Liverpool FC Forum

[stmichael]

It makes me laugh when people bleat on about rotation being a negative thing. At the end of the day, we've won the champions league, FA Cup and improved in the league by a million points, all using the rotation system and yet some fans are not convinced.

[Leonmc0708]

I think about Rafa and changing the team too much sometimes.

The last three times where:

Real Betis away in the Champions LEague - I thought what the funk is Pongolle doing on the pitch. He scored the first in an excellent away performance.

Chelsea FA Cup Semi - I wondered what was going on with Garcia back in the team and the changes - Garcia won the game with (another) wonder strike and Rafa's formation worked perfectly.

Chelsea in the Charity Sheild - No Gerrard, No Alonso, "Rafa is crazy I thought" we promptly beat a first choiice Chelsea team soundly.

I think that I will employ the "three strikes and your out" method and no longer question Rafa's tactic's/formations/selection.

[Rafa D]

Had you been a "fan" for more than 27 minutes, you'd be gleefully aware of Rafa's varied selections. 

True True.

[ConnO'var]

In my opinion, squad rotation is an essential component in the modern day game.

What with the 60 odd games players have to play a season and the unavoidable injuries that come with that, fatigue and suspensions are definite causes of concern. Coupled with the fact that different styles of play are required in the cup tournaments, Champions league and the premiership itself, the squad needs to be versatile enough to cope. Without rotation, the players most often left on the bench will not have enough playing time to be effective when called upon into the field of combat....

Having said that, I firmly believe that we should have a consistently recognizable spine/axis to the team... These core players would be essential in ensuring everything ticks over nicely and the team's rhythm and timing remains in perfect harmony.... the positions which I believe should be sacrosanct to willy nilly changes are as follows.

1. Goalkeeper
2. 2 Centre Backs
3. 2 Central midfielders
4. Key striker.

The remaining 5 positions could be rotated without disrupting the team too much.... The spine needs to remain for most, if not all, games unless injuries and suspension comes into play.

The problem Rafa has is not in tinkering overmuch.... His main headache I would guess, is in finding a system to incorporate Gerrard and Xabi in the heart of the midfield as I feel that they have not gelled yet as a unit and as said before, is mainly down to the brilliance of both men.... Neither one can apparently seem to take a step back... both have a need (and justifiably so!) to want to be the MAIN guy.....

Nice problem to have, no?

[Bad Bob]

In my opinion, squad rotation is an essential component in the modern day game.

What with the 60 odd games players have to play a season and the unavoidable injuries that come with that, fatigue and suspensions are definite causes of concern. Coupled with the fact that different styles of play are required in the cup tournaments, Champions league and the premiership itself, the squad needs to be versatile enough to cope. Without rotation, the players most often left on the bench will not have enough playing time to be effective when called upon into the field of combat....

Having said that, I firmly believe that we should have a consistently recognizable spine/axis to the team... These core players would be essential in ensuring everything ticks over nicely and the team's rhythm and timing remains in perfect harmony.... the positions which I believe should be sacrosanct to willy nilly changes are as follows.

1. Goalkeeper
2. 2 Centre Backs
3. 2 Central midfielders
4. Key striker.

The remaining 5 positions could be rotated without disrupting the team too much.... The spine needs to remain for most, if not all, games unless injuries and suspension comes into play.

The problem Rafa has is not in tinkering overmuch.... His main headache I would guess, is in finding a system to incorporate Gerrard and Xabi in the heart of the midfield as I feel that they have not gelled yet as a unit and as said before, is mainly down to the brilliance of both men.... Neither one can apparently seem to take a step back... both have a need (and justifiably so!) to want to be the MAIN guy.....

Nice problem to have, no?

Good post.  While I generally agree with your notion of a "sacrosanct" spine to the team, I would arrange my untouchables a little differently.

1) Goalkeeper
Reina obviously!

2) A settled back four
That is, next to no changes barring injuries/suspensions/drastic loss of form if possible since communication and mutual comfort levels are so vital across the entire back line, especially as we have become more attack-minded and will push further upfield this season.

3) All 3 of Gerrard, Alonso and Sissoko on the pitch for big games and at least 2 of these 3 at CM for all games
That is, no Zenden in CM unless injuries etc. requires it.  When playing all 3, circumstances and Rafa's tactical nous will dictate whether that's a 4-5-1, with all 3 in the middle, or a 4-4-2, with Gerrard on the right.  Either way, these 3 are big game players and must start against the likes of Chelsea and the Mancs.

4) The "in form" striker
This may be semantics but I've changed "key striker" to "in form striker" primarily because "key striker," for me, implies someone who is in the team week in, week out regardless of form (like Raul at Real Madrid).  Given the varying talents of our strike force and given that, since Owen, we haven't really had a striker that can command a starting place every week based on consistently good form (and, in Mikey's case, a lack of real competition), I'd still like to see enough rotation up front to keep all on their toes.  Now, having said that, should, Kuyt say, become the next RVN and starting banging them in for fun, I'd obviously not want to see him dropped.

For me, some carefully considered player rotation in the attacking positions--flanks and up front--is healthy and effective.  In order to keep the results ticking over, however, I think the less tinkering with the "back five" and the engine room, the better.

[account deleted by request]

In my opinion, squad rotation is an essential component in the modern day game.

What with the 60 odd games players have to play a season and the unavoidable injuries that come with that, fatigue and suspensions are definite causes of concern. Coupled with the fact that different styles of play are required in the cup tournaments, Champions league and the premiership itself, the squad needs to be versatile enough to cope. Without rotation, the players most often left on the bench will not have enough playing time to be effective when called upon into the field of combat....

Having said that, I firmly believe that we should have a consistently recognizable spine/axis to the team... These core players would be essential in ensuring everything ticks over nicely and the team's rhythm and timing remains in perfect harmony.... the positions which I believe should be sacrosanct to willy nilly changes are as follows.

1. Goalkeeper
2. 2 Centre Backs
3. 2 Central midfielders
4. Key striker.

The remaining 5 positions could be rotated without disrupting the team too much.... The spine needs to remain for most, if not all, games unless injuries and suspension comes into play.

The problem Rafa has is not in tinkering overmuch.... His main headache I would guess, is in finding a system to incorporate Gerrard and Xabi in the heart of the midfield as I feel that they have not gelled yet as a unit and as said before, is mainly down to the brilliance of both men.... Neither one can apparently seem to take a step back... both have a need (and justifiably so!) to want to be the MAIN guy.....

Nice problem to have, no?

I agree with most of your post, and for last season all of it. The only point I would question now would be the key striker. I think the signing of Kuyt means we may now have the option of playing 3 very different strike forces Crouch/Bellamy Kuyt/Bellamy and Crouch/Kuyt depending on the type of opposition. Not to mention Garcia and Fowler being added to the mix.
         Then again if Kuyt maintains the kind of form he showed against West Ham he may become our new Key player. Im just glad its Rafa who has to deal with all these "options" and not me.

[JC_81]

It's true that Benitez infuriated a lot of people this time last season by rotating a lot and we dropped a lot of points in the league around that time.  He got a settled team together and we went on a run.

But this time it's different I feel.  We genuinely do have players waiting in the wings who are just as good as those who get the nod to play on a Saturday.  Our squad is much stronger than it was this time last season and that's why I don't have a problem with rotation this season.

Of course there are certain things that I don't think should be messed with.  Reina and our settled back four should not be changed at all, apart from injuries, suspensions or drastic burnout/ loss of form of a player.  Hopefully resting them in early season domestic cup games will be enough.

Then there are players like Alonso, Gerrard and Sissoko who I feel have to play against the big teams and players like Crouch who I would start in every away game because of his ability to hold the ball up.  Apart from this I don't mind the other players being rotated according to form/ opposition.

[CardinalRed]

I'm with ConnO'var in that rotation should not really be a mystery and more of a given in the modern game... Rafa has shown with his buying that this is very much the way he plans his campaign, I'm all for it, it even happened in the World Cup with top international managers chopping and changing, even Trappatoni......