da luck： For many the international break is a harmless stopgap between fixtures in the Premier League, but for the clubs seeing their players returning tired and in many cases injured, the fortnightly gap is becoming particularly arduous.
da casino： Just this last week we have already seen injury worries for both Jack Wilshere and Christian Eriksen, the latter much to Tottenham’s dismay will be out for around a month with strained ankle ligaments.
Now of course we all understand the value players place in representing their country, to force their omission from the international set-up would be wholly wrong. That said International managers have a duty of care to their players and from my perspective this involves sensible dialogue with respective clubs to ensure that players’ chances of being injured are minimised.
Of course some injuries are freak acts of nature, but in the case of someone like Jack Wilshere, the precarious nature of his fitness is well known. So when Arsenal say that the midfielder should be playing only one friendly, it is in both club and country’s interests that England themselves heed this advice, as it happens the knock to his thigh was pretty minor, but why was Wilshere involved in the Germany game at all?
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It isn’t even like these matches carry much, if any, importance, I can understand the need to play your very best in a competitive match but for an exhibition match it is just reckless. Wilshere realises the need to impress coming into a World Cup year, but most would acknowledge that selection is 90% down to league form and as such staying fit and firing for Arsenal is a much bigger priority.
The club versus country debate is extremely divisive, and regardless of which camp you place yourselves in there is always a need for a degree of common sense. Some may like to see England play their very best for every international, but this is just not a possibility. Clubs pay the players’ wages and international associations have a responsibility to ensure that the club’s assets are well looked after. It is a two-way relationship, there is great importance placed on maintaining a good relationship with clubs, or else risk not having players released for risk of exacerbating injuries.
Injuries can happen at any point, it doesn’t matter if it is an international or domestic game the chances are no doubt pretty equal. However, when you add a busy domestic workload to a full international schedule, you end up pushing so many of the best players close to the edge.
Roberto Martinez is right when he points to the Premier League being much more important for prospective world cup players, he made the following comments to the Daily Mail in relation to Ross Barkley’s involvement:
“It’s a waste of time to think what could happen in the future. The thing is to concentrate on the day-to-day. A week is an eternity so a few months is even more.”
His view being that players should knuckle down and ensure they give there best in the day to day grind for their club, rather than focus on the international set-up as a stand alone phenomenon.
Rather than be the battleground that is so often is, club versus country should be a much more mutually beneficial relationship. Countries should be keen to see their stars prosper at a club level, with clubs themselves keen to ensure their players are in a position to pursue their international ambitions.
As it stands both parties are at complete loggerheads, and to see players returning from international duty with injuries should really come as no surprise.
Spurs may well be entitled to compensation for Eriksen’s injury, but the loss of the player is of greater value to both club and country than a simple cash sum can provide.
Is it time international managers were a bit more responsible with players?
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