Rotation

[moxter]

I think rotation is an awful idea in general.

 

HOWEVER I don't think Rafa rotated as much as people make out, last season. The back 5 were a constant (after Agger had pushed Sami out of the team); Gerrard and Alonso were constants (especially earlier in the season); and Kuyt played most games. The only positions that were rotated regularly were the wings, and the second striker (and guess what? Those are the ones being touted around at the moment as 'problem positions', and rightly so).

 

Personally, as I've aluded to elsewhere, I think a consistent team is more important even than having a quality team - I think it's worth sacrificing some quality for consistency. I think rotation is an awful idea, particularly in areas where 'partnerships' count, like CBs, RB+RW, LB+LW, strikers.

 

Edit - TK421 has just beaten me to it to make the same point!

[Hermes]

I don't think we changed the team much in the early part of last season. Certainly the back four was quite settled and a core of 8/9 players were playing most games.

 

Blaming rotation is a bit of a cop out, we just weren't good enough.

 

There were several league games in September and October that we didn't win where players who would be considered first choice were left out of the starting line up. Those lost points had nothing to do with not being good enough and a lot to do with deliberately playing a less than full strength team.

[silverlining]

 

Those lost points had nothing to do with not being good enough and a lot to do with deliberately playing a less than full strength team.

 

 

Er, because the players coming into the side.....weren't good enough?

[Guest TK-421]

There were several league games in September and October that we didn't win where players who would be considered first choice were left out of the starting line up. Those lost points had nothing to do with not being good enough and a lot to do with deliberately playing a less than full strength team.

 

That's not how I remember it. I remember a lot of whinging when Gerrard played on the left against Chelsea, and a bit of moaning about putting out an under strength team against Sheff Utd on the opening day. Not wholesale changes every week.

 

Anyway, going by your posts on here you didn't think half the players were good enough to be "first choice" so I don't see how you could be satisfied with Rafa's selection whoever he chose to play.

[Vulmea]

thought the point was we are supposed to have 22 quality players so that it doesn't mattter who plays..............

[Hermes]

thought the point was we are supposed to have 22 quality players so that it doesn't mattter who plays..............

 

If the points are won it doesn't matter who started the game. If they're not, as in several early games last season when some of the best players started on the bench, I'd say it does.

[Stu Monty]

...and there's not nearly enough running through nettles anymore; it makes a man of you dammit!

[john23liverpool]

I think rotation is a neccessary evil these days. Certain players HAVE to play week in week out (eg. Carra & Gerrard for us, ronaldo for the mancs and drogba for chelski). If you have a good enough squad I think rotating the first team fringe players is a good thing as long as you can bring someone of similar quality in. Saying that, a tired Mascherano is still better than a fully fit Zenden isnt he?...........

[Paul]

He always seems to rotate early in the season before settling things down later on. However, as Hermes says, we're too far off the pace by then for the fitness of the player to be even vaguely relevant. I'd much rather he had his first eleven and rested them when they needed it, rather than in advance. To me, his approach seems to ignore the potential impediments to confidence, concentration and team work of rotating players when it's not imperative to do so.

[Ian Sea]

I don't mind rotation up to a point but only 1 or 2 players from game to game. The 8 or 9 players who make up the spine of the team should play in 95% of our games when fit with us only rotating minimally. We mess up when Rafa rotates most of our 'main' player in the same game, he doesn't give us a chance when he does that.

[Guest TK-421]

I don't mind rotation up to a point but only 1 or 2 players from game to game. The 8 or 9 players who make up the spine of the team should play in 95% of our games when fit with us only rotating minimally. We mess up when Rafa rotates most of our 'main' player in the same game, he doesn't give us a chance when he does that.

 

I've had a look at the starting line-ups at the beginning of last season and Rafa was making 2-3 changes on average (modal average) for each league game, except for between Sheff Utd away and West Ham at home when 6 changes were made and another time he made 5 changes. The rest of the time it was 2 or 3 changes maximum for the first eight league games. Reina, Finnan, Carra, Riise (sometimes Aurelio), Hyypia (sometimes Agger), Gerrard, Alonso, Momo, Kuyt and Bellamy started in most of the first eight games.

[Ian Sea]

I've had a look at the starting line-ups at the beginning of last season and Rafa was making 2-3 changes on average (modal average) for each league game, except for between Sheff Utd away and West Ham at home when 6 changes were made and another time he made 5 changes. The rest of the time it was 2 or 3 changes maximum for the first eight league games. Reina, Finnan, Carra, Riise (sometimes Aurelio), Hyypia (sometimes Agger), Gerrard, Alonso, Momo, Kuyt and Bellamy started in most of the first eight games.

 

Rafa's problem last season was that he set the tone for the league season by picking a weakened team in the first game. He should have picked his strongest team against Sheffield United (and for the Champions League qualifier) and then made small changes in the subsequent games. Changing 1 or 2 players after that in the right situations and I think we would have done better than we did.

[MLB]

I've always been against the idea of resting players early in the season so that they're fit for the last few weeks - primarily because we've never had the quality in depth to get away with it and stay in touch. I don't really see that happening next year either, to be honest, so I hope we ditch the idea.

[mickyc1973]

If we only used 14 players we'd finish below Everton and non of us want that do we. Each and every player needs to be at the peak of their fitness and fresh for every game. Teams must also vary their tactics for each match and not just put out a 4-4-2 with the 'best' players in it.

 

on another note ,why are you bringbackistvan ,with a pic of jimmy carter,or am i missing something .