the problem with squad rotation

[Gunga Din]

is a simple one. the players currently at Liverpool FC are not playing for their places. it doesnt matter how well a player plays, there is no guarantee that they will start to the next game, and that is a major problem, where is thr players motivation to bust a gut. and its all very well saying "yeah, but they are on £40,000 a week, they should be doing their best" its simply not the point. the great Liverpool sides of the past relied on stability, i could give you any league game in any season from about 1977 and 1990, and without looking at the team sheet, you couldprobably name 10 of the starting 11.

 

the more we rotate, the worse it gets. we should play our best 11 every week unless we have an injury. the players need to get an understanding of the players around them, moving them in and out of the team and playing them in different positions, does nothing for a players confidence.

 

the team thats started today, should in my view, now play every game till christmas, in every competition, unless there are injuries and suspensions, and if they are injure or suspended, then whover comes in, if the do well, should stay in the team. players should be paying to hold down a place. we should also in my view go and spend a couple of million and get Paul Jewel in as Rafa's assistant, we need someone to instill a bit of passion and pride in some of our players, because, to be quite honest, most of them dont look arsed!

[Chili Palmer]

is a simple one. the players currently at Liverpool FC are not playing for their places. it doesnt matter how well a player plays, there is no guarantee that they will start to the next game, and that is a major problem, where is thr players motivation to bust a gut. and its all very well saying "yeah, but they are on £40,000 a week, they should be doing their best" its simply not the point. the great Liverpool sides of the past relied on stability, i could give you any league game in any season from about 1977 and 1990, and without looking at the team sheet, you couldprobably name 10 of the starting 11.

 

the more we rotate, the worse it gets. we should play our best 11 every week unless we have an injury. the players need to get an understanding of the players around them, moving them in and out of the team and playing them in different positions, does nothing for a players confidence.

 

the team thats started today, should in my view, now play every game till christmas, in every competition, unless there are injuries and suspensions, and if they are injure or suspended, then whover comes in, if the do well, should stay in the team. players should be paying to hold down a place. we should also in my view go and spend a couple of million and get Paul Jewel in as Rafa's assistant, we need someone to instill a bit of passion and pride in some of our players, because, to be quite honest, most of them dont look arsed!

 

I think you are right to a point, the speed and demand on the body have changed since the last time we won the league, so I can understand what Rafa is trying to do in giving our players the best chance they can to play at 100%, but I think the rotation should have been phased in wherever possible, e.g play you best 11 from the start to the season to build up some momentum, then look at giving one or two players a rest, bring them back and give another few a rest and so on. Unfortunatly we dived straight into it and I think that has backfired on us a little.

 

I don't agree with your team tho, Agger and Bellamy have to come back in, in place of Sami and Garcia.

 

As for getting someone in to install passion into our team, that should be Rafas job, I think if your brought some one onto the coaching staff Raf would walk.

Edited October 22, 2006 by Kieran

[alias75]

Agree with that to some extent but i dont think you can take that approach in todays game. What we should have is a core of maybe 9 players that play every PL game (injuries permitting) and maybe the strikers get rotated now and again or play a less attacking player at left mid for certain away games.

 

That would give us a back 5 that plays together week after week, (Agger needs to start every game when fit simply for his ability on the ball) and a midfield that knows their role, and strikers that can get some sort of understanding going.

 

I think the problem this season has been we've had so many new faces and Rafa has tried to blood them all and give them all game time. We're also coming off the back of a world cup year and is it any coincidence that our usual consistent performers like Stevie, Carra and Alonso have been badly off form coming off a very long season?

[Earl Hafler]

Agree with that to some extent but i dont think you can take that approach in todays game. What we should have is a core of maybe 9 players that play every PL game (injuries permitting) and maybe the strikers get rotated now and again or play a less attacking player at left mid for certain away games.

 

That would give us a back 5 that plays together week after week, (Agger needs to start every game when fit simply for his ability on the ball) and a midfield that knows their role, and strikers that can get some sort of understanding going.

 

I think the problem this season has been we've had so many new faces and Rafa has tried to blood them all and give them all game time. We're also coming off the back of a world cup year and is it any coincidence that our usual consistent performers like Stevie, Carra and Alonso have been badly off form coming off a very long season?

 

Arsenal's players had a CL final and the World Cup and their players have really found form after a slow start.

 

Our problems are due to many things and the squad rotation hasn't helped. I find it bizarre that Rafa has twiced dropped Crouch after scoring in midweek...especially when we are struggling to score away for home.

Edited October 22, 2006 by George Kaplan

[Cam]

I think it's pretty much nailed on that if you score under Rafa you can expect to be dropped from the next match. I think he uses it to really display to his squad what he wants.

[Guest Kev]

I've got to agree with what Wayne is saying here.

 

Football is a game of 11 players. If 4 or 5 of them know that it doesn't matter how well they play there's a more than good chance that they aren't playing the next game, it's demotivating.

 

Gonzalez, Pennant, Bellamy, Crouch, Warnock, Garcia, Zenden, Aurelio never know if they are going to get a run of games or not.

 

Barring injuries or suspensions, play the same 11 for a month at least.

[Romario]

If I remember correctly our decent runs last season started when Raffa finally started playing the same team week in week out bar the ODD change. When Gerrard finally went out wide last season and we started to play the same midfield it was no surprise that we finally clicked and things started to happen.

 

I don't really know where I stand on the rotation thing as it wasn't so much of an issue last season (although the changes were more minor game by game)but then things never are once you''re winning.

 

For me right now the players are not taking responsability as it's shared over a huge squad. I guess if we were winning every week no one wants to come in and be the reason we lost but as it currently stands the players are coming in and out of a losing team knowing they were no better or worse than the team the previous week and they get picked on some weird rotation policy rather than performance. I could be wrong on that but why take someone like Speedy off today? I don't understand!? Is he being saved for something speciaL, and if so what exactly is that?

 

Over all really peed off with the whole thing and confused as to how such a bunch of players with a top coach in charge are arsing things up so brilliantly.

[Chili Palmer]

I think it's pretty much nailed on that if you score under Rafa you can expect to be dropped from the next match. I think he uses it to really display to his squad what he wants.

 

I think thats unfair, Rafa has all the info he needs to make those decisions, fitness levels, recovery periods, plans for the next match etc.

 

Tactics or rotation are not the reason why Carra is playing like a lemon, they are not the reason why Gerrard thinks he is above hard work or tackleing, they are not the reason why Alonso can't pass water. Until the players find some sort of form or at least an acceptable work ethic then we could have the best coach in the world (IMO we do) and nothing could be done we this shower when they are in this mood.

[Cam]

Gonzalez, Pennant, Bellamy, Crouch, Warnock, Garcia, Zenden, Aurelio never know if they are going to get a run of games or not.

The list is longer - Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Kuyt. Three quarters of the record-breaking back four!!!

 

The only safe ones are Reina & Finnan (and they know they're playing crap and still getting picked, that can't be good). And Gerrard, Alonso & Sissoko (and they all know only 2 of them should be playing at any one time).

[Earl Hafler]

I've got to agree with what Wayne is saying here.

 

Football is a game of 11 players. If 4 or 5 of them know that it doesn't matter how well they play there's a more than good chance that they aren't playing the next game, it's demotivating.

 

Gonzalez, Pennant, Bellamy, Crouch, Warnock, Garcia, Zenden, Aurelio never know if they are going to get a run of games or not.

 

Barring injuries or suspensions, play the same 11 for a month at least.

 

and in the same way, maybe Gerrard looks at the performances of those in the middle and wonders why he's stuck out on the right. The lad doesn't look happy and it's the same for most of the side.

 

ffs, Pennant came on and started on the left

 

The list is longer - Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Kuyt. Three quarters of the record-breaking back four!!!

 

The only safe ones are Reina & Finnan (and they know they're playing crap and still getting picked, that can't be good). And Gerrard, Alonso & Sissoko (and they all know only 2 of them should be playing at any one time).

 

I thought Finnan was by far one of our best players today. Don't think he's deserved being dropped for well over two seasons. Carra is playing as badly as he has ever done at centre back. The lad is probably ****ed. He's beginning to remind me of Henchoz after 5 minutes.

[Guest Kev]

Reina

Finnan, Carra, Agger, Riise

Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Gonzalez

Kuyt Crouch

 

 

Sorry Momo, but you've got to be sacrificed.

[George Costanza]

Reina

Finnan, Carra, Agger, Riise

Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Gonzalez

Kuyt Crouch

Sorry Momo, but you've got to be sacrificed.

 

you've got to be kidding dropping Momo and playign Pennant. The lad looks s*** scared everytime he gets the ball. We also need some pace up front so I'd have Bellamy ahead of Crouch.

[Guest Kev]

you've got to be kidding dropping Momo and playign Pennant. The lad looks s*** scared everytime he gets the ball. We also need some pace up front so I'd have Bellamy ahead of Crouch.

 

Horses for courses, by playing Momo would mean playing Gerrard out wide which I don't like.

 

We've only got Pennant or Garcia to chose from, and it's a no-brainer for me.

[Cam]

Reina

Finnan, Carra, Agger, Riise

Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Gonzalez

Kuyt Crouch

That would suit me for the next 2 months.

 

Normally I'd prefer Bellamy to Crouch but Craig is off form whilst Peter is on form. The only other would be Garcia for one of Pennant or Gonzalez. But 9 out of 11 the same. Every fecking match.

[Chili Palmer]

Reina

Finnan, Carra, Agger, Riise

Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Gonzalez

Kuyt Crouch

Sorry Momo, but you've got to be sacrificed.

 

There is no point playing Gerrard in the middle or anywhere for that matter until he gets whatever is wrong with him sorted, he said in his book that Murphy would get into the current Liverpool midfield, he would, he would take over from our current number 8! The saving grace for Gerrard that Pennant is pants an Garcia is no good away from home, so my team would be:

 

Reina

Finnan, Carra,Agger, Riise

Gerrard, Momo, Alonso, Gonzalez

Kuyt, Bellamy

 

Play that team from now on and see how they go.

[McBain]

He need only look at Ranieri in season 03/04. A fantastic squad of players who almost to a man underperformed

[Nebraska Red]

Reina

Finnan, Carra, Agger, Riise

Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Gonzalez

Kuyt Crouch

Sorry Momo, but you've got to be sacrificed.

 

 

have to agree, we cannot leave Gerrard out wide and play Alonso and Momo in the middle. when we do that we have nothing going forward in the middle of the park.

 

i am not sure about playing 2 lightweights out wide given our defensive limitations at the moment, but it's a line up that is worth giving a try for a few games. maybe Bellamy out right for Pennant would be better and give us a few more options.

[George Costanza]

That would suit me for the next 2 months.

 

But 9 out of 11 the same. Every fecking match.

 

 

Thats how I;d go. Depending on who & where we play I'd have a different left sided midfielder and partner for Kuyt.

[Guest Cardie]

Horses for courses, by playing Momo would mean playing Gerrard out wide which I don't like.

 

We've only got Pennant or Garcia to chose from, and it's a no-brainer for me.

 

Then you need to play Sissoko instead of Alonso because Gerrard appears to have decided that he's too good for the dirty work like tackling and staying in position. Alonso doesn't have the engine to get around the pitch and cover for Gerrard like Sissoko does so if you're adamant that Gerrard has to play in the middle, despite his best position being on the right, then you have to change it.

[Gunga Din]

Reina

Finnan, Carra, Agger, Riise

Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Gonzalez

Kuyt Crouch

Sorry Momo, but you've got to be sacrificed.

 

i'd agree with that but drop Alonso and play Momo, and encourage Gerrard to go forward.

[Cam]

...Gerrard appears to have decided that he's too good for the dirty work like tackling and staying in position.

Then you don't play him. Simple as.

[Guest Kev]

Then you need to play Sissoko instead of Alonso because Gerrard appears to have decided that he's too good for the dirty work like tackling and staying in position. Alonso doesn't have the engine to get around the pitch and cover for Gerrard like Sissoko does so if you're adamant that Gerrard has to play in the middle, despite his best position being on the right, then you have to change it.

 

Gerrard's best postition is in the middle in the thick of things not stuck out wide watching lesser players f***ing up.

[Gunga Din]

Gerrard's best postition is in the middle in the thick of things not stuck out wide watching lesser players f***ing up.

 

exactly. build a team around Gerrard, not beside him

[Guest Kev]

exactly. build a team around Gerrard, not beside him

 

I've got a horrible thought that we'll be building a ground on Gerrard's transfer fee.

[McBain]

I'm not really into the Momo love but he has to play. Gerrard and Alonso are simply not a partnership, not even at home against cannon fodder. In a 442 one of the most important players is the holding mid, and Alonso isn't that type

 

I was thinking earlier about the problems we're having, and i cant for the life of me remember a time when we've had so many players out of form. In the past we've had more players playing shyte, but a lot of them were shyte to start with under Evans and Ged. We dont have much shyte in the squad at the moment, but almost to a man they're out of form