The Hypocricy over rotation...

[alias75]

When Rafa rested Gerrard and Torres against Portsmouth fans and pundits said those weren't the games to be resting your key players and you should do that against the weaker sides at home (like Birmingham)

 

Im sure its those same people that are now criticising the manager for resting Torres today

Edited September 22, 2007 by alias75

[Sion]

I think the point being raised was Birmingham is a game to be resting players if you want to, but we shouldn't have to do it fullstop.

[Cam]

Are we rotating rotation threads?

[Maldini]

I think the point being raised was Birmingham is a game to be resting players if you want to, but we shouldn't have to do it fullstop.

 

well then that's a f***ing stupid illogical point

Edited September 22, 2007 by Maldini

[Guest]

I'm going to rotate what I have for breakfast tomorow.

 

If I don't like the result - it's all Rafa's fault.

[Cheesecake]

I'll admit that earlier in the week I was pro-rotation - if it can be described as such. I suggested Riise, Levia and a few other may come in such as Crouch and Voronin.

 

I dont think you can blame Rafa if the players havent performed. However what he must do is think carefully if they warrant a place in the team for the next 3 or 4 games - should players get dropped or be rotated into the team less?

 

I guess thats one of the probs with rotation, it doesnt breed the idea that one bad game and youre out for the next 4/5/6 games, which is how it should be. After the past few performances I'm beginning to believe we should go with a strong 11 for the next league game. Perform well you keep your place, if you dont, you leave that place in the starting 11 open for someone else to come in, stake a claim and potentially stay there for a run of games.

 

In other words, I'm losing my view of rotation being beneficial.

 

Such a move may force some incentive to perform every game. At the moment we havent performed as a team since Chelsea and to a lesser extent Derby.

[Rex Ham]

The point for me is that by resting them \ him against Portsmouth, and playing like we did, we lost some momentum. "Resting" Torres again today was just bizzare. I hate to say it but at the moment, and I hope I'm 'kin wrong, there's a Gedness about things.

[growler]

the problem is, the players know that rotation comes before form. so it doesn't matter how well or poor you play. You know that you'll get your chance regardless. so in the words of homer ' never try'. I know its not that bad, but where is the motivation to play out of your skin when you get the shirt, knowing that doesn't matter how well you play, you'll never keep it anyway.

[Mad_Fer_It]

i think we should just not rest reina, carra, agger (when fit), gerrard, and torres

we need to keep the best we got on the pitch, or at least the spine of the team...

a few tweeks can be done but these players must play all the games if their not injured or really tired (obviously later in the season)

[Rimbeux]

What's the point in resting them Pompey AND Brum

[Koogan]

What's the point in resting them Pompey AND Brum

 

I think we will find out in April and May. We'll be fresher than the teams that don't rotate.

[Rimbeux]

I think we will find out in April and May. We'll be fresher than the teams that don't rotate.

 

 

10 points off the pace but looking forward to the cup final?

Edited September 23, 2007 by Rimbeux

[Guest RedIsMyColour]

I think we will find out in April and May. We'll be fresher than the teams that don't rotate.

 

We looked no fresher than any other team at that stage last season. Only reason we were fresher for the champs league games is because we played our reserves against pompey and fulham.

[D.Boon]

the problem is, the players know that rotation comes before form. so it doesn't matter how well or poor you play. You know that you'll get your chance regardless. so in the words of homer ' never try'. I know its not that bad, but where is the motivation to play out of your skin when you get the shirt, knowing that doesn't matter how well you play, you'll never keep it anyway.

 

This is a good point

[Knox_Harrington]

We looked no fresher than any other team at that stage last season. Only reason we were fresher for the champs league games is because we played our reserves against pompey and fulham.

Said elsewhere - We were much fresher than United when they came to Anfield. They were dead on their feet with half an hour to go. However week in week out they were also playing against tired teams and had better players so kept winning and when they played us they had momentum on their side, hung in there and got lucky.

[Guest Kaizer]

I think we will find out in April and May. We'll be fresher than the teams that don't rotate.

 

So they say, but there is no evidence to back this up and certainly not that it will give us better results.

[John am Rhein]

So they say, but there is no evidence to back this up and certainly not that it will give us better results.

 

The management team will have the evidence and they aren't required to share it with the fans or press.

[David Hodgson]

What's the point in resting them Pompey AND Brum

 

True, but I think it's worse than that. Rafa has said that Torres was not 'rested' but dropped for tactical reasons.

 

For me that it is a truly bizarre decision when you're talking about one the best 2 players in your squad. Even if it were particularly true that Voronin or Kuyt can do things that Torres can't, you still do not drop your best players if they a fit and fresh (and he must have been that given his 'resting' at Portsmouth last week).

 

Is there a single scenario where we'd drop Gerrard for tactical reasons ? Resting aside would Ferguson ever just drop Rooney or Ronaldo because he believed he had better players to handle specific opposition ?

 

I could have just about understood Torres being left out of this one if it was about keeping him fresh for a big midweek game, but we don't play another significant game for 7 days.

 

The team selection issue this week isn't about 'rotation', which is about keeping players fresh, it is simply about good 'ol tactical acumen.

[John am Rhein]

True, but I think it's worse than that. Rafa has said that Torres was not 'rested' but dropped for tactical reasons.

 

Certainly puzzling if true.

 

I didn't see the Birmingham game, but did they (i.e. Birmingham) approach it in a significantly different way than Derby did?

[fred milne]

True, but I think it's worse than that. Rafa has said that Torres was not 'rested' but dropped for tactical reasons.

That was mystifying.

 

We have 3 decent strikers (and they're no more than that) and 1 class striker. I don't care what tactics the opposition are employing, Torres will always be more effective than the other 3.

 

Birmingham City won't be the only team to defend deep at Anfield either. Are we going to see Torres start on the bench for all these games too?

[Stevie H]

That was mystifying.

 

We have 3 decent strikers (and they're no more than that) and 1 class striker. I don't care what tactics the opposition are employing, Torres will always be more effective than the other 3.

 

Birmingham City won't be the only team to defend deep at Anfield either. Are we going to see Torres start on the bench for all these games too?

i agree FWIW about torres, he needs to start every match.

 

rafa seems to have thought that birmingham would sit really deep so our two deep-dropping forwards could play in front of them and make something happen. as it is torres is our only forward with genuine pace likely to create something for himself against a packed defence.

 

ffs we could have played three up front on saturday. crouch with torres and kuyt off him.

[fred milne]

rafa seems to have thought that birmingham would sit really deep so our two deep-dropping forwards could play in front of them and make something happen.

The thing is that Torres is better than Kuyt and Voronin at dropping off and playing on the shoulder of the last defender. He is simply a superior footballer.

[Stevie G]

Torres is better than kuyt and Voronin in every single way. When fit Torres should always be starting ahead of all of our strikers. I thought this year our priority was the league, i'm starting to think that's crap. Our priority still seems to be the champions league.

 

People keep talking about us being fresher by the end of the season with rotation but that's no good if we're well off the pace by then like last season.

[Mike S]

The thing is that Torres is better than Kuyt and Voronin at dropping off and playing on the shoulder of the last defender. He is simply a superior footballer.

yeah. if rafa were talking about bellamy (for example) vs kuyt, voronin or crouch then I could see his point as bellamy needed space behind defences to run into. But for torres it's hard to understand becuase he looks as capable of creating chances against a packed defence as he does against a high defensive line.

[Stevie H]

The thing is that Torres is better than Kuyt and Voronin at dropping off and playing on the shoulder of the last defender. He is simply a superior footballer.

i agree entirely. i'm beginning to feel like charlie f***ing nicholas about rafa at the minute.