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Agree with pretty much everything. Opponents shouldn't be the problem though (except Germany possibly in QF), it's more our own tactics, especially defense I'm worried about.

That's indeed the most likely starting XI for Wilmots. Fellaini has been a back-up ever since Wilmots named De Bruyne as his standard central attacking midfielder. Before, De Bruyne would often play at right wing & Hazard at left wing, and Fellaini would be the central attacking midfielder...

Check out my latest article on the Belgian EC 2016 squad announced yesterday: https://pieterhontele.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/belgian-squad-ec2016-little-surprises-plenty-of-concern/

1. I can't see the rags beating West Ham in their final home game at Upton Park. Not only because of the extra movitation that will bring but I sincerely believe West Ham have a better team and they are also still competing for Europe. So City will manage to hold on to top 4 I think. 2. IF City...

"emotional bollocks" ... football is emotion, mate, where you think it's science. And we're not talking about a little bit of rotation here, we're talking about all key players (Agüero, De Bruyne, Silva, some would even add Yaya, Kompany) being rested at the same time, which makes it a B-team...

Even a forfeit would've been better than the "team" he played yesterday. It would also have been better for the injury & fitness risk assessment, if I follow your reasoning. Regardless of Madrid, playing a B-team for a Premier League fixture is a huge sign of disrespect to the competition...

That's were our logic differs, I think breaking up the team, slashing momentum & spirit is a lot more harmful for the chances at Madrid than playing your best team for two games in a row and risk one or two players not being completely, entirely 100% fit.

It's true that his form dipped a couple of weeks after arriving, but it's hard to prove that it was because of being overplayed. It might as well have been a mental issue, or just by no specific cause at all, an inexplicable momentary dip. The other way around, you should also acknowledge the...

As I just posted, science should play a supporting role but not determine everything. I couldn't say it any better than blueinsa just did with his spread sheet comment. Science is one of the many factors to take into account, but you simply cannot justify resting the likes of KDB, Aguëro, Silva...

Let's take arguably the best current club team in the world, Barcelona, as an example then. How many matches a year are the MSN deliberately rested in official matches? And how often do they not turn up? They rotate some of their defensive players, but never the creative geniuses who need to...

Thanks for the scientific insights (no, I'm not being sarcastic). However, football is one of those sports where science is subordinate to strategy, creativity, intelligence, etc. It's the whole reason why we love this sport so much. Science should play a supporting role, obviously, but not...

Not sure if it's actually the players who complain so much about it or rather the managers? Kevin De Bruyne is the prime example of a player who's being rested rather frequently but who has always insisted that if it were up to him he'd just play all of the time. I don't want to argue with the...

I think the motivational aspect is getting a bit more attention than it should. This was just a team that lacked class, confidence, form & automatisms. Those things were known beforehand, so the result was just what could've been expected.

And yet a professional cyclist in the Tour De France can race 250 km every day for 3 weeks in a row. A professional tennis player can play 5 sets on Sunday and pull the same trick on Tuesday. A runner in the Marathon Des Sables can run 6 consecutive marathons in the desert. ... I know you can't...

Exactly, THAT is what you need your "squad players" for, to come in when a key player is injured, suspended or out of form, not to play instead of your key players just so they 'll never pick up an injury. That's the world upside down! And this whole resting argument is ridiculous. The word...

I swear I would not have been one of them. Resting fit players is utter utter BS.

Yes, that's my point, I think he should have. Would've made an excellent general repetition. Now what do you have to work with in preparation for Madrid? Start from scratch once again.

What are the odds of all 3 out injured in one game? And even if it would happen, I'd just say bad luck. Nothing the manager could have foreseen. It's beyond ridiculous not to play your best players out of fear for injury. why have those players then? To put them in a showcase and dust them off...

I do think 90% of the blame is on Pellegrini here: 1. The players he decided to put on the pitch simply aren't good enough individually in terms of quality. Just looking at the 22 names before kick-off, a Southampton win was already the most likely result. 2. If you're making it obvious that...

What I simply fail to understand is why on earth City are playing with a B-team in the league when top 4 is still anything but secured. Just so the top players have enough rest for the Real Madrid game? Surely, it's much more important to go over there with a good result in the bag, great spirit...