Santi out for Sunderland game

[Mo Britain less Europe]

Oh how expensve was to use our sledgehammers to crack those soft Bulgarian nuts.

[Ash]

Oh how expensve was to use our sledgehammers to crack those soft Bulgarian nuts.

Did I read that Perez was out for six weeks? It's happening again. :-(

[AFC East]

Did I read that Perez was out for six weeks? It's happening again. :-(

At least this was a tackle and not a soft tissue injury. Hopefully Santi will be back for Spurs. I think we may have turned a corner sometime last season with injuries.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

Read it again.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

We have Giroud back and hopefully Ramsey back very soon now. Plus Santi hopefully back for Spurs but really needs to use the squad better.

[redgunamo]

Did I read that Perez was out for six weeks? It's happening again. :-(

:-( Time to introduce a Winter break, imo.

About three months should do it. October, November, December.

[redgunamo]

We have Giroud back and hopefully Ramsey back very soon now. Plus Santi hopefully back for Spurs but really needs to use the squad better.

M, you need to lose this idea that footballers can best stay fit by not playing football matches.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

Red, footballers often get injured, like Lucas the other day, by other footballers. If they're not on the pitch that can't happen. So you minimise the risks by not playing your key players in 90 minutes of easy games or when a game is won. There's a particular problem with Santi and Nacho, I think their legs are going. So the more sparingly you use them the longer they are likely to last. Like with batteries.

[redgunamo]

That's just crazy, I'm afraid. That "risk" is the whole point! The idea of football is not to preserve footballers, it is to play them.

The best players play the most football matches, that's why they're the best. They especially want (and even deserve) to play all the easy games too as that's when they can best push their numbers up, thereby helping them to remain the best. Santi would be rubbish if he only got to play against Real Madrid, wouldn't he.

And why on earth should young players or fringe players get the easy games or get to play against tired, demoralised opposition. The manager's highest priority to His team is to keep His best players happy.


Red, footballers often get injured, like Lucas the other day, by other footballers. If they're not on the pitch that can't happen. So you minimise the risks by not playing your key players in 90 minutes of easy games or when a game is won. There's a particular problem with Santi and Nacho, I think their legs are going. So the more sparingly you use them the longer they are likely to last. Like with batteries.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

I think you will find this "craziness" may account for every single top manager playing a weakened team in the League Cup. But what do they know eh?

[redgunamo]

I think you will find this "craziness" may account for every single top manager playing a weakened team in the League Cup. But what do they know eh?

Yeah, that competition is the least of anyone's priorities. Nobody's interested in it. I think even Swindon Town rested players against QPR the other day.

[Ash]

Yeah, that competition is the least of anyone's priorities. Nobody's interested in it. I think even Swindon Town rested players against QPR the other day.

I rather like it actually. And Maitland-Niles got a token run-out today after a decent knock in the week. #internalsolutions