Alastair Thrush leaves as Head of Medical Services / P.3 Danny Murphy appointed

@ForeverAddickted mentioned on the thread that was closed, just as I was about to post my comment back... The question will be whether the injuries now sort themselves out.

That is the biggest, and most important, question for me.

However, to answer that is extremely difficult. How do you compare circumstances? How do you compare and assess the quality of work performed? All when the situations are now completely different.

I have always stuck up for the medical team and believe they’ve done an admirable job given the circumstances they’ve been under. The lack of funding, support, investment, facilities, and equipment - it’s really hurt us. All alongside the lack of investment and support for the playing side.

If you look at the injuries over the last 2-3 seasons, the playing squad had no cover and no investment or support. We had the horrific injury crisis because we were playing players who weren’t fit, or relied on the ones who were, far too much, they eventually got injured themselves because there was no one else. We also have seen some ridiculously unlucky and freak injuries in that time too: Forster-Caskey’s ACL, Vetokele’s and Cullen’s shoulder dislocations, Bauer’s and Taylor’s MCL injuries, one of which happened when not even with us, Leko’s ACL away at QPR was due to the way he landed, Doughty’s hamstring tear this season was because he was full stride and got a push in the back. Those are just ones that come to mind straight away without even thinking about it. 

This season, we have fortunately had the investment, but it’s meant we have signed players with no pre-season and generally were signed late. It causes its own problems. But, as the season goes on, it will invariably get better. We now have cover in across the pitch, something we didn’t have before.

Roddy has come in and analysed the performance of those at the club in all areas. He would have no doubt looked at the medical team, and the injury record we have had. It has been poor, but there are reasons for that, as I’ve mentioned. Ultimately though, someone has to take responsibility, and because we have had no senior management to do that, it rightly or wrongly has to fall at the feet of the Head of Medical Services, Alastair Thrush.

Now we have an owner and senior management team who will be on hand, who is willing to invest, give us the new state of the art medical equipment, recovery aids, pay for scans, create new roles within the medical and sports science department, invest in the facilities, all whilst investing in the squad and playing side, we will eventually, and naturally, see a decrease in the volume of injuries.

It’s very difficult to place blame at the feet of one person who has had little to nothing to work with for the time he’s been at the club. Of course, I hope someone extremely well qualified with a fantastic record and reputation comes in and helps us move forward. We desperately need it because it has held us back.

But please be aware of the restrictions that they’ve all had to work under for a long time, before anyone not qualified slates their (now specifically, Thrush’s) performance.

As I’ve said, I hope whoever comes in has a fantastic record. I hope they bring some great news ideas to help push the medical department not only up to current times, but ahead of them, and ahead of the rest of the league. If we get that side right, with the right and proper care and investment, the difference it can make to our fortunes and success is in my opinion, immeasurable.