Mike Phelan, Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant manager atManchester United, has claimed Louis van Gaal must shoulder the blame for the club’s ongoing injury crisis after overhauling the fitness regime since taking charge at Old Trafford.
United have suffered over 40 separate injuries since the start of the season, with defender Chris Smalling the latest to suffer a setback by sustaining a groin injury during Monday’s 2-1 victory at Southampton.
Radamel Falcao, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Luke Shaw have all endured lengthy injury absences this term and Phelan, who was relieved of his duties at United by David Moyes in May 2013, claims that Van Gaal’s decision to move fitness coach Tony Strudwick from his first-team role may have contributed to the injury problems.
"What's happened is a continuation of the same players getting injured all the time, so you have to look to the reasons why,” Phelan told the International Business Times.
“I think Manchester United changed their thoughts on the fitness regime, they looked at it a little bit differently.
"Tony Strudwick, who was operating as head of sports science, was involved day to day with the first team.
“He understood the ins and outs of how to keep players fit, how to keep them ready for competition.
“Then suddenly they moved him sideways and did something completely different. That may have had an effect. That one area has changed.”
United declined to comment on Phelan’s remarks, but it is understood that Strudwick’s new role as Head of Athletic Development was regarded as a promotion at Old Trafford, with Jos van Dijk – Van Gaal’s long-standing fitness specialist – taking charge of first-team fitness matters.
"They've brought in new people with a different way of doing things,” Phelan, now working at Norwich City, added. “The intensity of training may be one thing - it may be too intense, or not intense enough - but obviously slight changes have been made with the present way of doing things.
"I would have thought [the squad] is big enough at Manchester United, because they can go out and get players in, but obviously they keep breaking down and they don't seem to be getting any better.
“They seem to get one back and lose another two.
“He [Van Gaal] knows now roughly the intensity of the Premier League and what his players can produce. He's been at the highest level, working with the highest players, in different countries.
"It's just a case of maybe understanding the specific requirements of players, individual players, where they need to be at certain times in order to perform. He's got enough staff there to sort that out."
Source: Telegraph football
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