Rotation - or lack of

[washsaint]

I will caveat this with the fact that I am not particularly happy with things right now but believe Puel should be given far more time to prove he is the right man for the job.

 

Lots of discussion about rotation and how that is affecting us badly.

 

Playing devils advocate I would say that 2 players have not really been rotated out much this season - VVD and Romeu. And I would say that both players performances have dropped off significantly in the last 3-4 weeks. VVD has made a number of mistakes at the back recently that he has not really made since joining us and my suspicion is that both players are probably fatigued.

 

I really think most of our issues right now are down to a poor midfield who do not look like ever scoring and a pathetic front line that couldn't score in a brothel.

 

If Puel is allowed to bring in a CB, AMC and striker this window I believe we will see a significant uptick in our performances, style and goals.

 

Over to you Les....

[scally]

VVD and Romeu have been our best two players so I think you can take it the other way and say that playing regularly helps your form.

[Harry_SFC]

VVD and Romeu have been our best two players so I think you can take it the other way and say that playing regularly helps your form.

 

Whilst this is probably true - Romeu looked shattered over the Christmas period and we lack backup options in the DM position as I'm not really sure how good Reed is.

[Heisenberg]

Continuity is key, been saying that all season.

 

20 league games in now and it's telling that only 4 out field players have played more than 1,200 minutes (equivalent to 13 games)

 

Have a look at the sides above us -

 

Chelsea 10 players

WBA, Everton, AFCB, Spurs, Man C, Arsenal all have 9

Liverpool 8

Only Man United (6) are close to us

[FriendlySaint]

The enormous problem with rotation is you aren't always picking your strongest side and worse you are effectively always fielding a weakened team. It's not a normal weakened team either. Usually one or two injuries effect the strongest eleven. Puel has rotated as many as six at times and that's frankly ridiculous and lunacy.

 

For me the best keeper, back four and best holding midfielder should always play no matter what. Every single game in every competition. A team is built from the back. Rotation should only occur if someone asks for it.

 

I want to point something out about Rodriguez. He looks as strong as a horse compared to before and has a great engine (always did). He can't be wrapped up in cotton wool forever. Give the guy a run in the side for ****s sake. If a player gets knackered they can request to be rested for a particular game or to get substituted. They are able to communicate..Puel is effectively treating them like children and it's no wonder the likes of Fonte as fuming. Puel's man management skills at non-existent. I'd be absolutely furious if I was a player and constantly getting rotated. The strongest eleven should always be picked, with the players given the option to request a rest at any given time (and given the option to request a substitution if they pick up a knock, or get knackered)...then the ball is in the manager's court to make the final decision, unless the head physio has specifically requested that a player is rested. At the moment Puel is blindly picking the side whilst listening to none of the players, it's ridiculous.

 

There is reason why on the likes of Footie manager you are shooting yourself in the foot if you do what Puel does. The players don't have the same cohesion and chemisty. Yes it's not real life, but I've run my own football and cricket teams in the past and found the same thing. You want a regular eleven playing every game together. Ibrahimovic has started almost every game this season and he's 35, Puel is not the sharpest tool in the box. You want your strongest side every game.

 

You look at the likes of Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool. They always field their best team. Wenger rotates more and it's the problem with Arsenal in my view, they lack cohesion compared to the other three I mentioned. Leicester last season won the title picking the same side over and over again. Ranieri's rotated more this season and they are struggling. I could go on, but I better stop there

 

Playing football a few days a week is nothing on the body compared to the sport I play and the training I do. I can't believe how wrapped up in cotton wool theseplayers are

[Useful Idiot]

Continuity is key, been saying that all season.

 

20 league games in now and it's telling that only 4 out field players have played more than 1,200 minutes (equivalent to 13 games)

 

Have a look at the sides above us -

 

Chelsea 10 players

WBA, Everton, AFCB, Spurs, Man C, Arsenal all have 9

Liverpool 8

Only Man United (6) are close to us

 

Palace, Burnley, Leicester 9

Watford 8

Boro 7 (+Ramirez 1196 mins)

 

Surely they should be above us as well?

[SaintMB]

Plus Chelsea, WBA, Everton, AFCB and Liverpool have not had European games to contend with.. or are those 'freebies'?

[OttawaSaint]

Palace, Burnley, Leicester 9

Watford 8

Boro 7 (+Ramirez 1196 mins)

 

Surely they should be above us as well?

 

Ahh, but those don't fit with his agenda, confirmation bias at its finest!

[saintant]

The enormous problem with rotation is you aren't always picking your strongest side and worse you are effectively always fielding a weakened team. It's not a normal weakened team either. Usually one or two injuries effect the strongest eleven. Puel has rotated as many as six at times and that's frankly ridiculous and lunacy.

 

For me the best keeper, back four and best holding midfielder should always play no matter what. Every single game in every competition. A team is built from the back. Rotation should only occur if someone asks for it.

 

I want to point something out about Rodriguez. He looks as strong as a horse compared to before and has a great engine (always did). He can't be wrapped up in cotton wool forever. Give the guy a run in the side for ****s sake. If a player gets knackered they can request to be rested for a particular game or to get substituted. They are able to communicate..Puel is effectively treating them like children and it's no wonder the likes of Fonte as fuming. Puel's man management skills at non-existent. I'd be absolutely furious if I was a player and constantly getting rotated. The strongest eleven should always be picked, with the players given the option to request a rest at any given time (and given the option to request a substitution if they pick up a knock, or get knackered)...then the ball is in the manager's court to make the final decision, unless the head physio has specifically requested that a player is rested. At the moment Puel is blindly picking the side whilst listening to none of the players, it's ridiculous.

 

There is reason why on the likes of Footie manager you are shooting yourself in the foot if you do what Puel does. The players don't have the same cohesion and chemisty. Yes it's not real life, but I've run my own football and cricket teams in the past and found the same thing. You want a regular eleven playing every game together. Ibrahimovic has started almost every game this season and he's 35, Puel is not the sharpest tool in the box. You want your strongest side every game.

 

You look at the likes of Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool. They always field their best team. Wenger rotates more and it's the problem with Arsenal in my view, they lack cohesion compared to the other three I mentioned. Leicester last season won the title picking the same side over and over again. Ranieri's rotated more this season and they are struggling. I could go on, but I better stop there

 

Playing football a few days a week is nothing on the body compared to the sport I play and the training I do. I can't believe how wrapped up in cotton wool theseplayers are

 

What he said! Twas ever thus - settled sides win more matches and play better at a consistently higher level than those that are chopped and changed every week. It's not rocket science. Build cohesion, match fitness, understanding and the wins will follow. Continual rotation is the road to sloppy, un-coordinated football because you cannot possibly expect to build team spirit and that instictiveness that all the best teams display.

Edited 8 January, 2017 by saintant

[Whitey Grandad]

The enormous problem with rotation is you aren't always picking your strongest side and worse you are effectively always fielding a weakened team. It's not a normal weakened team either. Usually one or two injuries effect the strongest eleven. Puel has rotated as many as six at times and that's frankly ridiculous and lunacy.

 

For me the best keeper, back four and best holding midfielder should always play no matter what. Every single game in every competition. A team is built from the back. Rotation should only occur if someone asks for it.

 

I want to point something out about Rodriguez. He looks as strong as a horse compared to before and has a great engine (always did). He can't be wrapped up in cotton wool forever. Give the guy a run in the side for ****s sake. If a player gets knackered they can request to be rested for a particular game or to get substituted. They are able to communicate..Puel is effectively treating them like children and it's no wonder the likes of Fonte as fuming. Puel's man management skills at non-existent. I'd be absolutely furious if I was a player and constantly getting rotated. The strongest eleven should always be picked, with the players given the option to request a rest at any given time (and given the option to request a substitution if they pick up a knock, or get knackered)...then the ball is in the manager's court to make the final decision, unless the head physio has specifically requested that a player is rested. At the moment Puel is blindly picking the side whilst listening to none of the players, it's ridiculous.

 

There is reason why on the likes of Footie manager you are shooting yourself in the foot if you do what Puel does. The players don't have the same cohesion and chemisty. Yes it's not real life, but I've run my own football and cricket teams in the past and found the same thing. You want a regular eleven playing every game together. Ibrahimovic has started almost every game this season and he's 35, Puel is not the sharpest tool in the box. You want your strongest side every game.

 

You look at the likes of Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool. They always field their best team. Wenger rotates more and it's the problem with Arsenal in my view, they lack cohesion compared to the other three I mentioned. Leicester last season won the title picking the same side over and over again. Ranieri's rotated more this season and they are struggling. I could go on, but I better stop there

 

Playing football a few days a week is nothing on the body compared to the sport I play and the training I do. I can't believe how wrapped up in cotton wool theseplayers are

 

I agree with every word.

[Mowgli]

Rotation works when you have a squad large enough to accommodate it. Forget the crap about playing regularly helps your game. Playing every week improves your game. The only reason we rotate is that we are playing twice a week. Leicester did not rotate because they were not distracted by other competitions and frankly they did not have a big enough squad of quality players.

 

We do. OK, many will disagree because they like to run our players down but in truth we have around 20 players who can compete effectively in the EPL. We also have a manager who has the confidence in there players to rotate them and make sure they are all reasonably match fit, play regularly and are happier. Example: Yosh did not always perform brilliantly last season because he spent to much time collecting splinters in his bum. Different player this year.

 

Agreed Romeu and VVD do not rotate as much because - presumably - fitness analysis has shown minimal effect on muscles and stamina etc. I'm sure there is a science behind it to a degree.

 

If you listen to all the pundits (generally ex footballers) they talk about the luxury of rotation not the horror of it. Every European coach coming into the EPL is doing it now. It's here to stay. Let's get used to it.

[suewhistle]

I've just had a look at the poster on the wall here in my home office and the fixtuire list had us down for 8 games in January, and now we've got the Norwich replay, and we had a game on the last day of December too. Of course we're going to rotate, and although it may impact fluency and team work to a degree it's not affecting match fitness. We've played some neat, slick football at times. Our issues are lack of concentration in defence (which could well be due to tiredness) and an inability to score, formerly just from our midfield for the last few years, and now it's infected our forwards.

 

Any decline in the performance of players like PJ or Boufal are due to the difference in intensity and frequency of games, not not playing them.

 

Saying all players want to play as much as possible may be true, but even those of you amateurs players will probably admit you played when you weren't 100%, and could have given one of the less regulars a game (or in many amateur teams, had to play to make up the numbers!).