Liverpool FC Forum

[Emerald Red]

Gerrard, Carra and Reina aren't rotated for simple reasons. 1) no fella in their right mind would swap their keeper week in week out, and if Gerrard and Carra were dropped "rotated" there'd be up roar as there was when Gerrard was dropped for the opening game of the European Cup group stages against PSV. Certain players will play almost every game but nobody will play every game, even if they were fit and not suspended nobody would play every game because our so called "key" players will miss out on the league cup and early rounds of the FA.

My view on rotation is still plain and simple. Not neccessary. Players nowadays have the best treatment in the world and they're getting paid between 50 and 120 grand a week to do something they love. If they need a rest because they run for 90 minutes a week, then maybe they should stop writing books and doing silly interviews for magazines. If they're tired, then they should rest instead of ponsing around doing silly activities. Rests for players who play on the best surfaces in the world, is billhooks. Fully fit human beings who play a game where tackles are not allowed need rests....i ask you. But players on 40 ciggys and 10 pints a night, as well as being kicked every minute of the match by Billy Bremner and Chopper Harris didn't need rests. Players nowadays are covered in cotton wool.

Agree with you on the resting part. I don't play football as much as I used to these days, but I used to play 3 to 4 tmes a week, each time being just over an hour non-stop on a hard surface. Before I played, I used to run down. At times I used to play for an extra hour. That's two hours running, non stop, and I felt ok afterwards. This was for 3 times a week. Now, If I can do this for sweet f*ck all other than enjoyment, then why can't they? I know they train during the week, but still, that would make them even more fit. For an athlete, 24 to 48 hours' rest is more than enough. This excuse of being tired, complete w@ank if you ask me. Fatique is a different matter, though. But then again, that shouldn't really happen to pro players.

[maypaxvobiscum]

rotation is fine as long as the quality of the starting 11 doesnt drop.

[god_bless_john_houlding]

rotation is fine as long as the quality of the starting 11 doesnt drop.

Well it wouldn't drop if we didn't rotate. Players coming in and out of a side does more harm than good. Players should be swapped and changed due to injury, suspension or drop in form. Other than that it should be the same 11 week in week out in the league. This year I couldn't give a flying fu.ck about any cup competition including europe. The league is priority this year. If Rafa wants to "rest" certain players then he should rest them for the cup games, but for the league they're should be some stability.

[maypaxvobiscum]

rotation is fine as long as the quality of the starting 11 doesnt drop.

Well it wouldn't drop if we didn't rotate. Players coming in and out of a side does more harm than good. Players should be swapped and changed due to injury, suspension or drop in form. Other than that it should be the same 11 week in week out in the league. This year I couldn't give a flying fu.ck about any cup competition including europe. The league is priority this year. If Rafa wants to "rest" certain players then he should rest them for the cup games, but for the league they're should be some stability.

so? even if we did rotate, it is possible the quality wont drop (look at what milan did to udinese last season). unless your saying we dont have enough quality players to rotate. put it this way, does it matter who the starting 11 are as long as we get the 3 points? i think what your wanting is stability.

[66-1112520797]

i think what your wanting is stability.

But doesnt stability come with a coherent and settled side ?

[redtrader74]

IT could also come with a 'coherent and settled' Squad. There seems to be this opinion that the first team and the squad are mutually exclusive, when they spend time, train and play more together as a sqaud, than any first 11 would playing 90mins in a week. Understanding and partnerships are also made in training.

[maypaxvobiscum]

IT could also come with a 'coherent and settled' Squad. There seems to be this opinion that the first team and the squad are mutually exclusive, when they spend time, train and play more together as a sqaud, than any first 11 would playing 90mins in a week. Understanding and partnerships are also made in training.

thank you 
i dont agree that carra and gerrard are not rotated bcuz they play in important positions but are not rotated as much as the rest as they are considered the backbone of the team. by saying CB and CM are important positions is wrong as RW is equally as important(ronaldo at manure) it doesnt matter if gerrard was a right midfielder or central midfielder cuz at the end of the day he has the ability to make an impact on the game. but benayoun and pennant offer almost the same thing so rotating them would hardly make a difference at all.

[DAV]

I suppose one of my problems with rotaion - is when i see the line up and see who's left out. Rotation seems to imply that all of our squad are of similar ability.
Hyypia is no longer as good as Ager -so how can he start ahead of him?. Torres new signing, young player- paid alot for him, so unless he shows he isnt up to it- then how can he be dropped for Crouch or Veronin?
Central midfied a little trickier other than Gerrard as a dead cert.
The wide men, well who the better players are their is up for much debate- but all i would like to see is players given a decent run in the team who ever they are, so then maybe it would be plain for everyone to see who should play on a regular basis.

[maypaxvobiscum]

i would like to see is players given a decent run in the team who ever they are, so then maybe it would be plain for everyone to see who should play on a regular basis.

thats RB's and Pako's job. they should know best considering they spend time with the players daily.

[DAV]

what do u mean its their job, i no that.
So why don't they no between them?

[red37]

This Rotation debate is just going round in circles.

[maypaxvobiscum]

what do u mean its their job, i no that.
So why don't they no between them?

they do, but they are just not letting you know 

hmm..i guess for different games, different players are more suited to it. im not supporting the idea of changing the entire team every match. but 3 or 4 changes really shouldnt be an issue. its like.....using a different flavoured condom for a different occassion but in the end the main point is to prevent premature pregnancy.

[DAV]

why wasnt i told about these condom things
I didnt rotate and now have 4 kids
?

[66-1112520797]

IT could also come with a 'coherent and settled' Squad. There seems to be this opinion that the first team and the squad are mutually exclusive, when they spend time, train and play more together as a sqaud, than any first 11 would playing 90mins in a week. Understanding and partnerships are also made in training.

Thats almost like saying we lost 1-0 to Reading but trained superbly well during 38 hours of training this week.


Seriously though you can only measure yourself up against the opposition, and how you fair during 90 minutes with 14 players.

Its all well and good training, but you'd IMO definately get a better understanding with a majority core of players in the team week in week out.

How does multiple rotation get an understanding and momentum in a TEAM ?

[Bad Bob]

IMHO, this whole discussion's gone a bit stale.  Rafa clearly plans to continue rotating and some supporters are fine with that while others question the logic of it.  I'm confident this discussion will continue--with many of the same arguments rehashed many times over--until one of two things happens:

1) We win the league with Rafa's rotation policy
2) Rafa steps down (implying that rotation cannot work for us in the league).

Some will no doubt say that a third and perhaps more sensible option is for Rafa not to rotate as much but, again, it seems clear to me that that policy is at the core of his managerial approach and don't expect he'll ever bin it.

What I have found interesting in the recent discussion in this thread, however, is that  a couple of people have bemoaned Rafa's selections against Toulouse (not starting Torres and Agger, for instance).  Again, I suppose if one is 'anti-rotation' that makes sense but if we all come to terms with the fact that Rafa will continue to rotate the squad this season, I take a lot of positives from the selections for the Toulouse game.   That line-up implied that the league is the more important competition this season and that Rafa is prepared to take more risks in Euro qualifiers than we've ever seen him do before.  At least if he's going to rotate, it's reassuring that he seems to be prioritizing the Premiership, right?