Harry Redknapp football science debates are a source of contention and the ex London manager is as vocal as ever. Harry Redknapp, now 78 years old, was in Dubai this week and discussing a cold English winter against a warm evening in the Middle East to consider how the game has evolved, and how too much of it, in his opinion, has degenerated.
The guest of honor was Redknapp who was the launcher of the London Sport Institute in Dubai which was held within Burj Khalifa. It hosted professors, elite athletes, and biomechanics, recovery, and performance analytics-oriented students. It was an environment based on information and technology. Redknapp however is another age in football.
He had a reputation of being a manager at West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth FC. It made him disagree with the view that the modern players were overworked. The recent injury controversies such as the ACL tear suffered by Manchester City midfielder Rodri. It was due to excessive work loads have increased the issue of player welfare.
>>>He remembered a time when he was playing with the Arsenal captain Frank McLintock that played 78 games in one title winning season. No substitutes. Muddy pitches. Injuries ignored. He went as far as telling a story of a goalkeeper in West Ham who fractured his arm and continued playing in the wing.
In the case of Redknapp, football used to be instinctive, rough and getting the job done. There was hardly sports science. There was no GPS trackers, recovery teams, and load management. Today’s game is different. Every sprint is measured. All the muscles loads are monitored.
