I don't agree with that.
25 years ago they were playing more games more often, and usually at the same speed
That's your perception of it, but the truth often is in the people who lived it and you only need to listen to almost any footballer from a different generation who freely admit that the game has got faster and that the players are mor like athletes than in previous generations
Maybe 25+ years ago they played on poorer pitches and played more games around certain times of the seasons but maybe in those points of the season they all played at 60% fitness levels
To be honest I'm with you all in that I don't think they are
tired or shouldn't be, certainly not in reletive terms they aren't but the key is how
fit or
tired They are in comparison to the players they are playing against.. Every team nowadays are fit but with the levels of fitness if you are 5% off the team you are playing against for any one of numerous reasons then that can make a big difference
It's not tired it's tired as opposed to their contempories
However I do think it's like most things a self fulfilling cycle, these players nowadays train with heart rate monitors on, they have blood tests taken to see if they're at their peak training levels.. They are rested if they get in certain training zones.. you often hear about managers talking about players entering red zones and can't be risked
They are brought up to think they need to be at 100% to play and in their heads I'd they don't feel it then they don't play or its their at the backs of their minds
But is it so much worse with all that? I don't know, in the past none of that was around and if they were injured then they were given injections and told to get out there, how many old players now struggle with knees and ankles and backs because they had injections to get them on the field?
I'm kind of in the middle on this if I'm honest because when we hear of a player is tired I can't be arsed with the argument of oh he's on 100k a week he shouldn't be tired.. Well he isn't in comparison to you or me, he's 100 times fitter and fresher, but against his contemporaries? If a player goes out there and is second best to a player on the opposition because he's 5% down on him and just can't keep up in that split second we are the first to get on their backs for performances too..
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