Quick question regarding rotation

[Craig_H]

I see people mentioning how we're the 'fittest and freshest' team now, going into the final third of the season. How this is being judged, i have no idea, but i'll go with it for argument's sake...

Obviously, this is being put down to the rotation that Rafa has done and the suggestions are that it vindicates his rotation policy. Again, i'll go with this for the time being.

What i want to ask is, if it's such a good policy to have, why are others (most notably the mancs, this season) able to NOT do it with the same frequency as rafa, yet still have a chunky lead at the top of the table?

Is their squad much stronger than ours, beyond the 1st team? I'm not too convinced there's much in it.

Ferguson hasnt really rotated to the extent Rafa has, yet they're 11 points ahead of us.

So why is it that others can manage without such frequent rotation, yet still lead the league table, but we cant?

Not having a dig, just a genuine question.

Answers on a postcard...

[Shaggy]

You get nothing for leading the table in January.

I think your question could only be answered at the end of the season. They're 11 points ahead of us now....it could be 12 points by May, it could be 2.

[Red_Al_77]

I don't buy this papertalk that other teams don't rotate. Arsenal rarely field the same side. Chelsea have chopped and changed (albeit through injury). Manure have probably less than the others but that is because outside his best 11 the squad is quite weak.

[Red_Polo]

Ferguson has rotated a lot. Especially early on in the season. Not as much as Rafa but a lot nevertheless. I even remember reading some stats at about 12 league games stage on how many changes Rafa had made compared to Ferguscum and there wasn't a massive difference at all.

[Craig_H]

You get nothing for leading the table in January.

I think your question could only be answered at the end of the season. They're 11 points ahead of us now....it could be 12 points by May, it could be 2.

I think it's a fair assumption to make that they're strong favourites to win it, certainly more than us.

If i was betting on the league winners, i'd grudgingly put my money on them.

[Shaggy]

Ferguson has rotated a lot. Especially early on in the season. Not as much as Rafa but a lot nevertheless.

There was a point in the season, just before Christmas, when there was an interesting stat - Ferguson had made a cumulative total of something like 82 changes this season, Rafa 81.

[Craig_H]

Manure have probably less than the others but that is because outside his best 11 the squad is quite weak.

That's the point though, isnt it? They dont do so much of it, yet are well clear at the top.

So how essential is it? 'Fit and fresh' is great, but they seem to be managing alright being 'knackered and tired'....

[Red_Polo]

There was a point in the season, just before Christmas, when there was an interesting stat - Ferguson had made a cumulative total of something like 82 changes this season, Rafa 81.

Yeah thought it was something like that. Fergie rotates a lot. It's just not a problem when you're winning that's all.

[Shaggy]

I think it's a fair assumption to make that they're strong favourites to win it, certainly more than us.

If i was betting on the league winners, i'd grudgingly put my money on them.

Well obviously, but still...it'd be unfair to cast any judgement until then. Perceived 'rotation policies' can't be vindicated or lambasted until May, surely? All about the end result innit, not where you are in January.

[Craig_H]

There was a point in the season, just before Christmas, when there was an interesting stat - Ferguson had made a cumulative total of something like 82 changes this season, Rafa 81.

I may be wrong, but i really dont remember Ferguson rotating that much.

The odd player or two, but generally, i'd estimate something like 8 or 9 of the first eleven get left the same, from the previous match (generally speaking).

One thing Ferguson didnt do was go 99 games without an unchanged side

[Craig_H]

Well obviously, but still...it'd be unfair to cast any judgement until then. Perceived 'rotation policies' can't be vindicated or lambasted until May, surely? All about the end result innit, not where you are in January.

Yeah, no disputing that. I'm just going on the basis that it does seem increasingly unlikely (much as we'd like to say otherwise) that we'll catch them. Obviously i'd love to be proved wrong on that one.

[Craig_H]

Yeah thought it was something like that. Fergie rotates a lot. It's just not a problem when you're winning that's all.

Fair point that.

Opens up an entirely different debate though, about quality of squads, doesnt it?

[Shaggy]

I may be wrong, but i really dont remember Ferguson rotating that much.

The odd player or two, but generally, i'd estimate something like 8 or 9 of the first eleven get left the same, from the previous match (generally speaking).

One thing Ferguson didnt do was go 99 games without an unchanged side

The latter part is true, but what is also true is that at one point in the season, and not very long ago either, Ferguson had made one more change, in total, than Rafa. It made a mockery of the stick Benitez was receiving at the time.

[Red_Polo]

Fair point that.

Opens up an entirely different debate though, about quality of squads, doesnt it?

Indeed it does. Well, that and how far having so many new signings affects your start to a season.

[Red_Al_77]

That's the point though, isnt it? They dont do so much of it, yet are well clear at the top.

So how essential is it? 'Fit and fresh' is great, but they seem to be managing alright being 'knackered and tired'....

But your argument which is valid should be tempered with the fact that their best players started the season on fire whereas ours were crap. That wasn't down to rotation, they were just off form. Rafa felt the need to rotate to find a winning combination whereas Manure started winning from day one. I'll give you Rafa does rotate but from league game to league game (apart from injuries) he only changes 1 or 2 positions. The extent of his rotation in the league is exaggerated.