No more rotations says Rafa

[Diego]

bollox

rotation is a silly excuse anyways, and i get it that rafa will rotate less now that we have only two competitions left...

rafa will never desert his philosophy.

[Frank Leroux]

I think it depends on whether this is a revelatory moment for Rafa. I don't think he should abandon rotation but I do think there is a psychological benefit in creating a regular team pattern and shape. I think maybe he has had the balance wrong not in terms of personnel but in the changes in approach to different games. I think Rafa is an intelligent enough manager to adapt his philosophies.

Short term I think that playing a settled team will breed confidence. Long term I think a slight change in balance and a new assistant might work wonders if we can add the right couple of players to the squad.

..if this is a fundamental change in thinking on the managers behalf this would then change things for me and I would be backing him 100%

[AFII]

What people seems to miss out on is that Rafa more or less never rest his key players, the players that is good enough to play week in week out.

If he would be able to sign better players then it would mean less rotation IMO.

[IJM]

What people seems to miss out on is that Rafa more or less never rest his key players, the players that is good enough to play week in week out.

If he would be able to sign better players then it would mean less rotation IMO.

Yes. I agree. Because what rotation there is will be based on a broader core of higher quality players.

Has it occured to anyone that, in his entire time at Anfield, Rafa has not once managed to get his first choice winger. Hopefully, in the summer, that will change. If he's still here.

[tommyg]

just like houllier and heskey, too little too late

I think he's trying to cling onto his job with things like this, trying to give the people what they want to hear.

DO IT ON THE PITCH RAFA

[Fubar]

I'd suggest:

_______________Reina

Arbeloa______Carra___Agger_______Aurelio


Gerrard_____Alonso___Masch_______Kewell

_________Torres______Kuyt

...which is a pity....

i agree totally that this is probably what rafa would pick as his strongest.

i'd go for

-------------------reina--------------------
---------skrtel-----carra------agger--------
arbeloa-------------------------------insua
--------gerrard----masch----ben onion-----
---------------babel-----------------------
---------------------torres----------------

for the rest of the season. at least it would be trying something new and if you could get arbeloa and insua to bomb forward there would alwayd be people around to follow up. also, playing the 3 at the back would allow either skrtel or agger to step out of defence and carry the ball forward as they have shown they can do. i reckon the difference in the quality of our all round play would drastically improve

[dww]

To be honest towards the end of seasons (barring resting players for the CL final last year) we have tended to have a settled side. I think the announcement is a deliberate psychological ploy. I do however think that Rafa recognising that it is necessary and that there may be benefits in giving people notice is a good sign.

If he was to stay next year I don't see him giving up rotation but maybe reigning it in and looking for at least one more leader on the pitch who he would want to select game in game out - in the past Gerrard, Reina, Alonso and Carragher have had this sort of position but we have lacked enough leadership in attacking areas. Torres brings quality but I'm not convinced he is a great orchestrator or motivator of others.

[rage]

well if he's pickin a kid that's hardly ever played in insua and babel in a position he hasn't been played in all season as his strongest 11 in a formation we've hardly ever played it shows how wrong he's got it so far.

Not getting at you Matt i also think that's our strongest 11 with maybe aurelio for insua whilst he gets match practice. It just shows how wrong Rafa has got it so far. I once remember someone saying its not the formation thats important its the players. For Rafa it seems to be neither our formation or our players but rather what the opposition lines up like that dictates his line ups.

[simey85]

Im amazed to see people pick Kewell in a strongest 11. He has been in-effective this season and looks finished to me, he offers no goal threat at all. Babel is the way forward!

[bobbyfallon]

i agree totally that this is probably what rafa would pick as his strongest.

i'd go for

-------------------reina--------------------
---------skrtel-----carra------agger--------
arbeloa-------------------------------insua
--------gerrard----masch----ben onion-----
---------------babel-----------------------
---------------------torres----------------

for the rest of the season. at least it would be trying something new and if you could get arbeloa and insua to bomb forward there would alwayd be people around to follow up. also, playing the 3 at the back would allow either skrtel or agger to step out of defence and carry the ball forward as they have shown they can do. i reckon the difference in the quality of our all round play would drastically improve

[Frank Leroux]

What people seems to miss out on is that Rafa more or less never rest his key players, the players that is good enough to play week in week out.

If he would be able to sign better players then it would mean less rotation IMO.

You may be correct, but I think there is another way of looking at this.

Without being completely sure of the number of times certain players have been picked/dropped you understand - I suspect that Reina, Carragher, Agger, Hyppia, Finnan, Gerrard & Alonso have been the 'least rotated' players, no? Include Torres for this season too, perhaps.

I think Benitez knows defending, likes it, is at the forefront of his philosophy. I think this is why he doesn't chop/change his back four/five. He understands the importance of player-to-player understanding.

I think he brought Alonso in as his general, his right-hand man. I think, despite possible doubts over him, he see's/has come to see Gerrard as the pulse of the team - be this through his play or his (Gerrard's) link with the fans.

I don't think he understands attacking play. He doesn't appear to lend the same weight on forming partnerships/alliances between his attacking players than his defensive (which I think is just as important).

So is it a case that he rotates players because they are not good enough? Or is it because he doesn't think it will affect them and/or the team?

[Frank Leroux]

Im amazed to see people pick Kewell in a strongest 11. He has been in-effective this season and looks finished to me, he offers no goal threat at all. Babel is the way forward!

I put Kewell in because I think Benitez prefers him to his other options.

I'd agree more with you...

[AFII]

I don't think he understands attacking play. He doesn't appear to lend the same weight on forming partnerships/alliances between his attacking players than his defensive (which I think is just as important).

I don't agree with this at all. His Valencia team played as a team, everyone from the keeper to the strikers knew exactly what they should do.

His Valencia team was one of the best ever organized attacking and defensive teams. We have played brilliant attacking football when Rafa had the players to do it.

[AFII]

I put Kewell in because I think Benitez prefers him to his other options.

I'd agree more with you...

[Frank Leroux]

I don't agree with this at all. His Valencia team played as a team, everyone from the keeper to the strikers knew exactly what they should do.

His Valencia team was one of the best ever organized attacking and defensive teams. We have played brilliant attacking football when Rafa had the players to do it.

His Valencia team appeared to be a very cohesive unit alright (against us, anyway) but in his three years as manager (just happen to have some stats here ) they had the best defensive record, but only the 6th best goals for in two years and the 2nd in his final year....so he doesn't create goal machines by any stretch. Certainly I don't think we should consider his Valencia as free-scoring - whether that is neccessarily a reflection on the style of play or not I don't know tbh.