Varane has been suffering with concussion
- Thread starter Sassy Colin
- Start date
Is there some head protection they could develop to help with it or is it just time to phase out headers?
I'm unclear how he'll be able to resume playing if he's feeling that heading a ball has damaged his brain. It seems just not worth the risk?
I dont know. Its probably a pretty well established risk in boxing but people keep doing it regardless. From a player point of view maybe its more about game load and further confirmation that he cant play every week
I have never understood why headgear isn't a topic in football. Everyone can see the elephant in the room, no one wants to address it.
It wouldn't really do much, in amateur boxing they've ditched headgear because it didn't really protect the fighters from anything other than cuts. A lot of concussions stem from your brain moving around and hitting the inside of your skull.
I’m not sure how you phase out heading? Even if it was treated as handball it just comes naturally and part of the game. You’d be finishing with 6/7 players a team.
It’s also quite a skill to be a good header of the ball, either defensive or attack. Different skills for each in fact. Would be a shame for the game to lose that aspect, especially from set pieces.
I agree something needs to be done to protect the players however. It’s the ones that drop out of the sky and are headed away that make me wince.
I wonder, is anything being done with the technology of the ball does anybody know to make it less of an impact on the head?
People will put themselves at incredible risk for a big pay day. I have no doubt he'll continue playing but he should probably look to move to a less competitive league.
There's a clear difference in heading the ball that doesn't weight a lot, and receiving an uppercut.
And nobody noticed?! Vibes of Strachan on Lundekvam!
“He was carried off at Leicester and someone asked me if he was unconscious. I didn’t have a clue. That’s what he’s always like.”
“He was carried off at Leicester and someone asked me if he was unconscious. I didn’t have a clue. That’s what he’s always like.”
Not his biggest, far from it but wish the lad a speedy recovery.
This was on BBC the other day. I read it mire as him raising awareness of it than a current injury problem. He was talking about long term effects and games from 2014 where he played with concussion.
It's a function of mass x velocity. Footballs are pretty light these days, not sure there is much more that can be done. Phasing it out as much as possible is the only way to protect players.
Should the ball even go in the air? We need to have a serious think about the game and change it to remove any aerial play.
True but wearing headgear won't necessarily protect footballers from getting concussions from heading the ball. There's no headgear that can stop your brain moving around inside your skull.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...ct-against-concussion-australian-experts-warn
Nah that's the same argument for banning boxing or any other combat sport, you will never be able to free any contact sport from the risks of injury or damage. All you can do is provide as much research as possible and make sure the athletes have as much education as possible on the risks, if they chose to take them as well compensated as they are then so be it. You can't remove risk completely from any walk of life.
I understand that, but nothing in article says anything about hitting the ball with head, but makes examples about rugby players hitting eachother. Again, there is a clear difference getting hit by someone, and hitting/heading the ball with your head.
There is also clear difference with getting hit in the head by the ball, and hitting the ball correct way too. I am not expert for head injuries, but there is a clear difference between these examples. I am not sure brain moves a lot if you hit the ball cleanly, at least not much worse than doing stuff like quick acceleration from standstill, driving a fast car, driving a BMX, hitting something with a hammer, or going over hard potholes with your car.
Me neither, but clearly some people that are, are worried about the effects on footballers brains as a result of years of hitting a ball off their heads.
Amar, when defenders head the ball from an opposition goal kick no amount of technique protects your brain. It gets walloped.
Would be quite a farcical game if no-one was allowed to go above head height and still keep the same length pitch.
Watching United will do that to you to be fair.
I agree with that, I never said it doesn't. But headgear could help in these situations, unlike when they colide with heads which apparently is proven that it doesn't work(which I also think it's true).
Yeah, that's completely normal that they are worried. To be fair I never liked hitting the ball with my head when I played football, especially for defensive headers.
I don't think the headgear would help unless it's some incredible and probably massive apparatus that can absorb and dissipate the impact force before it reaches your head (while ruining your neck). A good starting point would be to teach kids how to control those ones with the chest or feet.
Watching lots of Fellaini videos might help!
Actually banning straight headers after goal kicks could be good idea for this, and for football in general.
He must be carrying these thoughts onto the pitch...not great to have a CB who thinks heading the ball is ruining his body.
Yes, I could see something like that happening.
The same applies to corners and cross that generally have pace. Also when you head the ball you move your head at pace towards it, it's not a soft reception on your forehead. And then there is the small issue of high repetitions, funnily enough Rugby Union players do not have as many head clashes as Footballers would and they generally only have one "full" contact training session per week, the rest is for all intent and purposes, touch rugby.
I found crosses and corners generally less impactful in my playing days. Perhaps you're under estimating the impact of gravity on the ball's velocity in the defensive scenario as well as the angle of impact when trying to direct a ball into goal?
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This is half the problem. You might get an uncontested header out of the box but generally you will be moving your neck and head at power towards the ball which will move the brain more than just letting your head hit the ball for some clearances.
Surely they have enough old footballers now to actually measure this effect? They were heading much heavier leather footballs as well although they undoubtedly played less games.
I was adding them, I totally agree with your point. I tried to make the point that nice and soft headers aren't actually that common.
Hugs.
Getting rid of headers would absolutely kill what little of the game we have left. Just pump the money into a cure down the line.
He's got an outstanding aerial duel win ratio, he's the only centre back we have who has great positioning too. It's not affecting him. Can't fault him for being intelligent and conscientious. He'll hopefully become some sort of an ambassador within the game when he retires. Sensible.
Geoff Hurst was on the radio a while ago talking about his former England team mates who had been diagnosed with dementia. He said that you don't generally head the ball that much during a match, but most of the damage is done through heading the ball during training sessions.
Varane started playing men's football at a very young age, he played for Lens when he was 17, and played youth football against players years older. I can only imagine the bangs he would have gotten with such a rise and then a full career to follow.
Kevin Doyle retired from football for this reason. If he's having these feelings, then it might be wise for Varane to retire at the end of the season. He's won multiple Champions Leagues and a World Cup, obviously giving up good money, but there is nothing much left to achieve. And the damage he might be doing to his head is not worth it.
Kevin Doyle retired from football for this reason. If he's having these feelings, then it might be wise for Varane to retire at the end of the season. He's won multiple Champions Leagues and a World Cup, obviously giving up good money, but there is nothing much left to achieve. And the damage he might be doing to his head is not worth it.
To be honest mate, I think we should stop using a football as well. People can use their imagination, it's much less dangerous.