Liverpool FC Forum

by **stmichael** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:56 pm

this is something that i need to get off my chest. it's the one thing in football that really does my head in and last night brought it all back for me. it's this notion that players are "tired" or the fact that players get "rested" these days. i'm sorry but this doesn't sit with me. every week i'm hearing managers blaming defeats on tiredness and claiming that players need a rest because they've played 3 games in 8 days blah blah blah. it's nonsense.

yes i know the game has moved on and it's all about squads these days but i'm under the impression that you should field your strongest side whenever possible. for gods sake, in the 80's we regularly won the title by only using 14 players in an entire season. it's the one criticism that i've had of benitez so far, that he's been regularly chopping and changing the team for no apparent reason after a decent result.

for example last night, why didn't carragher, hamann and baros start the game? i mean hamann and baros haven't even been playing regularly this season so they should be raring to go. it just doesn't make sense. i look at chelsea, and yes i know they've got a very strong squad but they are taking every competition seriously by playing very strong sides.

the mind boggles sometimes :down:

by **maximus** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:06 pm

St Mick,

I could not agree more, the whole 'resting players' is something that I cannot get my head round, IMO its pathetic. And is symptomatic of the game today, overhyped, overpaid premaddonas (spelling?!)

by **andy_g** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:08 pm

points taken, stmick, but in the days we won everything with 14 players playing week in week out so was everyone else - all the squads tired at a similar rate as the season went on. nowadays rotation and resting is a part of every squad to keep players as strong as possible. some clubs are luckier than others in that they can rotate and put out a second string side virtually as strong as the first. its another part of the premiership arms race.

by **Leonmc0708** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:08 pm

Whilst I understand your frustration, you must understand that this season Rafa must take a really good look at all of the players in the squad, and evaluate as to wether or not he will be able to work with those particular players in the future, and wether they are good enough for him.

Also, like it or not, resting players is a part of football these days. The training and games will take it out of the players more now than it used to as it is a lot more intense than it once was.

You should always play your strongest team makes me laugh though, if the kids had managed to overcome Burnley last night, then you and many others would be praising Rafa's genius and guile at playing the nurtured talent.

by **stmichael** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:12 pm

i agree that players should possibly get a rest every once in a while but nowadays it seems that players are uncapable of playing a number of games in succession without needing a rest. the thing is, when you're winning, you're not tired but when you start losing it becomes an excuse.

for example. have xabi alonso, luis garcia or milan baros played five games in a row this season? i very much doubt it. i seem to remember that alonso was on the bench in monaco and also against fulham, west brom and everton away. i mean we paid 10m for the guy and he wasn't even plaing regularly.

by **The_Rock** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:21 pm

i guess rafa made a honest mistake....Lets put it this way. The reserves beat boro & spurs. You would surely put your money on them beating burnley rite ?

It backfired. Rafa can admit it was a mistake to play the reserves, but what good will it do ? You want him to admit it was a mistake to play the reserve players ?

Wouldn't it hurt their confidence ?

Saying that, rafa really should have had hamann on the bench. We lost the game because our midfield sucked and i mean ABSOLUTELY SUCKED.

by **maximus** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:25 pm

Leonmc0708 wrote:You should always play your strongest team makes me laugh though, if the kids had managed to overcome Burnley last night, then you and many others would be praising Rafa's genius and guile at playing the nurtured talent.

With respect Leon, no I wouldn't, because I would expect ANY team LFC field to outplay, outfight and WIN against a DIV 1/Championship side.

Although I was surprised initially at the team selelction.

by **stmichael** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:26 pm

The_Rock wrote:Saying that, rafa really should have had hamann on the bench. We lost the game because our midfield sucked and i mean ABSOLUTELY SUCKED.

funny you say that actually. last night was the sort of game in which i think salif diao would have excelled. at least he would have stuck his foot in for some of the 50/50s in midfield.

by **The_Rock** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:29 pm

isn't diao in birmingham ?

by **stmichael** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:31 pm

The_Rock wrote:isn't diao in birmingham ?

yep, on loan for the rest of the season. i'm just saying that he could have done a job last night if he was still here.

by **LiverpoolMadman** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:41 pm

Come guys ... maybe this is RB plan . He knows that to win in league cup is to go UEFA Cup which is we have ready in the semi final. Let get that cup and he also know that by win fa cup will also take him to UEFA Cup. He know that he have a small number of good / key players and also know that some of these key players are not fit , due to injure like SG, Alonso, Garcia, Cisse, Kirkland and many more. So throw one cup away this season does mean it's the end of the world, remember we still in CL, still in Semi Finals and still fight for that CL spot for next season. So resting some of the players in FA cup , it just to make sure the these players can still play for us next PL.
Yes, I belived that next match Liverpool will be rolling into the better team . I have a feeling that this sat liverpool will win , and nando will score his first PL goals and there will many many more to come from not him only , but others too.

God bless . Amem !

by **LiverpoolMadman** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:42 pm

Come guys ... maybe this is RB plan . He knows that to win in league cup is to go UEFA Cup which is we have ready in the semi final. Let get that cup and he also know that by win fa cup will also take him to UEFA Cup. He know that he have a small number of good / key players and also know that some of these key players are not fit , due to injure like SG, Alonso, Garcia, Cisse, Kirkland and many more. So throw one cup away this season does mean it's the end of the world, remember we still in CL, still in Semi Finals and still fight for that CL spot for next season. So resting some of the players in FA cup , it just to make sure the these players can still play for us next PL.
Yes, I belived that next match Liverpool will be rolling into the better team . I have a feeling that this sat liverpool will win , and nando will score his first PL goals and there will many many more to come from not him only , but others too.

God bless . Amen!

by **stmichael** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:43 pm

i heard you the first time.

by **109-1105722616** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 5:11 pm

it was so good he said it twice

people on this board seem to get disillusioned too quickly for my liking, a couple of defeats and you all start moaning

if we win our next 2 i can see a lot of people on here saying what a great job benitez is doing, hypocrites and idiots the lot of you

by **stmichael** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 5:13 pm

marklfc wrote:people on this board seem to get disillusioned too quickly for my liking, a couple of defeats and you all start moaning

if we win our next 2 i can see a lot of people on here saying what a great job benitez is doing, hypocrites and idiots the lot of you

welcome to the forum mate. the double standards on here is ridiculous at times. can you believe that after the defeat at bolton (in august i think) people on here were calling for benitez to be sacked? it beggars belief sometimes. :angry:

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"resting players" - Does my head in

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