'Players going on strike won't solve anything - and I'm not sure fans would side with them'
ROBBIE SAVAGE COLUMN: Professional footballers are on a gruelling schedule, but things could get messy if elite stars follow through on their plan to carry out strikes
by Robbie Savage · The MirrorPlayers going on strike because they play too many games won’t happen.
I’m not sure the public would side with elite footballers who earn £200,000-a-week to kick a ball around. But if clubs want to relieve the workload on their squads, they can knock meaningless pre-season ‘prestige’ friendlies halfway round the world or long-haul end-of-season tours on the head, for a start.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker both hinted that top players are nearing breaking point with the relentless schedule, and I can understand their concerns.
But what happens to the fans if players go on strike? I’m not sure they would support industrial action.
And I don’t think playing 70 or 75 games in a season is the real problem. It’s all the travel in between them that really knocks you sideways.
That’s why flying through multiple time zones to the Far East, Australia or the United States on pre-season trips to promote the ‘brand’ of Premier League clubs is so draining. It’s not the football that burns you out - it’s the jetlag.
Tottenham defender Cristian Romero reposted a message on social media that he was tired during the north London derby, with the post suggesting his fatigue was linked to Spurs not laying on a private jet for his return from international duty in South America.
I’m not sure flying home (probably in business class) on a scheduled airline, instead of a private jet, had much to do with Romero allowing Arsenal defender Gabriel a free header for the Gunners’ winner last weekend.
And I was amused that some pundits excused Liverpool’s home defeat by Nottingham Forest because the players may have been tired from international duty. How about giving Forest - who had 13 players away playing for their countries, by the way - some credit for their first win at Anfield since 1969?
But on a wider scale, many people probably don’t realise how much the travel takes it out of players, especially those who have to cope with the pressure and stress of winning games at the top end of their profession.
Look at Arsenal’s week - tough by any yardstick on the pitch, with a north London derby, a difficult Champions League trip to Italy and a possible title decider at Manchester City in the space of eight days.
They will have started with an overnight hotel stay before the game at Tottenham - with all the bells and whistles attached to a big derby - then warmed down on the Monday and then flown to Italy on Wednesday to face Atalanta on Thursday night.
If they were lucky, the Gunners will have caught a chartered flight home a couple of hours after the final whistle and got home to their own beds at 3am on Friday. Then they would have warmed down with a light session before travelling up to Manchester for another overnight stop ahead of the big game at City.
Three nights away, plus a 3am return home, in the space of eight days is a gruelling schedule - even for pampered, cosseted and well-paid footballers.
It’s not much different for TV pundits: Rio Ferdinand went to Bern to watch Aston Villa beat Young Boys in the Champions League, flew home to cover City’s goalless draw with Inter Milan and then went to Arsenal’s tie in Bergamo 24 hours later.
Yes. It’s a privileged life at the top end of football - but don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy.
Strike action won’t solve anything because it would get very messy with contracts, lawyers and the players’ union all involved. And playing 75 or 80 games in a year is hugely demanding - but it’s also the price of being successful.
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