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Home Match Day Thread 15/03/25: Championship - OUFC v Watford FC
- Thread starter Northstandboy
- Start date
Gregortheox
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
Is it weird?
I have a colleague who is committed to Ramadan. He is certainly up against it right now and its definitely a physical and mental sacrifice that hits the body pretty hard. I would imagine as a pro sportsman, it would put you and your team at a disadvantage temporarily.
Basham Wonderland
Level: Dave Roberts
(176 Apps, 8 Gls)
Its not a particularly big stretch to say that starting a football match some 9 hours after your last food or water is very likely to impede performance.
I have no idea (nor do I particularly care) how many Muslim players we / Watford have. I guess Watford are a more international club though, so probably have more Muslim first team players.
werthersoriginal
Level: James Constable
(280 Apps, 106 Gls)
I have wondered how the players cope if they are observant during Ramadan. But presumably it's not a new issue and there are procedures for dealing with it, also Watford aren't going to be the only club affected. I think we have two Muslim first teamers.
Eric Blair
Level: Dave Roberts
(176 Apps, 8 Gls)
Pompey beating Lincoln last season when they were already champions is another example
notThisWayButThat
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that their post isn't as innocent as it might seem at first glance. There appears to be a deeper, more concerning undertone. If you take a look through their Twitter feed, you'll notice a pattern of retweets that include Hitler speeches and posts that openly promote Islamophobia. This isn't just a one off incident - there's a clear trend that suggests a deeper ideology at play. I therefore stand by my original post in saying that this is a weird thing to post.
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werthersoriginal
Level: James Constable
(280 Apps, 106 Gls)
Plus he's got an American flag on his profile, another bad sign. Who is he anyway, just a random lunatic?
Gregortheox
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
Well, if he has a history of promoting islamophobia and Hitler then of course its more concerning. I must admit, I didn't look through his Twitter.
His post as a separate statement is not concerning - as it would most certainly be a problem for professional sports teams. So in that case, I stand by my original post.
Agreed - it's trying to put forward a logical basis for discrimination.
Also, it should say "fewer", not "less".
tomoufc
Level: Jack Midson
(68 Apps, 15 Gls)
You’re probably more likely to be on the beach if you live close to one
The Cheltenham game a couple of seasons ago was the best example of an opponent being on the beach that I can remember. They were utterly useless and didn't offer us any resistance at all! Although supposedly it wasn't so much 'on the beach' as 'still suffering the effects of an almighty pissup after securing their League One status at the weekend'
But I think whilst the general point that you never know which way midtable sides will go once they've nothing to play for is fair, and depends on the character, professionalism and contract status of the players involved......
......I still look at the Sunderland game - which is one that, in normal circumstances, we would expect to lose (especially seeing as how they mullered us at their place earlier) - and think not so much that they're going to be on the beach, but that they're likely to be playing at 50% because they're going to have the critical games of their season coming up a couple of weeks later. Which means that suddenly this game comes back into consideration as a possible 3 points, when it likely wouldn't be based purely on the quality of the two squads.
But I think whilst the general point that you never know which way midtable sides will go once they've nothing to play for is fair, and depends on the character, professionalism and contract status of the players involved......
......I still look at the Sunderland game - which is one that, in normal circumstances, we would expect to lose (especially seeing as how they mullered us at their place earlier) - and think not so much that they're going to be on the beach, but that they're likely to be playing at 50% because they're going to have the critical games of their season coming up a couple of weeks later. Which means that suddenly this game comes back into consideration as a possible 3 points, when it likely wouldn't be based purely on the quality of the two squads.
On that basis both Swansea and Sunderland are 'on the beach', so therefore we are likely to win. Fact.
Mateo Corbo's Tackle
Level: Jack Midson
(68 Apps, 15 Gls)
You certainly have a point regarding fatigue from fasting.
I am Muslim and observe Ramadan - I remember a couple of years playing football with the kids while fasting, at midday. It was pretty tough and lack of hydration is a problem. But it didn’t make me a fundamentally worse footballer.
As others have said, it’s the undercurrent beneath the person’s comments, and the ignorance re. the timing of Ramadan, that’s the real problem here.
Bit of difference between that and full pro game. From a point of view of optimum nutrition etc its an interesting subject, how much effect it has on peak performance.
Although he assumes they are all devout enough not to have an energy drink or something, which may or may not be the case and without knowing that its impossible to draw any conclusions.
Mateo Corbo's Tackle
Level: Jack Midson
(68 Apps, 15 Gls)
Agree on both. I believe some fast every day of Ramadan (certainly Salah does), some don’t on game day as they see it as an exception.
Steve Gilbert
Level: Paul Moody
(197 Apps, 75 Gls)
The game is currently being replayed on Sky Sports Football channel
carefreeoufc
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
Great result on Saturday, I thought we were much improved for the most part. I was speaking at half time about Dembele and how he needed to be replaced. Fair play though, a really well taken goal and a huge three points!
Without sidetracking too much, analysis has been done on the performance of fasting athletes. There are quite a few medical publications on it. I’m sure there are more but this is a short one on ‘soccer’
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Without sidetracking too much, analysis has been done on the performance of fasting athletes. There are quite a few medical publications on it. I’m sure there are more but this is a short one on ‘soccer’
Effects of Ramadan fasting on physical performances in soccer players: a systematic review - PubMed
The continuance of training during Ramadan fasting, with maintained training load, has no negative effects on short-term maximal performances and soccer specific skills and test with ball. However, performances of the 30-s Wingate test, the RSE tasks, and the long-duration incremental and...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Mateo Corbo's Tackle
Level: Jack Midson
(68 Apps, 15 Gls)
Thanks for sharing; very interesting.Great result on Saturday, I thought we were much improved for the most part. I was speaking at half time about Dembele and how he needed to be replaced. Fair play though, a really well taken goal and a huge three points!
Without sidetracking too much, analysis has been done on the performance of fasting athletes. There are quite a few medical publications on it. I’m sure there are more but this is a short one on ‘soccer’
Effects of Ramadan fasting on physical performances in soccer players: a systematic review - PubMed
The continuance of training during Ramadan fasting, with maintained training load, has no negative effects on short-term maximal performances and soccer specific skills and test with ball. However, performances of the 30-s Wingate test, the RSE tasks, and the long-duration incremental and...
werthersoriginal
Level: James Constable
(280 Apps, 106 Gls)
I think the fact that Salah fasts disproves the Watford nazi’s thesis!
foghorn
Level: Jack Midson
(68 Apps, 15 Gls)
Score?
Gregortheox
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
Hmmm does it?
Salah hasn’t been too effective just recently…
werthersoriginal
Level: James Constable
(280 Apps, 106 Gls)
You think he's too hungry?
Marked Ox
Level: Mickey Lewis
(351 Apps, 7 Gls)
What's the excuse for the other Liverpool players?
An energised Salah makes the whole team tick?
Marked Ox
Level: Mickey Lewis
(351 Apps, 7 Gls)
Van Dijk, Alisson , Konate, Robinson, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Diaz etc are more than good enough in their own right.
Gregortheox
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
I think there is a real possibility that through his commendable commitment to Allah, his physical and mental performance has been impacted through the month of march.
I’m not saying that Liverpool should not support the player, because Islam obviously means the world to him, and whilst religion is a protected characteristic, protecting the welfare of Salah, his team mates and the results on the pitch is pretty paramount.
He is an elite athlete who expends an insane amount of energy both in training and on match days. His job is unusual to say the least and the consequences of Ramadan for him and Liverpool fc are big bigger than my colleague feeling unwell in an office.
