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Jinx, or something wrong with the system? This was the question many Manchester United fans were asking last season as they watched their first team squad decimated with injuries throughout the season.
At one point there were more injured stars than fit ones in the squad and some players, for example, Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez, missed the whole campaign, or most of it.
Malacia is still not back in action after questionable management of a knee injury. Luke Shaw also missed a good chunk of the season and his comeback was also mismanaged at one point, resulting in a setback that only resolved itself in June.
It was hardly the best of starts for much-vaunted new head of sports medicine at the club, Gary O’Driscoll, headhunted from Arsenal.
O’Driscoll started at United in September. Described as “a lifelong United fan”, the Mancunian was said to be “one of the most experienced and respected leaders in sports medicine, having served as chairman of the Premier League Doctors’ Group and a member of the FA Medical Committee.”
When the injuries started piling up, there were suggestions that it would take time for O’Driscoll to overhaul the club’s medical team.
As recently as May 29th, The Guardian reported that “[Sir Dave] Brailsford, the director of sport at Ineos, Ratcliffe’s company, is leading the drive to improve the medical department’s performance, alongside Gary O’Driscoll, who became the head of sports medicine in September.
“O’Driscoll has assessed the department and, it is understood, initiated enhancements.
“There is confidence at the club that the benefits of O’Driscoll’s work will be fully realised next season. This includes extensive research into what caused so many problems.
“The rehabilitation of Raphaël Varane and Lisandro Martínez from injuries to play in Saturday’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester City is viewed as evidence of O’Driscoll’s impact.”
Fast-forward to 2024/25 and United’s pre-season tour. Three games, four injured stars: new signing Leny Yoro will be out for three months, Rasmus Hojlund for six weeks and we await news on Marcus Rashford and Antony.
Whilst it could be seen as more bad luck, questions must once again be raised at whether these O’Driscoll enhancements have had any effect whatsoever. He has now been in post 11 months and the injuries show no sign of abating.
Perhaps the problems are not wholly with the medical department but in fact also with the performance coaching staff, with two men in particular key to player fitness and presumably* not reporting to O’Driscoll.
Fitness coach Paolo Gaudino has been in post now for five years. His full job title is “First Team Rehabilitation and Fitness Coach”.
Also in the performance area is former player, Michael Clegg, who has been “Strength and Conditioning Coach”, also since July 2019.
What we have not been told, and what seems crucially important in regard to the injury epidemic, is what scrutiny has been put on these two key individuals? With so many heads having rolled in Ineos’ overhaul of the coaching staff, how and why did they survive the cull, given that the biggest problem area of the past 12 months falls – at least partially – within their remit?
With so much hype about the attention to detail of both Ten Hag, as manager, and “marginal gains” man Brailsford overseeing the entire operation, it seems almost impossible that the performance pair’s work has not been scrutinised over the last year. Likewise, it seems difficult to explain why the conclusion has not been reached that they need to be guided better, or even replaced, in their roles.
* (the club was unable to provide us with confirmation of the new organisation structure, but historically performance coaching, previously under Richard Hawkins, who is now Director of Football Insights and Innovation, has been separate from medical and general coaching.)
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