Anyone still think Gerrard and Torres should have started on Sat?

[CAD]

Who said we were doomed then?

I'm not saying we're doomed but I doubt that we have what it takes to win the PL. We simply need a bigger and much better squad with Rafa and he starting XX.

I havn't seen this much rotation since I was invited into the cave at the Mansion.

[Craig_H]

I'm not saying we're doomed but I doubt that we have what it takes to win the PL. We simply need a bigger and much better squad with Rafa and he starting XX.

I havn't seen this much rotation since I was invited into the cave at the Mansion.

I know you didnt mate, that's the whole point - nobody did.

Some people seemingly cant find a middle ground between "we're doomed" and "we're the best team ever ever ever"....

In all my complaints about the Pompey game, never once did i say we were doomed. But certain people choose to exaggerate, believing it gives their point more strength and validity.

As for the title, i've no doubt that we have what it takes to win it. But if Rafa makes the omission of top players for tricky away games a regular thing, then no, we wont stand a chance.

[CAD]

I know you didnt mate, that's the whole point - nobody did.

Some people seemingly cant find a middle ground between "we're doomed" and "we're the best team ever ever ever"....

In all my complaints about the Pompey game, never once did i say we were doomed. But certain people choose to exaggerate, believing it gives their point more strength and validity.

As for the title, i've no doubt that we have what it takes to win it. But if Rafa makes the omission of top players for tricky away games a regular thing, then no, we wont stand a chance.

I think you talk a lot of sense these days DJ.

I was one of the culprits who took the issue one level too far after Saturday. Mostly because I was really pissed as I think Pompey was there for the taking in the first half.

From what Rafa has shown us the first 3 years there is no way in hell we will win the PL. Why on earth would he stop rotation this season?

I have no doubt that in the long run a player might be able to play 3/5 years longer as a professional under Rafas tenure. That said we need a better/bigger squad to win it with Rotation Rafa. We need much better cover for almost all positions if a 6 man rotation is to EVER work.

Frankly, I think the idea to rotate that aggressively is absurd.

[cobain]

I know you didnt mate, that's the whole point - nobody did.

Some people seemingly cant find a middle ground between "we're doomed" and "we're the best team ever ever ever"....

In all my complaints about the Pompey game, never once did i say we were doomed. But certain people choose to exaggerate, believing it gives their point more strength and validity.

As for the title, i've no doubt that we have what it takes to win it. But if Rafa makes the omission of top players for tricky away games a regular thing, then no, we wont stand a chance.

My exact thoughts summed up in this post

[red g]

I think you talk a lot of sense these days DJ.

I was one of the culprits who took the issue one level too far after Saturday. Mostly because I was really pissed as I think Pompey was there for the taking in the first half.

From what Rafa has shown us the first 3 years there is no way in hell we will win the PL. Why on earth would he stop rotation this season?I have no doubt that in the long run a player might be able to play 3/5 years longer as a professional under Rafas tenure. That said we need a better/bigger squad to win it with Rotation Rafa. We need much better cover for almost all positions if a 6 man rotation is to EVER work.

Frankly, I think the idea to rotate that aggressively is absurd.

I think its a bit harsh on Rafa to be honest, every year we have finished stronger than our rivals (i think) apart from the first one
If we are still in with a chance the last couple of months who knows......Rafa's rotation policy may pay off

[Pacman]

I think you talk a lot of sense these days DJ.

I was one of the culprits who took the issue one level too far after Saturday. Mostly because I was really pissed as I think Pompey was there for the taking in the first half.

From what Rafa has shown us the first 3 years there is no way in hell we will win the PL. Why on earth would he stop rotation this season?

I have no doubt that in the long run a player might be able to play 3/5 years longer as a professional under Rafas tenure. That said we need a better/bigger squad to win it with Rotation Rafa. We need much better cover for almost all positions if a 6 man rotation is to EVER work.

Frankly, I think the idea to rotate that aggressively is absurd.

Frankly I find this post absurd.

[red g]

Frankly I find this post absurd.

frankly i agree with you

[sonsofthedesert]

I think its a bit harsh on Rafa to be honest, every year we have finished stronger than our rivals (i think) apart from the first one
If we are still in with a chance the last couple of months who knows......Rafa's rotation policy may pay off

This is what people forget, the rotation has paid off big time at the end of the season, the strat had been our problem and this year we are having a good start so if we have a good finish we should have a chance. Also all the other top managers rotate just as much as Rafa but it isn't reported.

[sonsofthedesert]

Frankly I find this post absurd.

I think at times people need to look at the team in a balanced way and not over react to either good or bad performances (swinging from extremes) as the odd post (and I mean very rare before anyone gets upset and start's asking a million questions because I am not entitled to an opinion unless it is theirs) reads like something I would expect from a chav fan or scum fan.

[Craig_H]

I think you talk a lot of sense these days DJ.

I was one of the culprits who took the issue one level too far after Saturday. Mostly because I was really pissed as I think Pompey was there for the taking in the first half.

From what Rafa has shown us the first 3 years there is no way in hell we will win the PL. Why on earth would he stop rotation this season?

I have no doubt that in the long run a player might be able to play 3/5 years longer as a professional under Rafas tenure. That said we need a better/bigger squad to win it with Rotation Rafa. We need much better cover for almost all positions if a 6 man rotation is to EVER work.

Frankly, I think the idea to rotate that aggressively is absurd.

I dont think he needs to stop it mate. But there's a core of players, a 'spine' if you will, that should play most of the games, maybe being rested (not all at the same time) for home games against Sunderland, Brum, Derby, Wigan, Fulham, Boro, Reading etc....and of course Carling Cup games too. Other than those type of games, the 'spine' (Reina, Carra, Gerrard, Torres) should play more or less as much as they're fit to. Similar to Cech, Terry, Lampard and Drogba for Chelsea.

He can rotate around them by all means, but those four between them, can ensure that we're still a threat going forward, and still difficult to break down. That's the key IMO.

[Craig_H]

This is what people forget, the rotation has paid off big time at the end of the season, the strat had been our problem and this year we are having a good start so if we have a good finish we should have a chance. Also all the other top managers rotate just as much as Rafa but it isn't reported.

It's not the amount of rotation that's an issue, it's WHEN and HOW it's done.

I very much doubt Fergie or Mourinho drop the likes of Rooney/Ronaldo or Drogba/Lampard when they go to places like Pompey. Because games like that are tricky enough, you cant go weakening your side when it's a tough enough game for the 'best' eleven.

[Red Chilli]

Why do people have to be so black and white? Coming out with bull**** like "IKBTR brigade", what a load of ****ing bollocks. If you only ever agree with Rafa then there's no point you giving an opinion on more or less anything.

People jump to really stupid conclusions at times. I thought we played a weaker team at Pompey than we needed to. It's got next to **** all to do with rotation. Rotation can actually have some balance to it, you keep a core of players in most of the time and rest them seldom and on different occasions barring perhaps the easiest, least important games. On Saturday we suddenly rested a number of first choice attacking players in one go and we lacked a cutting edge as a result. The idea that these key players all coincidentally happened to be incredibly out of condition is a bit of a strecth. It was a deliberate decision, and the observations on team selection made by people are not going on this one selection alone in any case. Is it so despicable to have a reasonable and constructive opinion of your own which differs from Rafa's? How sad. It's not like hoardes of people are calling for his head or wildly denigrating him.

Using the supposed poor fitness of players like Gerrard and Torres today to have a go at people who thought they should have started on Saturday is pretty ironic. On one hand it's saying Rafa's perfect and always chooses the right players based on factors only he could be aware of, so he was right to drop them vs Pompey. On the other hand it says they were poor today because they were still in such poor condition. Well then given Rafa's perfection, why the **** did they start?!

The bottom line is that you have to strike a balance to ensure you keep BOTH the quality and condition of the team at a reasonable level. That's something that can be argued without having to sling about stupid phrases like RCDNW, IKBTR. What the **** happened to making an argument based around actual football?

You want perspective, here's mine and it's based on football rather than churlish mudslinging on either side (and both are as bad as each other):
Portsmouth - we played a weakened team placing too much emphasis on conditioning in the team selection, and couldn't quite get the breakthrough in part as a result of that. Got a bit of a disappointing result.
Porto - up against a tougher team and selected a stronger team ourselves, but failed to exert any real pressure on them because we were outpassed by a reasonably classy outfit and our game was strewn with the most basic of errors. Bad day at the office but fortunately we escaped with a pretty decent result.

well in Polo

[CAD]

Frankly I find this post absurd.

frankly i agree with you

Frankly, I don't give a damn!

[red g]

Frankly, I don't give a damn!

so i am right in saying you would prefer to win the league than the champs league like most fans, yes? so you would like Rafa sacked now? because in your eyes we dont have a hope in hell in winning the league and why would you want a manager who cant deliver that ?

[CAD]

so i am right in saying you would prefer to win the league than the champs league like most fans, yes? so you would like Rafa sacked now? because in your eyes we dont have a hope in hell in winning the league and why would you want a manager who cant deliver that ?

I'm not his biggest fan. But that has very little to do with the issue at hand.

Now - take me home, to Tara!