Can We Keep Everyone Happy?

[Anonymous]

Earlier in the season, it was Balotelli, Zabaletta, and Nasri that weren't playing, now they are, its just all part of the rotation.

Not to split hairs but Zaba is our utility player so and he understand that so he will not balk at any rotation.

Balo has been an ever present since the Munich debacle.

Nasri will play far more games than AJ.

I'm not sure I see the full scope of Mancini's rotation policy yet. I think it tends to centre more on - fuck it up and you'll lose your place. If the player coming in performs tough shit, you're out (barring a crazy fixture pile up). Lescott v Chelsea is a prime example. For me he's lost his place in the big games to Kolo due to that handball, although we won't know until Sunderland next weekend. But for my money he'll start there, and Kolo against Liverpool.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

We've only got three strikers and have been playing with two so I'm pretty sure we can keep Dzeko happy. I'd be playing AJ a bit more - I think he should have started either yesterday or against Stoke. With Nige remains to be seen whether he can fit into the current system. I'd like to see Yaya getting much more of a rest but it doesn't look like Nige is up to the job to step in for him. I wouldn;t be fussed if Nige wanted out come the end of the season unless he ups his game big time. I'd be tempted to sell him and get a younger more mobile centre mid in to replace him even if he doesn't want out

 

[cleavers]

Earlier in the season, it was Balotelli, Zabaletta, and Nasri that weren't playing, now they are, its just all part of the rotation.

Not to split hairs but Zaba is our utility player so and he understand that so he will not balk at any rotation.

Balo has been an ever present since the Munich debacle.

Nasri will play far more games than AJ.

I'm not sure I see the full scope of Mancini's rotation policy yet. I think it tends to centre more on - fuck it up and you'll lose your place. If the player coming in performs tough shit, you're out (barring a crazy fixture pile up). Lescott v Chelsea is a prime example. For me he's lost his place in the big games to Kolo due to that handball, although we won't know until Sunderland next weekend. But for my money he'll start there, and Kolo against Liverpool.

I think the Kolo/Lescott situation is far more simple than that. Mancini is using both Kolo and Yaya to the maximum, knowing they won't contribute anything for us for 4 or 5 weeks, and he's resting the players that will until they go. He doesn't care about the ACN, so if they're knackered there its not our business, and they'll get a relative rest while they are away. Even if you are right, the decision is correct because we haven't conceded since Chelsea.

As for Zab, he may be a utility player, but he's playing as much as anyone else, while we rotate others, for me its the right way to go about it, Yaya playing every game just now is allowing Barry and Milner a rest for the tough period while he is away, when NDJ will probably play all the games. Dzeko is 3rd choice, but in the next 5 weeks he will play more than enough games, he needs to be sharper than yesterday when he does.

None of us really know what is going on within the closed doors, for example, who knows if Richards was fit or not yesterday, maybe he was just given a few more days ahead of the games next week.

I think the rotation has been good, its keeping the majority fit, and it shows with the lack of injuries we currently have, with so many games to come, it could be crucial, others don't have the depth of squad we have.

It may be May before we fully realise how good the rotation has been.

 

[Mancio]

i think the process of modding a top team also require the time needed select that players able to understand what being part of a top team means.

if you look at the top clubs benches they are full of good/very good players willing to wait for their chances to give out their best.

some players just can't adapt to this discipline , then they have to go. at the end of the day they will be top fish in small barrel and they will win very little in their career.

 

[cleavers]

I'd be playing AJ a bit more - I think he should have started either yesterday or against Stoke.

He did start against Stoke ;o)

 

[City_Sean]

last season a player like NDJ leaving would of been massive for us, now i think we dont really need him, milner can play in CM and offers more workrate

 

[monkey-trousers]

I think the Kolo/Lescott situation is far more simple than that. Mancini is using both Kolo and Yaya to the maximum, knowing they won't contribute anything for us for 4 or 5 weeks, and he's resting the players that will until they go. He doesn't care about the ACN, so if they're knackered there its not our business, and they'll get a relative rest while they are away.

I think this is exactly what Mancini is doing. A fully fit and rarely used NDJ, slotting into our midfield in the absence of Yaya isn't as bad a prospect as some may think.

 

[Anonymous]

I think the Kolo/Lescott situation is far more simple than that. Mancini is using both Kolo and Yaya to the maximum, knowing they won't contribute anything for us for 4 or 5 weeks, and he's resting the players that will until they go. He doesn't care about the ACN, so if they're knackered there its not our business, and they'll get a relative rest while they are away. Even if you are right, the decision is correct because we haven't conceded since Chelsea.

It's a decent argument and it's entirely feasible that they are simply going to play them straight into the ACON knowing they'll be away. However I'm not sure that entirely dropping one player for weeks on end is conducive to that player coming back when he's essential because we have players away and needs to deliver. Time will tell I guess.

As for Zab, he may be a utility player, but he's playing as much as anyone else, while we rotate others, for me its the right way to go about it, Yaya playing every game just now is allowing Barry and Milner a rest for the tough period while he is away, when NDJ will probably play all the games. Dzeko is 3rd choice, but in the next 5 weeks he will play more than enough games, he needs to be sharper than yesterday when he does.

Again, it's hard to predict Mancini's rotation policy. If Dzeko can only get one start over the Christmas/NY fixture pile up then I'm not sure he's going to play more than enough games between then and the end of the season. Similarly, when Yaya goes, NDJ isn't a replacement for him by any stretch of the imagination and neither is Milner or Barry. Hence Mancini's interest in De Rossi and why if Tevez goes along with Bridge and Neds we'll see a central midfield player bought in January over a centre half. So yes, they may well get games out of the pure necessity of Yaya being away, but the lack of rotation between Auero/Balo in the last couple of months suggest to me that as long as Mancini's top men are training, they'll play.

I think the rotation has been good, its keeping the majority fit, and it shows with the lack of injuries we currently have, with so many games to come, it could be crucial, others don't have the depth of squad we have.

I don't agree. We may not have too many injuries, but equally Silva and Yaya, arguably our two most important playmakers have both looked pretty jaded the last month or so yet neither has gotten a rest yet. It's certainly a question worth asking as the "lets talk about david" thread shows that more than a few of us seem to think he's not firing on all cylinders and needs a break.

It may be May before we fully realise how good the rotation has been.

On this I agree - we'll know come May but it'll also be too late come May if we haven't achieved our targets. Discussion is worthy and just sitting back saying "I trust Mancini so I won't argue with any decision he makes" will make for a very boring forum .... :)

 

[DD]

I think the Kolo/Lescott situation is far more simple than that. Mancini is using both Kolo and Yaya to the maximum, knowing they won't contribute anything for us for 4 or 5 weeks, and he's resting the players that will until they go. He doesn't care about the ACN, so if they're knackered there its not our business, and they'll get a relative rest while they are away.

I think this is exactly what Mancini is doing. A fully fit and rarely used NDJ, slotting into our midfield in the absence of Yaya isn't as bad a prospect as some may think.

Depends who he is playing alongside.

NDJ works a treat in last year's formation but this year it asks the midfield two to provide much, much more in an attacking sense.

Can we play NDJ with both Silva and Nasri and two strikers? I would suggest not.

If NDJ has to play we need to shed one of the ball players, as well as the enforced absence of Yaya, and have Barry and Milner alongside him in a formation similar to last year.

 

[cleavers]

I think the rotation has been good, its keeping the majority fit, and it shows with the lack of injuries we currently have, with so many games to come, it could be crucial, others don't have the depth of squad we have.

I don't agree. We may not have too many injuries, but equally Silva and Yaya, arguably our two most important playmakers have both looked pretty jaded the last month or so yet neither has gotten a rest yet. It's certainly a question worth asking as the "lets talk about david" thread shows that more than a few of us seem to think he's not firing on all cylinders and needs a break.

It may be May before we fully realise how good the rotation has been.

On this I agree - we'll know come May but it'll also be too late come May if we haven't achieved our targets. Discussion is worthy and just sitting back saying "I trust Mancini so I won't argue with any decision he makes" will make for a very boring forum .... :)

That's not what I'm saying at all, I didn't agree with a number of things he did yesterday, for one I would rather Savic at RB than Zab, as I don't think Zab fits into the attacking RB position as well as he does at LB, Zab always does the defensive bit well, but its the getting forward bit that worries me, and he seems (to me anyway) to be better on the left than the right doing it. I thought he should have brought on Dzeko earlier. I don't like Nasri and Silva in the same team, it should only be one of them for me, especially away from home. Silva wasn't in the middle enough for me yesterday either, that is a consequence of them both playing.

On the Yaya situation, I agree that none of them do exactly what he does, but I think we can adjust well enough with the others. I don't personally think he looks jaded either, he just fades in and out of games, he always has.

On Silva, yes he does look jaded, but I don't think Mancini wants to play him so often, but he doesn't trust Nasri on his own to do the job, Nasri does the pretty stuff, but he doesn't do the hard work Silva does, and until he does, on his own he leaves us lightweight through the middle.

The two position he rotates very well are the full backs, this is the toughest position in our team, and so far he has done it very well imho. I expect Savic RB, and Zab LB at Sunderland.

Can we play NDJ with both Silva and Nasri and two strikers? I would suggest not.

If NDJ has to play we need to shed one of the ball players, as well as the enforced absence of Yaya, and have Barry and Milner alongside him in a formation similar to last year.

I'd agree, and that is exactly what I think he will do, I don't think Nasri offers enough in the more difficult games and along side Silva he often gets in the way.