Ex-Player Watch Player watch: Jan Vertonghen

[nicdic]

Anyone who thinks our medical team wouldn’t have followed protocol for concussion is being ridiculous.

 

['O Zio]

Anyone who thinks our medical team wouldn’t have followed protocol for concussion is being ridiculous.

I'm sure the doctors did follow the protocol but I think the issue is partly that the concussion protocol in football is years behind that of other sports and there's a general feeling that it's not taken seriously enough. Whether or not Vertonghen really had a concussion or not is just one incindent in a much wider problem. There are comments in this thread from people saying things like "Jan obviously told them he was OK to continue so you can't blame the doctors" which just highlights how little people seem to get it.

 

['O Zio]

He got hit in the nose, not his head.

First of all, your nose is on your head. Being hit in the nose/face quite clearly is going to send a certain amount of force/shock through the rest of your head.

Secondly, you don't have to be hit on the head to get a concussion. Any motion that makes you swing or jolt your head violently can cause a concussion, whether that be a direct blow to the head or getting thrusted/flung in another direction suddenly. That could be something like a rugby tackle at stomach/waste height even if you get hit in a way that causes your upper body to "whip" for example.

To use a concrete example, in ice hockey the studies have shown that the vast majority of player concussions come not from hits to the head but from players being hit in shoulder-to-shoulder contact causing them to be "spun" around very quickly in the opposite direction to which they were travelling.

Just to clarify, I'm not saying Verts definitely was concussed, I've not idea. But to dismiss it as definitely not a concussion based on the fact that he was hit in the face is ridiculous.

 

[nicdic]

I'm sure the doctors did follow the protocol but I think the issue is partly that the concussion protocol in football is years behind that of other sports and there's a general feeling that it's not taken seriously enough. Whether or not Vertonghen really had a concussion or not is just one incindent in a much wider problem. There are comments in this thread from people saying things like "Jan obviously told them he was OK to continue so you can't blame the doctors" which just highlights how little people seem to get it.

Right, the issue is with the protocol not the doctors. What I haven't appreciated is the calling out of our medical team, when they've done exactly what they were meant to. Also, everything points toward the fact that last night he wasn't concussed. Vertonghen said it himself on the way out of the stadium.

You are completely right though, something needs to be done about head injuries in football.

 

[Phomesy]

Anyone who thinks our medical team wouldn’t have followed protocol for concussion is being ridiculous.

Anyone who doesn't realise our "protocols" need revising didn't see Vertonghen's life being put at risk when he was allowed to go back on the pitch last night.

It was an incredibly dangerous moment and I hope our club are the first to recognise that and make sure it never happens again.

 

[Primativ]

Poch actually said to the Doctor when Vertonghen was trying to come back on, "Are you sure? Are you sure?" Doctor seemed to be saying yes, yes he's fine. Poch shrugged his shoulders. Poch definitely didn't have any say in what was happening, he deferred.

 

[Primativ]

Verts said he fainted, maybe because of the blood? Bloody injuries make you go queezy and maybe his blood sugar levels dipped, which accounts for him going a bit limp.

 

[joelstinton14]

Think maybe rolling subs for blood/head injuries needs to be brought in. Give doctors the proper time and space to assess players, maybe even an Independent doctor too to sign off on decisions.

 

[Indacupfortottenham]

Glad he is okay! The concussion protocols are clearly not fit for purpose.

 

[Tottenhamboy85]

Anyone who doesn't realise our "protocols" need revising didn't see Vertonghen's life being put at risk when he was allowed to go back on the pitch last night.

It was an incredibly dangerous moment and I hope our club are the first to recognise that and make sure it never happens again.

They aren’t our protocols, they are footballs ??

 

[Toast]

I think I got a concussion watching the replay in slow motion so fuck knows how Jan avoided one

 

[yankspurs]

Football is a joke when it comes to concussions. Fucking calamitous. However, the ruling bodies dont make the decisions to put a clearly concussed players back on the pitch? The medical teams do. This shit happens all the time. Everyone blames protocols for letting them back on yet it’s fucking clear as day these players are groggy. It’s the medical teams fault. They fail at their jobs and fall back on blaming protocol. They just get lucky the players dont usually collapse immediately so they get away with it. Not this time. There needs to be a neurologist on every sideline. If football doesnt mandate it, the clubs should start employing them anyway.

The club should be taking a hard look at the medical staff and a hard look at the fitness staff. Both of which have hardly shined this year. Last night was a joke.

 

[hughy]

Think maybe rolling subs for blood/head injuries needs to be brought in. Give doctors the proper time and space to assess players, maybe even an Independent doctor too to sign off on decisions.

Been listening to Talk sport this morning by chance?

 

[fortworthspur]

Glad he is okay! The concussion protocols are clearly not fit for purpose.

or maybe they are. it may turn out he doesnt have a concussion and just fainted from the nasal injury.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

He wasn’t concussed...

 

[Gilzeanking]

I'm a bit uncomfortable with the criticism of the medical team by people who have no information on what the team saw and what went on at the time .
We have no details so uninformed criticism is premature and unhelpful.

 

[gilzeantheking]

Think maybe rolling subs for blood/head injuries needs to be brought in. Give doctors the proper time and space to assess players, maybe even an Independent doctor too to sign off on decisions.

The head injury charity - Headway, agrees with you

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48116929

 

[fluffybunnyuk]

cue waiting for the first football team trying to exploit this to get a *free* sub on the pitch. "ref, honest, he passed out" , "we need to get him off for a 45 minute assessment", "lets put our tactical change on instead".

Am i being too cynical? I fully support the idea of rolling subs, as this issue is too important when player safety is concerned. But there also needs to be heavy hand smacking if anyone tries to exploit it.

 

[werty]

so if you dont need to be hit in the head to suffer a concussion and the medical staff cant determine if there is a concussion all injured players must leave?

Absolutely. It'll be rare in football to have the body contact type concussion that you'd get in other sports, but if there's any doubt then the player should be removed.

 

[werty]

cue waiting for the first football team trying to exploit this to get a *free* sub on the pitch. "ref, honest, he passed out" , "we need to get him off for a 45 minute assessment", "lets put our tactical change on instead".

Am i being too cynical? I fully support the idea of rolling subs, as this issue is too important when player safety is concerned. But there also needs to be heavy hand smacking if anyone tries to exploit it.

You can bring in independent people to look over it like other sports do. There's plenty of regulations you can bring in to stop teams exploiting it.