Is Arsenal's medical staff up to par?

[mintone]

http://www.skysports.com
http://http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_2803768,00.html


I Have wondered about the ability of our Physio/medical staff for a while.

Please discuss.

[Skizz]

Erm...why?

Gary Lewin is the England team physio. If he was crap he wouldn't hold that position. It's not his fault people like Gallas and Rosicky have weak muscles. It's not something medical staff can improve.

Bit of an odd thing to moan about, considering the only basis for complaint is the team doctor of an international team, who also said that Rosicky has an INBALANCED MUSCLE STRUCTURE. Is that Lewin's fault?

Seriously...

[SLO-Gunner]

Erm...why?

Gary Lewin is the England team physio. If he was crap he wouldn't hold that position. It's not his fault people like Gallas and Rosicky have weak minds. It's not something medical staff can improve.

Bit of an odd thing to moan about, considering the only basis for complaint is the team doctor of an international team, who also said that Rosicky has an INBALANCED MUSCLE STRUCTURE. Is that Lewin's fault?

Seriously...


FYP ;).....and I actually like both of them.

[antifan]

As has been pointed out, having the job for England doesn't mean your the best at your job. Look at their manager, FFS. To be honest, i don't know what kind of training Lewin has, or how qualified he is for his job. He doesn't seem young so he was probably trained during the "magic sponge" era. I'm sure things have advanced since then. That said, the fact that Wenger keeps him on makes me think he's highly qualified, then again, Wenger seems very loyal to his staff. Either way, i'm sure that the team also employs doctors, right? Lewin isn't a doctor, is he? But he must consult with them about player injuries.

As far as the Czech team doctor. Who knows if he even knows what he's talking about? He could be a quack. The way he was talking about "muscular imbalance" made him sound like an Osteopath to me.

[mpeabody]

He doesn't seem young so he was probably trained during the "magic sponge" era.
Haven't we moved on to the "magic can of air" era.

[antifan]

Haven't we moved on to the "magic can of air" era.
Yeah, and i find that odd.

"Hey, you got kicked in the knee, lets blow some air on it like we would a piece of electronic equipment."

:confused:

[mpeabody]

Yeah, and i find that odd.

"Hey, you got kicked in the knee, lets blow some air on it like we would a piece of electronic equipment."

:confused:

At least they don't kick them like I do my TV.

[Skizz]

Lewin has been a physio a very, very long time. He knows what he's doing. But don't forget he does the job on his own on matchday - there are other medical staff at the training ground to rehabilitate players injuries and so forth - it's far from a one man team.

[Gooner_for_Life]

Lewin has been a physio a very, very long time. He knows what he's doing. But don't forget he does the job on his own on matchday - there are other medical staff at the training ground to rehabilitate players injuries and so forth - it's far from a one man team.

Sure history is nice and everything but in these cases it can also be detrimental. Now i have confidence that Lewin receives the proper training each year to stay abreast of current issues. Sometimes people who are younger with more current knowledge can be better then older people. Its just a thought.

As for the Czech physio he may or may not know what he is talking about. However to me it seems a decent suggestion really. Fact is Rosicky obviously is not very durable. He keeps having recurrences of the same injury which maybe directly related to an imbalance of his muscles. Think of it like when you break a bone and you are put in a cast. Obviously the muscles are not the same when you come out. Well for Rosicky who is a top level athlete, even though he isnt in a cast, im sure sitting around for 4, 5, or 6 weeks doesnt help either. Especially if he is limping or anything like that. There are lots of variables so its hard to tell and im definitely not a doctor. Finally the Czech physio mentioned something about development when Rosicky was younger. This could make it even worse. Who knows maybe Rosicky is just damaged goods.

[surfcam]

Yeah, and i find that odd.

"Hey, you got kicked in the knee, lets blow some air on it like we would a piece of electronic equipment."

:confused:

I believe it is a cold spray, like putting a compress on it. Helps numb the pain. But it does look weird.

[Guy Fawkes]

I believe it is a cold spray, like putting a compress on it. Helps numb the pain.

Why can NOBODY understand this? It's not THAT difficult, it's just like an ice bag.

"OMG, HERE COMES THE MAGIC SPRAY THAT CLEARLY DOES NOTHING!!!"

That pisses me off to no end.

Anyway...

http://www.arsenal.com/Images/pics/players/coach_lewin_g.jpg

ENGLAND'S #1!!!!

[Skizz]

Sure history is nice and everything but in these cases it can also be detrimental. Now i have confidence that Lewin receives the proper training each year to stay abreast of current issues. Sometimes people who are younger with more current knowledge can be better then older people. Its just a thought.

As for the Czech physio he may or may not know what he is talking about. However to me it seems a decent suggestion really. Fact is Rosicky obviously is not very durable. He keeps having recurrences of the same injury which maybe directly related to an imbalance of his muscles. Think of it like when you break a bone and you are put in a cast. Obviously the muscles are not the same when you come out. Well for Rosicky who is a top level athlete, even though he isnt in a cast, im sure sitting around for 4, 5, or 6 weeks doesnt help either. Especially if he is limping or anything like that. There are lots of variables so its hard to tell and im definitely not a doctor. Finally the Czech physio mentioned something about development when Rosicky was younger. This could make it even worse. Who knows maybe Rosicky is just damaged goods.
What I meant was that he wouldn't be here now if he hadn't evolved with the progress of technology.

[antifan]

Why can NOBODY understand this? It's not THAT difficult, it's just like an ice bag.

"OMG, HERE COMES THE MAGIC SPRAY THAT CLEARLY DOES NOTHING!!!"

That pisses me off to no end.

Anyway...

http://www.arsenal.com/Images/pics/players/coach_lewin_g.jpg

ENGLAND'S #1!!!!
I thought that this was England's #1?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41380000/jpg/_41380670_robinson203gt.jpg

Also clearly the best, right? ;)

[mintone]

I'm just thinking that maybe being a bit more proactive and prevention oriented might help. Atmittedly I don't know the first thing about physiotherapy.

I also wonder if a study of player injuries can be done, as to how long players are out of action per team.

Also it apears that Lewin himself is supposed to be an expert in hamstring injuries due to his work with Tony Adams.

I posted this to get some discussion going. I was hoping there might be a Dr. or physio among us that could shed a bit of light.

[Skizz]

Well I'm enough of a football sicknote to know a good physio from a bad one!!! :p

[Gooner_for_Life]

What I meant was that he wouldn't be here now if he hadn't evolved with the progress of technology.

Which i agree with you on. Like i said im sure he receives the proper training each year. However maybe a shake up is needed in the staff. Bringing in new blood is usually a good thing.

[Bluto11]

if anything, i think that Arsenal is too strict (not sure if that is the right term) in keeping players out until they are 100% fully healed and ready to go as opposed to rushing the recovery

[mintone]

Well I'm enough of a football sicknote to know a good physio from a bad one!!! :p

Maybe Arsene should hire your Dr. then!:D

[Skizz]

I can tell them who not to hire - all my quacks have been crap!!

[schafer]

As has been pointed out, having the job for England doesn't mean your the best at your job. Look at their manager, FFS. To be honest, i don't know what kind of training Lewin has, or how qualified he is for his job. He doesn't seem young so he was probably trained during the "magic sponge" era. I'm sure things have advanced since then. That said, the fact that Wenger keeps him on makes me think he's highly qualified, then again, Wenger seems very loyal to his staff. Either way, i'm sure that the team also employs doctors, right? Lewin isn't a doctor, is he? But he must consult with them about player injuries.

As far as the Czech team doctor. Who knows if he even knows what he's talking about? He could be a quack. The way he was talking about "muscular imbalance" made him sound like an Osteopath to me.

Didn't Wenger revolutionize the training/diet habits when he first joined Arsenal? It seems odd to me that he would be so diligent in keeping modern with something like that and not with the physios on staff.