are we thin on the ground?

 

Keeper (at the minute)

Left full back- on the right have three so called specialist players but skill is spread pretty thin

Wingers

Decent central midfielders

Strikers

 

The left full back and both wingers have needed reinforcing for a couple of seasons now.  In reality, we couldn't be able to cover an outbreak of the common cold, never mind a plane crash.

[Andy]

Where are we weakest? I'd say right wing. Up front we have plenty bodies who can fill in, even if they are mediocre. Lovenkrands and Routledge will do as cover on the two wings. But we can't keep putting Barton or Guthrie out wide because Routledge isn't good enough.

 

I felt that, unlike previous games, Barton struggled in that position against Arsenal. His lack of pace was shown up against athletic opponents. Not that he was our worst player, but he had dominated the opposition in his previous games.

 

There was a rumour that we were after Jonathan Legear, from Anderlecht. From snippets, he looked the right player in the right position. Anyone know much about him?

 

Eh? Barton was one of our best players on Sunday by far and, withTiote, almost completely neutralised Arsenal's Barcelona-esque midfield. 

 

I agree with this... Not as effective going forward maybe, but we aren't going to be playing Arsenal at the Emirates every week - he had a different job to do and did it well.