- Jan 26, 2005
- 3,785
- 9,630
Its midweek you have Brentford in the cup, you have just played the Saturday before and you have a match on the following Saturday, do you play your best team available or squad players?
Rafael Benitez would say he made the right choice to play a second string against Arsenal in the 6-3 drubbing, while secretly ruing the opportunity of a Semi Final with Spurs. Wenger on the other hand has picked his second string and watched them destroy a weak Liverpool, if they lost, Wenger would simply pat them on the backs and say well played lads you can try again next year.
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But for Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United the Carling Cup has become of little importance as they would declare that they are the three best teams in the Premiership, in fact Liverpool would have a claim to be up there as well but as they are no longer in the title race or in the FA cup it seems a little arrogant to play a weakened team.
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If the Carling Cup is a ‘mickey mouse cup’ as they say, then why when <st1lace>Liverpool</st1lace> played <st1:city><st1lace>Chelsea</st1lace></st1:city> in the final a couple of years ago, did <st1lace>Liverpool</st1lace> play their strongest team? If your second string got you to the final surely they deserve to be in the final and if you don’t care about the competition then don’t play your best players at any stage. Rafael Benitez comes out looking like a fool whichever angle you look at it from.
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The FA Cup is the same, you play a lower division team in the early rounds the temptation would be to drop a few players, but why – you want to win it so why would you even risk not putting a full strength side out? If you get knocked out with your best team then fine these things happen I am sure you can accept it.
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Spurs made the mistake twice last year, when they played Grimsby and Leicester they did not play their strongest team, this year I am glad to see they have learned their lesson.
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So when do you rest players? Well you're 4–0 up against Brentford at home, take some of your best players off. If one of your players is tired and needs a rest, then rest him. If a player is injured then don’t play him. If a player is out of form, see if a squad player can do a better job. A squad is there when injuries come along and the reserve matches and substitutions are there to keep the squad sharp.
Rafael Benitez would say he made the right choice to play a second string against Arsenal in the 6-3 drubbing, while secretly ruing the opportunity of a Semi Final with Spurs. Wenger on the other hand has picked his second string and watched them destroy a weak Liverpool, if they lost, Wenger would simply pat them on the backs and say well played lads you can try again next year.
<o></o>
But for Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United the Carling Cup has become of little importance as they would declare that they are the three best teams in the Premiership, in fact Liverpool would have a claim to be up there as well but as they are no longer in the title race or in the FA cup it seems a little arrogant to play a weakened team.
<o></o>
If the Carling Cup is a ‘mickey mouse cup’ as they say, then why when <st1lace>Liverpool</st1lace> played <st1:city><st1lace>Chelsea</st1lace></st1:city> in the final a couple of years ago, did <st1lace>Liverpool</st1lace> play their strongest team? If your second string got you to the final surely they deserve to be in the final and if you don’t care about the competition then don’t play your best players at any stage. Rafael Benitez comes out looking like a fool whichever angle you look at it from.
<o></o>
The FA Cup is the same, you play a lower division team in the early rounds the temptation would be to drop a few players, but why – you want to win it so why would you even risk not putting a full strength side out? If you get knocked out with your best team then fine these things happen I am sure you can accept it.
<o></o>
Spurs made the mistake twice last year, when they played Grimsby and Leicester they did not play their strongest team, this year I am glad to see they have learned their lesson.
<o></o>
So when do you rest players? Well you're 4–0 up against Brentford at home, take some of your best players off. If one of your players is tired and needs a rest, then rest him. If a player is injured then don’t play him. If a player is out of form, see if a squad player can do a better job. A squad is there when injuries come along and the reserve matches and substitutions are there to keep the squad sharp.