Getting carried away

[Craig_H]

but they were on the bench, so they must have been fit

The level of their fitness was obviously hugely in doubt, rafa took a major risk with those two on that occasion. Very rarely does he take that kind of risk.

[red g]

Thing is though danny, if a striker gets injured in the first 5 or 10 mins, what do you then do? You have to bring him off the bench, so it's reasonable to suggest that, especially in the era of 5 subs, you'd rarely have a player on the bench if he could only manage half an hour, very few would risk it.

thats rubbish Torres, Ronaldo, Adebayor, Drogba, Van persie all players that in my very recent memory have been on the bench and not fit for 90mins

[DannyMan2006]

Thing is though danny, if a striker gets injured in the first 5 or 10 mins, what do you then do? You have to bring him off the bench, so it's reasonable to suggest that, especially in the era of 5 subs, you'd rarely have a player on the bench if he could only manage half an hour, very few would risk it.

Bring on another player. But sometimes you take a risk and sometimes you don't. I think injuries to Alonso and Torres himself show that Rafa does take gambles with players he feels are important, sometimes with those gambles having a bad outcome on the season.

[Craig_H]

thats rubbish Torres, Ronaldo, Adebayor, Drogba, Van persie all players that in my very recent memory have been on the bench and not fit for 90mins

It's not 'rubbish'. It might be something you'd risk, it's obviously down to an individual's own view, but it's a valid point.

[Craig_H]

Bring on another player. But sometimes you take a risk and sometimes you don't. I think injuries to Alonso and Torres himself show that Rafa does take gambles with players he feels are important, sometimes with those gambles having a bad outcome on the season.

Well yes, obviously you'd bring someone else on and by having the injured player on the bench, you limit your options. I agree sometimes you take the risk and other times not.

[Sarb]

Torres was carrying an injury, often forgotten by your type when spouting about this ****

My type?

[Vermilion]

Funnily enough Ferguscum last week said he will rotate ALL his strikers regardless of how well they are playing , so that they stay fresh.

We'll see if he does or not.

[Vermilion]

We have been rotating this year too, and quite a lot. I don't have the stats but Rafa has been tinkling with the side. The difference now is that he has got the 'core' of players needed (the spine of the team) needed and he can rotate everyone else.

He still didn't rotate Torres too much last year. This year we've beaten United with a supposedly 'weaker' team and we've won. Maybe this has just given us the needed lift and confidence that we have been lacking.

Rafa now has the quality to replace Torres with Keane or Kuyt, and he's even let Crouch and Voronin go, so this must speak volumes.

As I said, it's not about rotation being less as it's a myth. Rotation is still key in this day and age. But we just have better players and rotation doesn't seem to be a problem because of that fact.

Rafa the TINKLER...

[Kenneth]

My type?

Yeah, you know, left handers.

[Guest]

Rafa the TINKLER...

[Vermilion]

[lfc1394]

Funnily enough Ferguscum last week said he will rotate ALL his strikers regardless of how well they are playing , so that they stay fresh.

We'll see if he does or not.

For me that's the key to how well they do, he cant play all 4 against any half decent team. It's how quickly he gets the balance etc, well that and how many dodgy pens they get

[red g]

Funnily enough Ferguscum last week said he will rotate ALL his strikers regardless of how well they are playing , so that they stay fresh.

We'll see if he does or not.

which 4?

its only ever going to be one or two of rooney, tevez and Berbatov

With Ronaldo the ever present

[Craig_H]

Jamie Carragher's views on rotation:

The question of rotation - this time on the pitch - became a recurring issue as Benitez would happily change five or six players from one game to the next. I was lucky to avoid being part of the revolving team policy as he saw me as too important at the back, but his faith in the system has never wavered. The seemingly endless debate about its pros and cons is now part of the Anfield furniture. Houllier had also made changes from game to game, but usually two or three, never to this extent.

And:

The key problem with mass rotation, as employed at Liverpool, is it undermines the team ethic. Selfishness creeps into the ranks because you become more aware of vulnerable you are to being left out, no matter how well or badly you play. I can well imagine there are players who come off the pitch after a defeat pleased with their own performance because it might be enough to keep them in. You don't get that with a steady line-up, where the result comes before any individual.

I believe you need a structure within a squad so the best eleven earn their places on merit and know that they've got to keep their standards high to stay in the side. Such are the demands at a club like ours, where you can play over fifty games a season, I'd say you need a spine of at least eight players who start week in, week out, with the rest fighting for a shirt. That's how United and Chelsea have operated. If anyone dips, they're out.

[Harv]

My type?

dont make me say it