ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

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Injury Schedule

Ths OS used to have a reasonable stab at predicting when injured players were due to return. This seems to have gone out the window.

Looking at it now there is very little info at all. Arteta is showing as "late 2009", Jags as "Nov 2009" which seems to be ahead of Arteta & therefore surprising, Neville as Xmas & Anichebe as "early season".

Everything else seems to be "unknown", even Pienaar. It's like it hasn't been updated since the summer.

Has anybody seen or heard anything which suggests return dates for Arteta & Pienaar in particular? I'm surprised that it all seems to have gone so quiet.
Alan Kirwin, Arundel, Sussex Posted 27/10/2009 at 12:33:44

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Mike Newhouse
1 Posted 27/10/2009 at 20:57:26

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The OS is rubbish with its predictions I’m in the paranoid camp believing it to be total propaganda.

The most accurate site I have seen for injuries etc is:
http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php

It has a full list of all Prem teams injured players from most injured to fewest. Guess what we top the league (Its probably the only one we will this season).
It lists the reason for injury and expected return date not a bad site.
COYBs

Jonathan Bradley
2 Posted 27/10/2009 at 23:33:52

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Add a keeper to that list and it wouldn't be that bad a side.

Mick Wrende
3 Posted 28/10/2009 at 06:45:03

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A more relevant question to ask is why we are getting so many injuries. We are top of the injuries league by a long way. There must be a reason — the first thing I would do is to sack the strength and conditioning coach. It happens every year and everyone is assuming when our injured return we will start winning again — but heh others will be injured by then. What a surprise.

Tom Winek
4 Posted 27/10/2009 at 11:17:06

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Who really believes we would be seeing the so called ‘negative tactics’ if we had even a partially-full squad? The 11 players Moyes puts out and the tactics he adopts are dictated to him by who is available, obviously. Do you really think we’d be so poor defensively, carrying no attacking threat from our fullbacks and no creativity from our midfielders, if Arteta, Baines and Pienaar were playing?

Imagine Cahill playing in his proper position or Jagielka rock solid at the back. Let’s not forget our club captain is out and although he may not be everyone’s cup of tea, he can be inspirational and is respected among the players. What about a fit Yakubu? These options aren’t available to Moyes.

I’ve read on countless occasions here in recent weeks how we’re only really missing 3-4 dead cert starters and this is no excuse for our results. That may or may not be the case but what is undoubtedly true is that the other injured/suspended/ineligible players not available to Moyes would bolster the squad, offer Moyes alternatives tactically, allow him to rest players (which is not happening), play players in the right positions, build confidence and freshen everything up.

Any neutral football fan reading this site would get the impression, overwhelmingly, that the blame for our poor start to the season lay firmly at the feet of 4 people: Moyes, BK, Felliani and Hibbert. Make that 5, Osman. My point is there is such a thing as bad luck. We’ve had a shocking run of bad fortune so far this season but we’re still in all competitions.

I believe we went into this season with a strong squad, if a little light with injuries suffered last season, discontent the Lescott affair and lack of/late summer signings. This looks like it’s going to be a tough season but things will improve. We won’t reach the heights of the past few seasons but Moyes and the team will turn our fortunes around.

Mind you Southgate is now available…

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