Liverpool FC Forum

by **falabogu** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:01 am

rotation is shitt thing,end of story. I do not mind resting players sometimes,but I hate tinkering. We are just fine without it

by **Sabre** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:37 pm

Crying here

by **Sabre** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 2:52 pm

I'm quite an empirical guy, and when I see something is blatantly clear, I say it. I have to say for instance I was wrong with Mourinho at inter, where I thought he'd flop without the spending power of Abramovich.

Similarly I've always defended rotation. Not massive rotation, but yes the rotation concept. Between the reasons I mentioned there were to have sharpish a bigger amount of players, and defend players from injury.

Well, I also admitted at the beginning of the season that a lesser rotation might have helped the players to gain confidence, and Alonso could be a case of this.

And now, sorry Mick, I can't help but thinking that if we are having more muscular injuries than ever, it may have something to do with rotation.

If lack of rotation, allows to play Gerrard more games than a rotation scheme, then I'd be anti rotationist, because IMHO a team with Gerrard is always a stronger team.

But if lack of rotation leads to undesired injuries like the one of Gerrard in a crucial moment of the season, then lack of rotation is of no use. Because at the end of the day you also lose your players some games.

Of course, I'm not sure that this injuries have to do directly with rotation. I could write vehemently that it's obvious, or it's ridiculous to deny it, but the truth is that I'm not sure.

But I want to ask, this kind of injury, which, correct me if I'm wrong Gerrard has not suffered in the last 4 years, is due to bad luck?

It was time to recover the rotation thread

by **Sabre** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 2:54 pm

Are we on front of what we might call the lame gazelle effect? Playing too much a player can lead him to injuries through out the season?

Certainly many doctors believe so, and so used to think Rafa.

For that matter, I'd like to be wrong on this matter, because we don't need yet another hamstring injury in this crucial season.

by **Alex G.** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 3:04 pm

This game Torres will rotate for sure, (my feeling :;):

) Time for Babel.

by **bigmick** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:27 pm

bigmick wrote:I know it's the holiday programme, but I have sensed a return to mass rotation being round the corner for a couple of weeks now. My suspicion is we are about to go on a styling spree, the likes of which we haven't seen for quite a while.

I kind of guessed we were about to embark upon some more extreme examples of styling a couple of weeks ago, don't really know how, just did. Equally, there seems to be something about Fratton Park which sends Rafa into Football Manager mode for some reason. Peter Crouch must be ruing the day he left, had he stayed he could have played left wing today.

In all seriousness though, although todays selection is obviously absolutely bonkers it's hard to know how much of it is actually styling, how much of it is due to injuries, and how much of it is due to the fact we've just sold two squad players who would certainly have started the match given the cuircumstances.

The performance is as you'd expect under the circumstances. Bitty, disjointed buit with little patches of good play. My worry is that despite Portsmouth being obviously devoid of confidence, they are slowly creeping into it and the crowd may suck a goal in. I suppose then we'll bring Torres on. Very very strange though this whole game, kind of surreal really.

by **Sabre** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:35 pm

Unfortunately I couldn't see the game live, and I'm going to watch it tonight.

I was in the forum earlier though and I saw announced the starting eleven, and despite it's not my ideal starting eleven, I could see it happening if Torres and Alonso were not ready for 90 minutes.

Exactly where was it bonkers? I guess that Ngog had to be the only reason, because Carraguer at holding midfielder is something that you could consider, and it has been used once or twice in previous seasons when there were a lot of injuries.

If it's bonkers because he hasn't used Alonso and Gerrard for the start, then I disagree. I'm sure Rafa wanted to play them on the first place, but probably weren't to play 90 minutes due to the last game. I can't see Rafa giving the holding mid to Carra just for the sake of it.

What I mean is that I don't see a come back to massive rotation but a team selection forced by Gerrard's injury and the aftermath of a derby full of hard tackles.

by **Igor Zidane** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:36 pm

bigmick wrote:
bigmick wrote:I know it's the holiday programme, but I have sensed a return to mass rotation being round the corner for a couple of weeks now. My suspicion is we are about to go on a styling spree, the likes of which we haven't seen for quite a while.

I kind of guessed we were about to embark upon some more extreme examples of styling a couple of weeks ago, don't really know how, just did. Equally, there seems to be something about Fratton Park which sends Rafa into Football Manager mode for some reason. Peter Crouch must be ruing the day he left, had he stayed he could have played left wing today.

In all seriousness though, although todays selection is obviously absolutely bonkers it's hard to know how much of it is actually styling, how much of it is due to injuries, and how much of it is due to the fact we've just sold two squad players who would certainly have started the match given the cuircumstances.

The performance is as you'd expect under the circumstances. Bitty, disjointed buit with little patches of good play. My worry is that despite Portsmouth being obviously devoid of confidence, they are slowly creeping into it and the crowd may suck a goal in. I suppose then we'll bring Torres on. Very very strange though this whole game, kind of surreal really.

I honestly don't think it was down to styling mick . I think both torres kuyt and xabi were fecked the other night and did need a rest . We do have a big programme coming up , i think that 's why we played with 3 centre halfs aswell , sort of an insurance policy for carra and skrtle being tired , share the load abit more if you like .

In the end it payed off and we got away with it. So it's all good

by **Sabre** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:39 pm

Waiting for the game Igor, did you say 3 CB?

I kind of expected to see Carra in the holding mid position. That is a bit strange. We only used 3 CB once, in a game we won 0-3 against a low team table. It made sense back then in that match because their style was the direct long ball. But I didn't expect using 3CB against Portsmouth. Tell me, was Pompey's style very direct? that's a strange one.

by **bigmick** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:43 pm

Sabre wrote:Unfortunately I couldn't see the game live, and I'm going to watch it tonight.

I was in the forum earlier though and I saw announced the starting eleven, and despite it's not my ideal starting eleven, I could see it happening if Torres and Alonso were not ready for 90 minutes.

Exactly where was it bonkers? I guess that Ngog had to be the only reason, because Carraguer at holding midfielder is something that you could consider, and it has been used once or twice in previous seasons when there were a lot of injuries.

If it's bonkers because he hasn't used Alonso and Gerrard for the start, then I disagree. I'm sure Rafa wanted to play them on the first place, but probably weren't to play 90 minutes due to the last game. I can't see Rafa giving the holding mid to Carra just for the sake of it.

What I mean is that I don't see a come back to massive rotation but a team selection forced by Gerrard's injury and the aftermath of a derby full of hard tackles.

Carragher didn't play as a holding midfielder Sabes, he played as one of three centree halves. That bit I'm certtain of, and Arbeloa played right back. Reina was in goal, and N'Gog played up front on his own.

In midfield, Mash was in the centre, and Benayoun was kind of floatingish right midfield. I think Dossena was a kind of wing back come left back, Babel was a floatingish left midfielder come inside left, and Aurelio was kind of central midfield stroke left midfield.

We were 2-1 down with five minutes to go and eventually won with two goals in the last five minutes. One was scored by Dirk Kuyt who came on as substitute, the other was scored by Fernando Torres who came on as substitute.

It's all opinion of course, but I didn't think the formation, set up or personel worked particularly well. Alonso made a big difference when he came on. Have a look at it later, I'd be interested in your thoughts.

by **Igor Zidane** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:46 pm

Sabre wrote:Waiting for the game Igor, did you say 3 CB?

I kind of expected to see Carra in the holding mid position. That is a bit strange. We only used 3 CB once, in a game we won 0-3 against a low team table. It made sense back then in that match because their style was the direct long ball. But I didn't expect using 3CB against Portsmouth. Tell me, was Pompey's style very direct? that's a strange one.

Well they did have crouch upfront with nugent sabre , so they were abit direct , but not enough if you ask me .

by **Sabre** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:47 pm

3 CB is something a Spanish coach would use against a team that bases their game in long balls. We used it once 2 or 3 seasons ago, against a team that was relegated, and that time, I could understand it.

But Pompey for the little I know them doesn't seem to me the kind of game for that formation, so on paper, I wouldn't agree that formation before the match. Anyhow, I'll watch the game and talk later. I wanted to stay without knowing the result until I saw the game but couldn't resist to log in.

P.S. Cheers Igor. And I see Aurelio apparently scored from free kick, it was about time!! because I saw him scoring goals from FK a lot of time here! Nice one

by **Igor Zidane** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:51 pm

Set up i think !!!!! For SABRE .

REINA

SKRTLE CARRA AGGER

ARBELOA MASHERANO AURELIO DOSSENA

BENAYOUN BABLE

N'GOG

by **JoeTerp** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:53 pm

Sabre wrote:3 CB is something a Spanish coach would use against a team that bases their game in long balls. We used it once 2 or 3 seasons ago, against a team that was relegated, and that time, I could understand it.

But Pompey for the little I know them doesn't seem to me the kind of game for that formation, so on paper, I wouldn't agree that formation before the match. Anyhow, I'll watch the game and talk later. I wanted to stay without knowing the result until I saw the game but couldn't resist to log in.

P.S. Cheers Igor. And I see Aurelio apparently scored from free kick, it was about time!! because I saw him scoring goals from FK a lot of time here! Nice one

not your traditional "scored from a free kick"

by **bigmick** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:55 pm

Igor Zidane wrote:
Sabre wrote:Waiting for the game Igor, did you say 3 CB?

I kind of expected to see Carra in the holding mid position. That is a bit strange. We only used 3 CB once, in a game we won 0-3 against a low team table. It made sense back then in that match because their style was the direct long ball. But I didn't expect using 3CB against Portsmouth. Tell me, was Pompey's style very direct? that's a strange one.

Well they did have crouch upfront with nugent sabre , so they were abit direct , but not enough if you ask me .

Had I have been them I would have gone much more direct. When they did, crouch won everything as you'd expect but they never got sufficient bodies around him, nobody arriving from midfield at all. Nice to see the big man have a good game though, two assists (one for them and one for us :laugh:

) and a decent contribution. His pas to Nugent for their first was top quality, but in general Portsmouth looked like a team whioch is distinctly lacking in confidence. We should get in and get first dibs on Glen Johnston before they go down and there's an auction.

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