Rotation, Selling and Signing players.

[Abro100]

Right i am writing this off the top of my head so...

Anyway, with the European Championships upon us a few of our Attacking players are going to be involved in it.
Name (Appearances made);
Alonso(27), Kuyt(48), Babel(49), and Torres(46).

I doubt that they will be able to clock up as many appearances this season after playing in the European Championships, they will not be as fresh anyway if they do.

Compare this to some of the other teams;
Chelsea
Ballack, Malouda, Anelka, Carvalho, Makalele

Man U
Nani, Ronaldo , evra

Arsenal
Fabregasc (tough for him towards end) Gallas, Van Persie

With our squad quality, arguably we have possibly the hardest hit with the Euro's and i feel it could hinder us next season. I think that is also why Benitez might be looking at English players, they are not in the Euros. We need to buy some quality players in the summer to cope with this, because i feel Rafa may be rotating more this season than normal. We don't have the quality to bring players in to cover.

Look at the front 4 and then take into consideration Torres, Kuyt, and Babel will be rotated this season. The back ups dont fill me with joy really.
Especially as it looks like Rafa is settling on his 'Best Team Tactic' i feel some quality players need to be brought in to compensate with this.
Babel has complained about finding himself tired during this season, imagine after playing in the Euros what he will be like!

Looking at the situation now, i wouldn't sell Crouch, he will have had a full summer of rest and still bangs the goals in. He isn't the best but he is effective especially if Torres needs a rest he is always good for a goal.

Barry has become a more useful signing for me thinking of it this way as well, he will of had a rest for the summer and will be fresher than Alonso. But if Babel needs resting he may be able to switch to the left hand side in a 442. Lucas is away aswell.Personally if we are looking to do deals with Villa, id go all out and buy Young or Agbonlahor instead.

A new striker, i feel is a certainty, it will be absolutely criminal if we don't buy one, Torres might go out of Form, Inured, Tired whatever we don't have a good back up if something happens. Pandev would be ideal for me, Upfront or Left Wing, it not only allows you to rotate players but also change formations to suit our needs.

A good start is VITAL aswell, Man United will have Rooney, Teves, Scholes, giggs, Carrick, Saha and Anderson all fresh to start the season.
Arsenals whole squad at the moment will nearly all be Fresh aswell.
Chelsea have the spending power and the squad to rotate more than any other team in the league. If you slip behind early i feel, this of all seasons, is going to be even harder to pull back points.

[Pablo]

Dual posting on ST and here now?

Are those players only attacking players? If so why not include the whole squads, defenders can get run down too you know.

[Joe King]

Chelsea:

Cech, Carvalho, Makelele, Anelka, Ballack, Malouda

Man U

Nani, Ronaldo, Evra, Van Der Sar

Arsenal

Gallas, Fabregas, Senderos, Djourou, Van Persie

[Abro100]

Dual posting on ST and here now?

Are those players only attacking players? If so why not include the whole squads, defenders can get run down too you know.

[Joe King]

Liverpool

Reina (not much but you can understand), Arbeloa, Alonso, Babel, Kuyt, Torres coupled with the fact that Lucas and Mascherano will leave for the Olympics.

[Abro100]

Chelsea:

Cech, Carvalho, Makelele, Anelka, Ballack, Malouda

Man U

Nani, Ronaldo, Evra, Van Der Sar

Arsenal

Gallas, Fabregas, Senderos, Djourou, Van Persie

Keepers dont get tired

[Abro100]

Ahwell, ill just give up

[Exiled_red]

...Also if you consider we could have key players at the Olympics, our start to the season could be easily disrupted! We need to get off to a good start.

Good point about the English players, also they will be suited to the league so should take less time to adapt, but I'm still not convinced we'll sign many English players, I think one, maybe two at most. I would have liked us to have kept Crouch but I can't see it to be honest

[SK]

Man U: Kuzchak, Nani, Ronaldo, Evra, Van der Saar, Pique?, Saha?,
Chelsea: Carvalho, Cech, Anelka, Makelele?, Ballack, Malouda, Ferreira?,
Arsenal: Rosicky(if fit), Sagna(if fit), Fabregas, Gallas, Van Persie

[MrMichael]

...Also if you consider we could have key players at the Olympics, our start to the season could be easily disrupted! We need to get off to a good start.

True, but don't forget ManU may well also have players at the Olympics (Tevez, Anderson).

Going back to Abro's original post, its a good point worth considering about the impact of the Euros. However, of the players mentioned, only really Torres is guaranteed to be starting regularly. Babel and Kuyt may or may not start for Holland, and Alonso may not even be at the club by that point. I can see the possibility that the players heavily involved in the tournament may be rotated a bit at the start of the season, but I don't think it'll have quite the long-term impact suggested. We flagrantly need better alternative options in the positions highlighted, however that would be the case Euros or no.

Next season is going to be a hard one undoubtedly, but at this point I think its a bit early to say we'll be all that much more disadvantaged by the tournament than the others.