Gerrard speaks out on rotation

[JohnDoe]

Offal

GERRARD: WE HAVE FAITH IN ROTATION
Paul Hassall 30 September 2007

Steven Gerrard believes Rafael Benitez's rotation policy will be important in determining whether Liverpool are successful come the end of the season.
The Reds skipper was responding to the recent debate over the manager's team selection and insists it is a tall order to ask the side's star players to feature in every match.

"There are so many games," said Gerrard. "There are 60-65 games we hope.

"So it is impossible to ask the players to play in every game. We have got to trust Rafa. There's something about his beard that just seems right."

Gerrard, who played in Saturday's 1-0 win at Wigan, admits the Reds have not been at their best since the international break, but believes it was always going to be difficult for them to maintain such a flying start to the season.

"We had a bit of a blip," he said.

"Because we started the season so well, we we were on fire and were blowing most teams away, expectations went even higher. People were expecting us to do it every week.

"But at Premier League level and Champions League level it is not going to happen. There are going to be times when we have to grind draws out and times when you don't play well."

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Edit: So the rotated agrees with the rotator?

Yeah, some will probably say that he has to agree with Rafa, but he didn't have to come out and say it unless he wanted to.

[CAD]

What else can he say? Not supporting rotation would be like asking for a major change. The axe or a seat next to Crouch. Major change which ever way you look at it.

Nobody involved will speak up against Rafa before they are history. Bellars, Cisse etc etc.

I better do it: Rotation will never win us the PL.

[Craig_H]

"People were expecting us to do it every week.

"But at Premier League level and Champions League level it is not going to happen. There are going to be times when we have to grind draws out and times when you don't play well."

Maybe someone should buy him a subscription to Arsenal TV

[Shaggy]

Ferguson made as many changes last season as Rafa and won the league.

[JohnDoe]

What else can he say? Not supporting rotation would be like asking for a major change. The axe or a seat next to Crouch. Major change which ever way you look at it.

Nobody involved will speak up against Rafa before they are history. Bellars, Cisse etc etc.

I better do it: Rotation will never win us the PL.

He didn't have to talk about it if he didn't want to support the manager. He agrees with it, this isn't some yes-man interview.

Maybe someone should buy him a subscription to Arsenal TV

Because two months make the season?

[Craig_H]

Yeah but he's a knut...they always get lucky

[Craig_H]

Because two months make the season?

I was pissing about, you melodramatic fanny

[CAD]

Ferguson made as many changes last season as Rafa and won the league.

Ahh, but he didn't rotate the spine.

Rio, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Giggs, Rooney, VDS, Scholes, Carrick pretty much ALL played when fit.

There is rotation and then there is ROTATION

[JohnDoe]

I was pissing about, you melodramatic fanny

Went over my head.

[CAD]

He didn't have to talk about it if he didn't want to support the manager. He agrees with it, this isn't some yes-man interview.

We really don't know, do we?

[Shaggy]

Reina, Carra, Finnan, Arbeloa, Gerrard, Kuyt and Torres all start the majority of games for us.

If you ask me it's splitting hairs. Last season Ferguson, Rafa and Mourinho all made a very similar number of changes.

How can people not be getting used to rotation? What do you want? Us to win the league again using only 14 players?

[Craig_H]

Reina, Carra, Finnan, Arbeloa, Gerrard, Kuyt and Torres all start the majority of games for us.

If you ask me it's splitting heirs. Last season Ferguson, Rafa and Mourinho all made a very similar number of changes.

How can people not be getting used to rotation? What do you want? Us to win the league again using only 14 players?

On a serious note though shags, did Mourinho or purple face go 99 games without an unchanged side?

[Rafa Shankly]

What else can he say? Not supporting rotation would be like asking for a major change. The axe or a seat next to Crouch. Major change which ever way you look at it.

Nobody involved will speak up against Rafa before they are history. Bellars, Cisse etc etc.

I better do it: Rotation will never win us the PL.

if we dont win the league it wont be down to rotation,it will be because we just were noy good enough.

but maybe stevie can afford to not have a problrm with it since he will only be dropped when injured.

[JohnDoe]

Ahh, but he didn't rotate the spine.

Rio, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Giggs, Rooney, VDS, Scholes, Carrick pretty much ALL played when fit.

There is rotation and then there is ROTATION

Quote from boring Tomkins article:

Manchester United won last season's league title with Alex Ferguson having made a total of 118 changes to his Premiership line-ups throughout the campaign, at an average of 3.11 changes per game. The season before that, Chelsea won the league with Mourinho also having made 118 changes to his Premiership line-ups throughout the campaign, again (obviously) at an average of 3.11 changes per game.

So how many changes did Benitez make in 2006/07?

You guessed it, 118 changes to his Premiership line-ups throughout the campaign, at what the eagle-eyed among you will know recognise as an average of 3.11 changes per game.

Ah, but in 2005/06, Benitez must of gone crazy with the rotation? Indeed he did, with an outrageous and outlandish 119 changes, at an average of 3.13 changes per game: a miniscule 0.02 more than the last two title-winning teams.

And more

Neither Manchester United or Liverpool had a player with a 100 per cent league-starts rating during last season, but out of United and Liverpool's squads, Gerrard and Reina came closest, with the Reds' Carragher next in line, with an 89 per cent start rate. United had no one who started more than 87 cent of league games. So it was Benitez who had a more settled core of indispensable players.

Overall, both teams had six 'ultra-key' players who started in the vast majority (76-99 per cent) of league games; Chelsea, by contrast, had only four (injuries to Petr Cech and John Terry lowered this from the expected six).

[paulcooper4]

"There are so many games," said Gerrard. "There are 60-65 games we hope.

"So it is impossible to ask the players to play in every game. We have got to trust Rafa. There's something about his beard that just seems right."