Squad rotation for the run in.

[wattle]

There was a definite need to rotate, but not that much! Foden didn’t need a rest, zinchenco didn’t need a rest, stones didn’t need a rest, Mahrez didn’t need a rest, walker didn’t need a rest. Gunda didn’t or Bernie. These are all players that have had plenty of rotation recently. Yet Kev and Dias did. Pep for all his genius doesn’t half fuck up at times. USE YOUR FUCKING 5 SUBS if we want to rest player. They’ve worked so hard to get in this position and are in danger of winning nothing if he keeps doing this. The club are obsessed with winning the chumps league. A lot of the fans are not. And that’s why we are so pissed off with yesterday’s drab effort by team and staff. Saying that hopefully that’s the last we’ve seen of a few players at least until the league is won

 

[Danamy]

This argument would hold up if Pep used substitutions properly.

Yesterday he made 2/5 subs. At Dortmund the game was over after 75 mins. I seem to remember him making 1 sub around the 90th min. He could of made 5 but chose not to. I'd be really interested to see how many times he has used all his subs this season. I'd be surprised if it's over 20% of games.

I'm not disagreeing with you but I believe his thinking behind this is a lot to do with how the game is playing out alongside using a player as sub that he already has in mind playing in the next game due to the short recovery time, hence so many changes required?........not ideal but it also doesn't help with some of our "second string" being so out of form at the moment?

Having said all that I believe we beat ourselves yesterday by playing 2 DM's, it just sucks the life out of our play and gives the opposition control in midfield, that's where I believe we lost the game.

 

[richards30]

I have no issue with pep rotating players but it was the amount in one go and players like Mendy , Torres and sterling who have hardly played and been out of form and the weird Rodri and Fernandinho hybrid that hung Kev out to dry? Too many changes by far with non form players in a system we don’t normally play equals what we seen yesterday!! It was a cup semi final FFS!

 

[wattle]

There's no way he would've made as many changes if the game was today, he said himself before the game he wishes he had the extra day with there only being 2 1/2 days recovery from Dortmund with travel. I firmly believe he'll go strong against Villa on Wednesday and injuries aside not so many changes next Sunday due to having that extra day.

I'm not sure some people realise what goes on behind the scenes with the science on body recovery and performance, they're trained athletes to perform at the highest level, their bodies are required to peak at game time but much like a racehorse if it's overun then it won't perform at its peak.

Without doubt Chelsea were better than us yesterday and deserved to win but they've not been playing every 3 days the best part of all season like us and if they played Wednesday I'm sure they would've struggled like we did.

That’s a fair point but by playing that team with so many out of form players in a system that was proved not to work at the start of the season was like that said fresh horse being jockied by Bernard manning

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

No Mendy, No Torres equals more chance of success. Those two can sit on the bench until the league is mathematically won.

 

[John Wayne]

There is a reason we have virtually annexed the League Cup this last decade and especially recently. Lots of clubs no longer take it seriously whatever division they are in. They may be prioritising promotion or avoiding relegation. Our PL rivals like us play second string sides. We have a better second string than most. The FA Cup is taken a bit more seriously by the big sides but often lower division sides prioritise.
My point? These cups are not what they once were. I´d have liked to win the FA Cup as we have a relatively poor record in it since the takeover. The Carabao not that bothered.

The manager, owner, staff and players want to win the Champion´s League. So we will be playing our best team on the 28th of April. It follows that nest Sunday we will not.

The question is what sort of team do we play against the Villa. To a certain extent it depends on whether United win today. If they don`t we have a bit more room for manoevre.

Having said that I think the Villa game should be a dress rehearsal for the CL. Play our best team, hopefully get 3 points, then give the majority of them a week´s rest.

This is the situation in a nutshell.

I don't like the way that the domestic cups have been diminished but you can't deny that they have been by modern football.

Absolutely nobody cares about the League Cup in the early stages. Look at clubs like Newcastle, Everton, Villa, etc. Big clubs with great histories but all haven't won a trophy for more than quarter of a century. Combined, they have gone more than 100 years without a trophy. The League Cup is their best chance of winning something but STILL they don't take it seriously. Did we feel like we'd had a successful season last season because we won the League Cup? Of course we didn't.

The FA Cup I could go into at great length but the most recent indictment of its relative insignificance is Antonio Conte getting sacked a week after winning it.

The reality is that nobody cares who wins it apart from the fans of the clubs who contest the final. I lament the loss of the FA Cup as the grand day it once was but we can't pretend we live in pre-Premier League times.

It thus follows that the League Cup final will be treated as the least significant match out of our next three. The Premier League is sacrosanct and the Champions League is the ultimate aim of the hierarchy at City. To give ourselves the best chance of winning both, in this relentless season, we will not play our best team against Spurs. It may not be popular but I can entirely understand why we would see it this way.

 

[Paulmcfc2703]

I'm not disagreeing with you but I believe his thinking behind this is a lot to do with how the game is playing out alongside using a player as sub that he already has in mind playing in the next game due to the short recovery time, hence so many changes required?........not ideal but it also doesn't help with some of our "second string" being so out of form at the moment?

To some extent that is fine but are we in that much trouble that the likes of Bernardo and Mahrez can't come on for 15 minutes at the end of the game.
If they are that fucked why not take them off at Dortmund when the game is won. I'm sure Torres and Sterling can see a game out and start the semi. Both haven't started back to back games for weeks

 

[Danamy]

No Mendy, No Torres equals more chance of success. Those two can sit on the bench until the league is mathematically won.

I still think Torres is much better down the middle, the few things he did do yesterday was in and around the box, he will come good but with little game time it's hard for him to gain momentum, much like Sane first season with us

 

[Danamy]

To some extent that is fine but are we in that much trouble that the likes of Bernardo and Mahrez can't come on for 15 minutes at the end of the game.
If they are that fucked why not take them off at Dortmund when the game is won. I'm sure Torres and Sterling can see a game out and start the semi. Both haven't started back to back games for weeks

Sterling can't see himself out his front door at the moment but I get your drift

 

[Paulmcfc2703]

This is the situation in a nutshell.

I don't like the way that the domestic cups have been diminished but you can't deny that they have been by modern football.

Absolutely nobody cares about the League Cup in the early stages. Look at clubs like Newcastle, Everton, Villa, etc. Big clubs with great histories but all haven't won a trophy for more than quarter of a century. Combined, they have gone more than 100 years without a trophy. The League Cup is their best chance of winning something but STILL they don't take it seriously. Did we feel like we'd had a successful season last season because we won the League Cup? Of course we didn't.

The FA Cup I could go into at great length but the most recent indictment of its relative insignificance is Antonio Conte getting sacked a week after winning it.

The reality is that nobody cares who wins it apart from the fans of the clubs who contest the final. I lament the loss of the FA Cup as the grand day it once was but we can't pretend we live in pre-Premier League times.

It thus follows that the League Cup final will be treated as the least significant match out of our next three. The Premier League is sacrosanct and the Champions League is the ultimate aim of the hierarchy at City. To give ourselves the best chance of winning both, in this relentless season, we will not play our best team against Spurs. It may not be popular but I can entirely understand why we would see it this way.

I understand that the cups meaning has diminished. I also understand that they are behind the league and CL in priority. If that is the case then play the kids and get knocked out early.

You don't talk all season about winning everything and essentially throw the FA semi and league cup final. If the fact has only just been realised that everything comes to a head in April/May this season we must be run by a bunch of clowns