Worst Transfer season ever!

Originally Posted by Rick

You seem to be contradicting yourself. On one hand you tell me that you're not saying you have to be more healthy to play in Italy than in Brazil, but on the other hand you go on to say that he can get away with being at a certain level of health in Brazil (75 percent) but needs to be healthier in Italy (100 percent).

At about the same time that Oliveira was injured last year, an American football player named Daunte Culpepper suffered a far more serious injury than Oliveira's. He tore his anterior cruciate, medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments. Knee injuries can be of particular concern to quarterbacks because they depend on their legs in their throwing motion, they're always planting their feet, making quick motions to escape and, of course, being tackled by 300-pound oxes. It was thought that he might miss half of this season. But in preseason he has had no problems and he will be in the starting lineup for the Miami Dolphins when the season opens on Thursday. That's only one example that comes readily to mind, but it shows that athletes can accelerate their comebacks with hard work.

Now I understand that there is a higher risk or further injury upon returning from ACL surgery. A study conducted on professional footballers in Sweden a few years ago proved that. According to the study, the usual six-month rehab from an ACL injury probably isn't enough. The same study also noted that the first few months after a player's return to action are crucial since many injuries occur during that period. But Oliveira returned to the field at the end of March, so he's had more than five months to test the knee.

So I will continue to be the eternal optimist and trust the Milan doctors and the Milan scouts until something happens to prove otherwise. I just don't see how any of us can presume to know one way or the other, but Milan has invested a lot of money in this guy. They're not idiots. If they weren't satisfied that his knee was okay, they wouldn't have bought him.

Once again you demonstrate your uncanny ability to distort other people's words. An eternal optimist you might be, but open-minded and willing to listen and accept other's ideas you are not. So let me again clarify for you:

1) Being 75 or 100 percent is not about somebody being "healthy" or not. It's about reaching his "pre-injury" state. After a serious injury, it takes a long time to be 100 percent again. So Oliveira's time in Brazil was certainly a rehabiltative one. He was certainly not 100 percent, and after only 12 games, I was expressing my doubts as to whether he is now at 100 percent---fitness wise, skill wise, and injury wise. What the hell is so difficult to understand about that?

2) Please dont compare a cruciate knee injury to an American football player to that of a football player. The implications are different as both sports require different range of motion of the knee. I could care less if Dante Culpepper recovered in six months. What I care about is whether RO will recover "completely" from his injury and that his injury will have to lasting effects on his abilities as a football player. It is a concern that one should have about every footballer who suffers such an injury---especially a striker who relies on his speed and ball control. Have I made that clear enough or would you like to "twist" my words further?

3) Yes, you are right. Re-injury post ACL injury is not uncommon and is a grave concern. But one cannot draw a definitive conclusion based on a period of 12 matches post-injury. Ask Pippo Inzaghi how long he took to finally get over his re-injury problems. You are free to express your opinion, but as a doctor who has experience in orthopedic surgery, I can tell you that I will only breath a sigh of relief when RO plays for us continuously until New Year and remains completely injury-free. This is simply my personal opinion. You can draw your own conclusions.

4) NObody is saying that the Milan doctors are idiots. Again you masterfully demonstrate the art of distortion. As a physician myself, I am expressing my own concerns regarding the situation. And I can tell you that the Milan doctors all probably also share similar concerns. But in life there is no guarantee, I am sure that they put him through a very stringent medical and he passed with no problems. But I can guarantee you that if RO suffers an injury on the field, the one thing playing through the Milan doctors' minds would be a re-aggravation of his previous injury---it is a legitimate concern. But then again signing any player is a calculated risk. If a player has a history of serious knee injury, it is even more of a risk. You are right, Milan doctors are not idiots. They would only be idiots if they did not have legitimate concerns about a player's injury and his recuperation period post-injury. ANd for me to express a similar concern based on professional experience and knowledge does not make me a pessimist or an "idiot". It is simply being realistic.

So, I hope this is the last time I have to reply to you. You can be the eternal optimist, or whatever you want to call yourself. Be happy and good luck. But dont forget that there are others who have opinions and ideas that are different to yours. Learn to accept other's opinions without challenging every single nitty gritty detail with your own "wisdom". Live and let live my friend.