Alex Gilbey - Re-signed for MK Dons (p37)

mendonca said:

@Sage, nobody has had a personal dig at anybody in the CAFC medical team. Half the fun of being a sports fan is being able to collate facts and build a personal opinion of a situation (as long as no harm is intended).

In fact, you've done so yourself :-)

You've concluded that Page "needed a new environment and sometimes a simple thing like that is what works." Just imagine in an upcoming interview, if he mentions he is now doing things differently and sought advice from a physio there about personalised training plans different to those he's embarked upon previously. 

Sorry my point about digs or accusations is spread across here and social media. It’s frustrating when sometimes you are fortunate enough to know a bit more about a situation but a lot of others still have an opinion that the medical team is to blame.

Regarding Page, he not only had consultation and treatment from people at the club, but he also went to St George’s Park for treatment. It happens sometimes and fresh face and working with someone different is good for all concerned. He also had a different kind of treatment when Danny Murphy arrived late last year. So he has already had treatment from the original medical team and two separate individuals as well. That was the point that sometimes a new environment is just what someone needs. 

Athletico Charlton said:

Sage said:

Croydon said:

mendonca said:

The amount of injuries we get in training is ridiculous. Surely there are other areas to focus on in training than just intensity.

He will have been out for 8/10 weeks.

Haven't Exeter already got a run of games out of Page? Surely that's a good as indication as any.

Not at all. Page has been fit since July and sometimes the thought and fear of injury is more than the actual injury itself. He needed a new environment and sometimes a simple thing like that is what works.

Again, nothing to do with the medical team and their competency.

Accusing them of things without background or any real substance is wrong and completely undermines them as professionals. You wouldn’t have a banker for example come out and critique the performance of a surgeon, so why do football fans do the same with a medical team without any knowledge of a situation?

But footballers injuries are way more public than a surgeons record.  We must have had the worst injury record in the divisions we have played in for at least two years now hence people are questioning medical staff/training regime.  If a surgeon had the worst track record as a surgeon for 2 years running I would not let them anywhere near me. (and I am a banker).

But do you know the extent of other club’s injuries and their records just as much as you do Charlton’s? You know about ours because you’re interested and it’s well publicised. But fans don’t know the work that goes on at the training ground and the hours they put in, the methods used, and range of ways and techniques to get the players fit and recovered. The data that is analysed and equipment used all to aid this as much as possible, to make that extra % that counts and is crucial.

Last year we did have a ridiculous injury list for a couple of months or so, but that also happened because we were using the same players each time until they broke down. Due to the budget available, we could only sign a certain type of player, most of which came with a history of a specific injury or potential of a recurring injury. It then came to a point where we literally did not have enough medical staff to cope with the amount of players injured. How can you deal with 16 players injured at the same time? And that’s without thinking about further down in the academy and focusing on the rest of the squad who are ‘fit to play’. 

mendonca said:

Thanks @Sage. Am in tune with your views on this topic. Also well done to Lewis for hanging in there and now enjoying his football. I always say that the average football fan tends to forget one major point when a player has constant setbacks - just how much pain they've had to live through.

Completely agree. As much as it’s frustrating for the fans when a player is unavailable and people say oh well he’s earning X to be injured. What that does to their psychological state, their confidence, how their body feels at a young age, and ultimately the impact on their career is huge and often detrimental.

I’m over the moon to see Page play regularly for Exeter and hope he has an injury free season and can move forward and progress in his career.

We have seen only too recently with another ex left-back of ours, Holmes-Dennis, having to retire at the age of just 24 because of injuries. It’s an extremely short career sometimes and can be life changing when injured. 

soapboxsam said:

I have followed MM career since his Gateshead days, but don't know much about Alex Gilbey.

As I wasn't at a match last Tuesday I saw Valley pass for the first time this season.

What type of midfield player is Alex ?

Box to box.

Very excited to see what a Gilbey Shinnie Maddison midfield looks like.