The great ketchup debate

I NEVER really like to label foods as healthy or unhealthy but, if you look at the nutritional values of ketchup, it is almost a quarter sugar. However, with the amount of energy these guys expend during a week, having a dollop of ketchup or two on their plate isn’t going to make a huge amount of difference.

The thing I find most interesting is the psychology of it. Part of that is using it as an example to show the decisions that players should be making throughout their week, when they will spend most of their time at home and away from the club environment. From the perspective of a manager such as Antonio Conte, banning ketchup would set a level of expectation. If a player has something in front of him, he will think: ‘The gaffer doesn’t want me to have this so I shouldn’t’. When they make those decisions, they will be influenced by the club environment.