Nicosia Gooner
05-27-2014, 09:07 PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premi er-league/10857688/Arsene-Wenger-calls-for-medical-and-train ing-review-after-Arsenal-slump-bottom-of-201314-injury-list. html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/10857688/Arsene-Wenger-calls-for-medical-and-training-review-after-Arsenal-slump-bottom-of-201314-injury-list.html)
Arsene Wenger calls for medical and training review after Arsenal slump bottom of 2013/14 injury list
Arsenal were without first-team players for a combined 1,716 days during the past season, in contrast to Chelsea who lost just 556 days
By Jeremy Wilson11:10AM BST 27 May 2014
Arsenal had the worst injury record of any Premier League club during the 2013-14 season, with Arsene Wenger having ordered a comprehensive review of the team’s medical and training procedures.
Research by the website physioroom.com has shown that Arsenal were without first-team players for a combined 1,716 days during this past season, almost 300 more than Tottenham who had the next worse injury record. By contrast, Chelsea were without key players for just 556 days this season, while champions Manchester City and runners-up Liverpool endured a similar injury toll of respectively 978 and 997 days lost.
Wenger has repeatedly blamed Arsenal’s injury toll for the club’s failure to sustain their Premier League title challenge following the loss for much of the second half of the season of Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey.
Although statistics do support Wenger’s theory, the wider issue is how Arsenal have consistently struggled with injuries during recent seasons.
Physioroom.com has also conducted research for the 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons and, in each of those years, Arsenal were among the seven worst affected clubs. In 2010-11, they lost 1,478 days to injury, second behind only Tottenham on 1,486. In 2011-12, Arsenal’s tally was 1,343 (the 3rd worse) and in 2012-13, it was the seventh worse on 955 days. Over the four year period, the club who have lost players for the most days to injury is actually Newcastle United on 5,645, followed by Arsenal on 5,492 and Tottenham on 5,330.
Indeed, with club record signing Erik Lamela having not played since December, Totternham’s 2013 summer arrivals contributed to a combined loss of 500 days through injury during this past season.
The contrast with Chelsea and Manchester City, who have respectively lost only 2,164 and 2,895 days during the past four seasons, is particularly stark.
Wenger promised a review in March “to see if there is a link between all these injuries”. Asked whether he would review his training and medical procedures, Wenger said "everything" but admitted that, on first inspection, it had been difficult to find an obvious reason.
There are numerous theories, such as the training methods, a style of football that might invite dangerous tackles, an over-reliance on certain players because of the size of the squad, a transfer policy that might favour technically gifted but more fragile players or simply bad luck. The statistics since 2010, however, clearly suggest that Arsenal’s injury record is about more than simply ill fortune.
2013-14
Arsenal 1716
Tottenham Hotspur 1441
Aston Villa 1426
Everton 1367
Newcastle United 1303
West Bromwich Albion 1161
Manchester United 1146
Fulham 1095
West Ham United 1094
Crystal Palace 1061
Hull City 1017
Liverpool 997
Norwich City 978
Manchester City 929
Swansea City 922
Sunderland 735
Southampton 708
Cardiff City 609
Chelsea 556
Stoke City 555
2012-13
Newcastle United 1745
Wigan Athletic 1281
Aston Villa 1225
Queens Park Rangers 1150
Manchester United 1088
Fulham 1077
Arsenal 955
Manchester City 954
Tottenham Hotspur 953
West Ham United 925
West Bromwich Albion 905
Reading 882
Sunderland 865
Liverpool 860
Norwich City 845
Everton 714
Southampton 707
Swansea City 705
Chelsea 565
Stoke City 496
2011-12
Manchester United 1681
Tottenham Hotspur 1450
Arsenal 1343
Newcastle 1258
Fulham 1245
Queens Park Rangers 1105
Bolton 1054
Norwich 968
Sunderland 956
West Bromwich Albion 868
Aston Villa 806
Blackburn Rovers 801
Liverpool 794
Swansea 759
Everton 716
Wolverhampton Wanderers 690
Stoke City 557
Wigan Athletic 474
Chelsea 356
Manchester City 186
2010-11
Tottenham Hotspur 1486
Arsenal 1478
Sunderland 1434
Newcastle United 1339
Fulham 1171
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1117
Manchester United 1068
West Ham 954
Everton 952
Liverpool 935
Birmingham City 879
Blackburn Rovers 872
Bolton Wanderers 867
Aston Villa 864
Manchester City 826
Blackpool 754
Stoke City 696
Chelsea 687
West Bromwich Albion 583
Wigan Athletic 487
Arsene Wenger calls for medical and training review after Arsenal slump bottom of 2013/14 injury list
Arsenal were without first-team players for a combined 1,716 days during the past season, in contrast to Chelsea who lost just 556 days
By Jeremy Wilson11:10AM BST 27 May 2014
Arsenal had the worst injury record of any Premier League club during the 2013-14 season, with Arsene Wenger having ordered a comprehensive review of the team’s medical and training procedures.
Research by the website physioroom.com has shown that Arsenal were without first-team players for a combined 1,716 days during this past season, almost 300 more than Tottenham who had the next worse injury record. By contrast, Chelsea were without key players for just 556 days this season, while champions Manchester City and runners-up Liverpool endured a similar injury toll of respectively 978 and 997 days lost.
Wenger has repeatedly blamed Arsenal’s injury toll for the club’s failure to sustain their Premier League title challenge following the loss for much of the second half of the season of Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey.
Although statistics do support Wenger’s theory, the wider issue is how Arsenal have consistently struggled with injuries during recent seasons.
Physioroom.com has also conducted research for the 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons and, in each of those years, Arsenal were among the seven worst affected clubs. In 2010-11, they lost 1,478 days to injury, second behind only Tottenham on 1,486. In 2011-12, Arsenal’s tally was 1,343 (the 3rd worse) and in 2012-13, it was the seventh worse on 955 days. Over the four year period, the club who have lost players for the most days to injury is actually Newcastle United on 5,645, followed by Arsenal on 5,492 and Tottenham on 5,330.
Indeed, with club record signing Erik Lamela having not played since December, Totternham’s 2013 summer arrivals contributed to a combined loss of 500 days through injury during this past season.
The contrast with Chelsea and Manchester City, who have respectively lost only 2,164 and 2,895 days during the past four seasons, is particularly stark.
Wenger promised a review in March “to see if there is a link between all these injuries”. Asked whether he would review his training and medical procedures, Wenger said "everything" but admitted that, on first inspection, it had been difficult to find an obvious reason.
There are numerous theories, such as the training methods, a style of football that might invite dangerous tackles, an over-reliance on certain players because of the size of the squad, a transfer policy that might favour technically gifted but more fragile players or simply bad luck. The statistics since 2010, however, clearly suggest that Arsenal’s injury record is about more than simply ill fortune.
2013-14
Arsenal 1716
Tottenham Hotspur 1441
Aston Villa 1426
Everton 1367
Newcastle United 1303
West Bromwich Albion 1161
Manchester United 1146
Fulham 1095
West Ham United 1094
Crystal Palace 1061
Hull City 1017
Liverpool 997
Norwich City 978
Manchester City 929
Swansea City 922
Sunderland 735
Southampton 708
Cardiff City 609
Chelsea 556
Stoke City 555
2012-13
Newcastle United 1745
Wigan Athletic 1281
Aston Villa 1225
Queens Park Rangers 1150
Manchester United 1088
Fulham 1077
Arsenal 955
Manchester City 954
Tottenham Hotspur 953
West Ham United 925
West Bromwich Albion 905
Reading 882
Sunderland 865
Liverpool 860
Norwich City 845
Everton 714
Southampton 707
Swansea City 705
Chelsea 565
Stoke City 496
2011-12
Manchester United 1681
Tottenham Hotspur 1450
Arsenal 1343
Newcastle 1258
Fulham 1245
Queens Park Rangers 1105
Bolton 1054
Norwich 968
Sunderland 956
West Bromwich Albion 868
Aston Villa 806
Blackburn Rovers 801
Liverpool 794
Swansea 759
Everton 716
Wolverhampton Wanderers 690
Stoke City 557
Wigan Athletic 474
Chelsea 356
Manchester City 186
2010-11
Tottenham Hotspur 1486
Arsenal 1478
Sunderland 1434
Newcastle United 1339
Fulham 1171
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1117
Manchester United 1068
West Ham 954
Everton 952
Liverpool 935
Birmingham City 879
Blackburn Rovers 872
Bolton Wanderers 867
Aston Villa 864
Manchester City 826
Blackpool 754
Stoke City 696
Chelsea 687
West Bromwich Albion 583
Wigan Athletic 487