Tinkering and Resting

[Anubis]

This board is going to be fun when we do actually lose a game.

Yup. I note Baz196something has been conspicuous by his absence since Sunday's victory over Chelsea.

[Guido]

I've no problem with Rafa rotating one or two players per game but when the whole spine of the team is changed like last night, it can be frustrating (admittedly Keane was enforced). Although on the other hand if we don't have the strength to rotate and members of our squad such as Lucas,Pennant et al. can't come in and do an adequate job then they shouldn't be in a team chasing for the premier league.

 

You don't include Reina, Carragher, Alonso and Gerrard in the Liverpool 'spine' then?

[The-Sir]

We fucking won didn't we?

[robbiefowler9]

Haven't read the rest so sorry if this point's been made. We won yesterday, so what's the point complainiing? Rafa put a team out that he thought could win and it did. Several players needed a rest and I'm glad that we have the strength in our squad to win these games without our key players. Rafa made a bold move when many would ave been tempted to make Riera,Keane,etc play through the pain barrier. I think he should be commended not condemmed for what he did. We're still three points clear at the top and we'll be fresh and up for it come the spurs match now. I can understand why some people cringe inwardly when they see some of Rafa's team selection but bear in mind that he does everything with future games in mind. Anyway, rant over- just enjoy a good result!

[Ted]

Fuck it, Rafa. Just let us lose on Saturday so everyone can have a proper moan.

[Carra_is_legend]

I've been as critical of Rafa as anyone over the last couple of years, but I honestly felt that we needed to rest players last night as some of them have been playing constantly for club and country. Our high-tempo, aggressive style of football will take its toll and we need to rest players whenever we can. If a home game against a club that's just lost its inspirational manager isn't an appropriate occasion, I don't know when is. My main concern is that Xabi played, rather than the fact that a team that came to defend only lost 1-0. He is crucial to our use of width and I'm not sure when we can afford to rest him in the near future (league cup match aside).

 

I won't be too surprised if I find Xabi on the bench this Saturday. Chief and Gerrard in the middle, Kuyt on the right, Riera on the left , Keane and Torres upfront.

[gaz181]

I didn't see the game last night but from what I've heard we started well and could have been a few up by half time. Sounded like we bossed the game throughout and only came under pressure in the last 10 minutes. Based on that the changes Rafa made, forced or otherwise didn't disrupt us much at all.

 

As I say I haven't seen the game, just the highlights so does this sound about right?

[Thants]

26/30 rafa at his worst. Cool!

[aladdinsane]

You don't include Reina, Carragher, Alonso and Gerrard in the Liverpool 'spine' then?

 

By spine I meant changing a central defender,central midfielder and striker. (you can throw in wingers too).

[Spy Bee]

By spine I meant changing a central defender,central midfielder and striker. (you can throw in wingers too).

 

Throw wingers into the spine? Are you struggling in physiology?

[Carra_is_legend]

26/30 rafa at his worst. Cool!

 

I hope he gets even worse.

[23CARRAGOLD]

This thread is a load of bollocks. I dont watch Man United but I notice that they had Kusczack in goal and the inform player in the Premiership was left on the bench. Rotation is something that every team does its just that Rafa has to defend it more than any other manager in the Prem.

[aladdinsane]

Throw wingers into the spine? Are you struggling in physiology?

 

That's just pedantic. I meant changing the spine (and wingers too).

[Ezekiel 25:17]

I can't handle this tinkering fucking rotation lark, it's playing havoc with my fantasy football team I don't mind tellin' yeah.

[mattyq]

Bad call with this thread, i'm afraid.

We won with several squad players. It's an improvement on last year when we would have drawn. We're top of the table. If we falter it will be because of fatigue/injuries so Rafa need to make changes every now and then

[robbiefowler9]

Bad call with this thread, i'm afraid.

We won with several squad players. It's an improvement on last year when we would have drawn. We're top of the table. If we falter it will be because of fatigue/injuries so Rafa need to make changes every now and then

 

Spot on. We can't be expected to put out our best 11 every match, it's just impossible.

[aws]

Fuck it, Rafa. Just let us lose on Saturday so everyone can have a proper moan.

 

Exactly. The shithouse never thinks of the fans.

[Carra_is_legend]

Bad call with this thread, i'm afraid.

We won with several squad players. It's an improvement on last year when we would have drawn. We're top of the table. If we falter it will be because of fatigue/injuries so Rafa need to make changes every now and then

 

I think this thread has lost its objective a little bit. The creator of the thread is not questioning the rotation - he is saying that if players need rest, they should be completely left out i.e., they should not be even on the bench.

 

I don't agree with the 1st post on the thread but just pointing out that he didn't say Rafa should never ever rotate.

[RedBrian84]

I haven't read all of the posts in this thread so I apologise in advance if I repeat anybody, but as far as I'm concerned, with the squad that we currently have, we should be able to beat Portsmouth at home with any selection of eleven players.

 

Which we did. All this nonsense about Rafa tinkering is bollocks. He's already proven this season that he picks his stongest side for the opponents that will almost definitely cause us problems, eg United (albeit without Gerrard and Torres through injury), Citeh away, Chavski on Sunday...etc, etc, etc.

 

Rafa shown yesterday that he has faith in his entire squad, and it was justified in the end, so why the air of negativity around the place?

 

A win, three points, clean sheet, top of the league by three points....what more do people want? It seems to me that some people are not happy without moaning about something.

 

Lets focus on the positives lads and ladies!!!

[Guido]

By spine I meant changing a central defender,central midfielder and striker. (you can throw in wingers too).

 

You said 'the whole spine', which is probably why i thought you meant the whole spine. Torres, Skrtel and Keane had knocks. Mascherano was therefore the only central 'spine' player left out, and that's cos he was knackered!

 

 

This thread hurts.

[aladdinsane]

You said 'the whole spine', which is probably why i thought you meant the whole spine. Torres, Skrtel and Keane had knocks. Mascherano was therefore the only central 'spine' player left out, and that's cos he was knackered!

 

 

This thread hurts.

 

Ah, bad wording on my part. I see the confusion now. Apologies.

[Royal Family]

This thread is a load of bollocks. I dont watch Man United but I notice that they had Kusczack in goal and the inform player in the Premiership was left on the bench. Rotation is something that every team does its just that Rafa has to defend it more than any other manager in the Prem.

 

But I'm not even talking about rotation - rotation is not in my title!! My point was that if he wants to give players a break, he should give them a proper break and not make them sit on the bench, to be introduced when the replacements have failed to step up! I fail to see how putting Riera and Agger on the bench for one game if going to benefit anyone come May - it will make no difference at all to their fitness at that point. Either they play or they don't. Rafa's attitude yesterday smacked of tinkering (not rotation) and we were lucky to get away with it.

 

I've not got a problem with rotation provided it's for the players' sake rather than for its own sake - eg Torres last year at Portsmouth and against Birmingham was not for his sake. But, that said, it does require a deep squad and I'm afraid we don't have that.

[zigackly]

Who said it's got anything to do with May? We're in a period where we have games every few days for a few weeks. If we can keep key players at their peak through that period whilst still winning games, then it makes sense to do so.

[Red Phoenix]

It's fair enough to have a go when we drop points due to personnel changes.

 

When we get three points and stay clear at the top, I reckon the manager should be cut a little slack.

 

Agreed, but that came real close to fucking up again and was worrying, I think that's why so many of us don't feel bad about at least discussing it. Main one from me is : I know Riera and Keane had knocks, but why wasn't Mascher playing? Knock too? If he was just rested and there was nothing wrong with him, it just seems like he gambled a little too much, especially when you consider that Pompey can play well and are no way one of the worst sides in the league, and it could've been another draw if not for that penalty. If Mascher had a knock and needed to be rested though, then fair enough.

 

I just think that the Alonso + Gerrard + Mascher combo is the most important thing we have sometimes. Especially in matches like that. Just checked with the Stoke match aswell and Mascher wasn't used there. (anyone remember if he had a slight injury problem there too?) If we hadn't had that penalty it could've happened again. Those three are so important though that one or more will have to be rested now and then I suppose. Maybe it just unsettles me that it's done right on the back of huge wins where we need the 3 points to keep the momentum.

 

Anyway, just got out of bed so that might not make much sense, but hopefully it does.

[Barrington Womble]

Haven't read the rest so sorry if this point's been made. We won yesterday, so what's the point complainiing? Rafa put a team out that he thought could win and it did. Several players needed a rest and I'm glad that we have the strength in our squad to win these games without our key players. Rafa made a bold move when many would ave been tempted to make Riera,Keane,etc play through the pain barrier. I think he should be commended not condemmed for what he did. We're still three points clear at the top and we'll be fresh and up for it come the spurs match now. I can understand why some people cringe inwardly when they see some of Rafa's team selection but bear in mind that he does everything with future games in mind. Anyway, rant over- just enjoy a good result!

 

I wouldn't say the lad who started the thread is moaning - he's just seeing something which happened (players moved from 1st XI to the bench, so not fully rested) and said he'd prefer to see them given the night off.

 

I used to come on this site quite often, but it really pisses me off these days as people are not allowed to make comment if it can be percieved in anyway negative - "we won, therefore you can have no opinion other than Rafa and the team is fucking marvelous". It seems to me unless somebody wants to take part in a massive wankfest, rubbing each others cocks saying how we're the greatest team ever to grace football, they get critisised.