1 thing that struck me about the squad & tired

It suddenly struck me that a large % of our squad are having their first full season of EFL football.

We have 21 players who have made 15+ appearances. Of those Wilson & Vernam have been consistently hit by injury, whilst Ainley is coming back from a very serious illness.

Of the remaining 18,  5 (Luker, Luca, Gardner, JDS & McJannett) are having their first ever season in the EFL, with the latter 2 not having had a break in over 12 months.
You then have:
Wright - 20 EFL games in 8 seasons prior to 24-25
Cass - 59 EFL games in 6 seasons
Davies - just 17 EFL games in his whole career
McEachran - 55 EFl games in 7 seasons,
Obikwu & Khouri - only 16 & 22 games in the EFL
even Doug Tharme had only ever played 46 games,
whilst this season is the first time in 5 seasons that Denver Hume has played over 30 games


that leaves just Green,Warren, Rodgers, Thompson & Rose as regular first teamers with a decent amount of league football behind them.

Those stats imho may go some way to explain both the physical and mental tiredness that the squad must be struggling with.
It also gives a further glimmer of hope for next season, as their bodies and minds will be fully rested and more used to the rigours of a full season

Anybody want my Port Vale ticket I am feeling too tired to go.

It's a valid and fair point and basically a product of the model we've chosen to deploy (finding undervalued players likely means they will have played less competitive games).

You'd hope for a stable close season with minimal disruption to the starting 11 and then next season they'll be that much more experienced, cohesive and fresh to mount another promotion push.

Anything this year is a bonus but as they say it ain't over till it's over and we've still got a fighting chance yet.

Still think a draw and two wins would qualify for playoffs
That’s within our capacity as is three defeats. Question is which team turns up?

Quoted from IlkleyMariner

Still think a draw and two wins would qualify for playoffs
That’s within our capacity as is three defeats. Question is which team turns up?

Honestly feel 4/5pts could be enough
Colchester have a very tough run in
Chesterfield have it all to do

25 man squad v 14
5 substitutions  v1
60-70 minutes on pitch v 90
Two time outs/drinks breaks each half
Repeated injury feigning time wasting
Ball in play for 50 -55 minutes .
Football is so much more tiring then it used to be

Thompson has figured 20 times this season from November, but only seven starts, so perhaps he belongs to the Wilson, Vernam, Ainley cohort?

Strangely I thought Ainley was our star man yesterday, if that’s the right expression!

Think Thomson’s days are numbered as are Wilson and Pyke. Not sure about Ainley.

I believe one of the main problems is the number of injuries we have had throughout the season. From the being, we lost Davies, and some of the others were signed with injuries. From then on, players were picking up nagging injuries to having 2 keepers injured and having to have a loan keeper.

In some games, it was the 11 who were fit who had to play and not necessarily in their particular role. The subs were those who were nearly fit to have a full bench. A bit like asking a joiner to do electrical stuff on a building site.

Eventually, something had to give, and it did on Friday. I think we still have a good chance of the playoffs. If we win and Colchester lose on Monday, then we are back in front of them with 2 to play. On the other hand, if Colchester win and we lose, then I think it would be curtains for us with that massive goal difference.

Quoted from IlkleyMariner

Strangely I thought Ainley was our star man yesterday, if that’s the right expression!

Think Thomson’s days are numbered as are Wilson and Pyke. Not sure about Ainley.

Absolutely without a shadow of a doubt release Callum Ainley