What is the best way to manage our squad?

[Captain...]

I have seen a number comments in different threads, and I'm pretty sure we had the same discussion last season and the conclusion was never change a winning team, but this season is different:

 

We are in the Premiership

We have a bigger squad

The quality in the squad is better

The variety in the squad is greater

The quality of the opposition is higher

We play fewer games

 

So what is the best way to manage our squad.

 

We know Pearson likes to keep a settled line up, but to what extent, I have seen people say that Hamer should keep his place for United even if Kasper is 100% fit. There has been a lot of talk about Hammond and King and Nugent, when we have Vardy, Cambiasso, Drinkwater and James all looking to get into the first team. We have signed players like Simpson, Lawrence, Powell, Albrighton how will they integrate themselves into the first team if they don't get a look in until someone gets injured/suspended/plays crap.

 

The way I see it is there are 3 main philosophies:

 

1. Never change a winning side/never drop someone after a good game. This has been Pearson's philosophy for the last few years, but things have changed in the Prem, we don't have the luxury of giving the new players time to adapt to our system and we will need to be at our very best in every game. There are also fewer games which means less chance of fatigue and more time to develop certain plans in training. The championship was very much games thick and fast and there wasn't much time to prepare a different line up for every game. We were also the best team in the championship, so a last minute change here or there wouldn't affect us as much. That is not the case any more. 

 

So what other approach is there.

 

2. Squad rotation, picking different players for different games, we see it very often utilised by the bigger sides, keeping players fresh and making changes for tactical reasons, or just for the sake of it. It doesn't always work, Rodgers leaving out Sterling against Villa was a big mistake in hindsight. Many teams rotate in the Prem including their best players, such as Liverpool and Sterling, Swansea and Bony, sometimes it is just because they have no idea what their best team is, it is probably no surprise that QPR are Palace have made a lot of changes to their starting line up this season, and I think we know how well they are doing.

 

3. The other option is the Mourinho style of having his untouchables, those players that will start every game when fit and then he will rotate players around them and give everyone game time, keep everyone fresh. This approach keeps players fit and fresh and happy without disrupting the core of the team, it also means that the opposition never know exactly which combination of players they will be facing and allows him to set-up tactically to combat certain strengths or expose certain weaknesses in the opposition. It also motivates players to know that they can reach untouchable status if they play well enough.

 

I think it is probably clear which one I favour, but I will add my comments later, I would be interested to see what everyone else thinks.

 

Edit: I've added a fourth option, and that is to always pick your best players when they are fit, so even if someone like Hammond or Hamer has been playing well when the injured person they replaced comes back into contention they immediately return to the line up.

[Houdini Logic]

'Pay NP his salary and sit back'

[Freesolo]

I think there are always going to be a few untouchables our squad this season when they are fit, i prefer this style. Not rotating to many players unless necessary so that the team has a solid understanding of each players job and create good link ups that can become second nature

[bluebeau]

I agree with Houdini Logic. Leave it to our Nige.

 

Horses for courses!  Nigel may make changes to the team depending on who we are playing & are we at home or away?

 

A certain amount of rotation may be required to keep a happy squad.

 

I think he will bring Kasper back if fit & definitely start with Drinky & possibly Cambiasso. for the Man. Utd game.

[Stadt]

It depends on the circumstances, you'll see a mixture of all three. Back up players are back up players and they have be dropped at some point.

[Babylon]

How about D) no set ideology - take each game as it comes and selection is based on multiple factors such as form, quality of replacements, fitness of replacements, fitness of individual players, the opposition and the advice of your expensively assembled sports science department .

[Captain...]

'Pay NP his salary and sit back'

 

If we do that then we might as well close this forum.

[LAprice_]

When the whole team plays well, they are the ones deemed "untouchable" and therefore available to play the next week. 

 

We saw it last season with Chris Wood spending a lot of time on the bench; when he first arrived, he quickly became the most in-form striker at the club but due to Vardy and Nugent taking their chances, they went on to be the "untouchable" ones. 

A similar thing happened this season with Vardy getting injured and Ulloa establishing himself in the side. In hindsight we'd call it stupid to not start Ulloa but had Vardy been fit right from the off, would Pearson have opted for Nugent-Vardy? Maybe. 

 

This system does seem quite efficient, nearly every player that gets a chance establishes themselves in the starting 11 for a long time. Remember, Wasyl kept Moore out of the side for a while, likewise with Schlupp and Konchesky. 

 

There is obviously a negative with this system and that's that players can find themselves dropped for no apparent reason. Take Matty James for example, he was one of our best players leading up to the Charlton away game, but a pointless sending off meant that he had lost that place in the team, leaving a chance for, I think, King, to establish his spot. 

 

I do favour the "never change a winning side" policy, but I do also feel a bit sorry for those who miss out. It makes it more difficult to get in the side, but then surely, it also makes the player more eager to impress when they do get a chance. 

[Houdini Logic]

If we do that then we might as well close this forum.

 

As long as the cheb thread stays

[Captain...]

How about D) no set ideology - take each game as it comes and selection is based on multiple factors such as form, quality of replacements, fitness of replacements, fitness of individual players, the opposition and the advice of your expensively assembled sports science department .

 

I've added a fourth option, but not that one, selection should be based on multiple factors, which is why I am surprised how often Nigel doesn't change things.

 

A lot of these factors fit into an overlying philosophy though, if everyone is fit, do you play your best players, even if it means dropping someone who played well in a winning side?

 

Do you always play certain players regardless of fatigue and form? The expensively assembled sports science department and scouting network can only tell you so much about your own squad and opposition. All managers have an overriding ideology, whether that is rotation, stability, untouchables, or always picking your best player in each position regardless of circumstance.

 

I don't necessarily disagree with Nigel's philosophy last season, the Championship is a very different league, but I just can't see how players like Powell, Albrighton, Simpson, Lawrence will get their opportunity to break into the first team without a serious loss of form or injury crisis, which nobody wants. Unless Nige has a change of philosophy this season. Which he may well do seeing as we are only 4 games in.

[Captain...]

As long as the cheb thread stays

 

don't get me wrong I do love that thread, but if that is what floats your boat you should just try an image search on the word boobs.

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

If we do that then we might as well close this forum.

 

/forum

 

JD

[Trav Le Bleu]

I have seen a number comments in different threads, and I'm pretty sure we had the same discussion last season and the conclusion was never change a winning team, but this season is different:

 

We are in the Premiership

We have a bigger squad

The quality in the squad is better

The variety in the squad is greater

The quality of the opposition is higher

We play fewer games

 

So what is the best way to manage our squad.

 

We know Pearson likes to keep a settled line up, but to what extent, I have seen people say that Hamer should keep his place for United even if Kasper is 100% fit. There has been a lot of talk about Hammond and King and Nugent, when we have Vardy, Cambiasso, Drinkwater and James all looking to get into the first team. We have signed players like Simpson, Lawrence, Powell, Albrighton how will they integrate themselves into the first team if they don't get a look in until someone gets injured/suspended/plays crap.

 

The way I see it is there are 3 main philosophies:

 

1. Never change a winning side/never drop someone after a good game. This has been Pearson's philosophy for the last few years, but things have changed in the Prem, we don't have the luxury of giving the new players time to adapt to our system and we will need to be at our very best in every game. There are also fewer games which means less chance of fatigue and more time to develop certain plans in training. The championship was very much games thick and fast and there wasn't much time to prepare a different line up for every game. We were also the best team in the championship, so a last minute change here or there wouldn't affect us as much. That is not the case any more. 

 

So what other approach is there.

 

2. Squad rotation, picking different players for different games, we see it very often utilised by the bigger sides, keeping players fresh and making changes for tactical reasons, or just for the sake of it. It doesn't always work, Rodgers leaving out Sterling against Villa was a big mistake in hindsight. Many teams rotate in the Prem including their best players, such as Liverpool and Sterling, Swansea and Bony, sometimes it is just because they have no idea what their best team is, it is probably no surprise that QPR are Palace have made a lot of changes to their starting line up this season, and I think we know how well they are doing.

 

3. The other option is the Mourinho style of having his untouchables, those players that will start every game when fit and then he will rotate players around them and give everyone game time, keep everyone fresh. This approach keeps players fit and fresh and happy without disrupting the core of the team, it also means that the opposition never know exactly which combination of players they will be facing and allows him to set-up tactically to combat certain strengths or expose certain weaknesses in the opposition. It also motivates players to know that they can reach untouchable status if they play well enough.

 

I think it is probably clear which one I favour, but I will add my comments later, I would be interested to see what everyone else thinks.

 

Edit: I've added a fourth option, and that is to always pick your best players when they are fit, so even if someone like Hammond or Hamer has been playing well when the injured person they replaced comes back into contention they immediately return to the line up.

 

And for the record, what tune are we singing this too?

[Guest]

don't get me wrong I do love that thread, but if that is what floats your boat you should just try an image search on the word boobs.

I'm told that you can break the Internet doing this. Be careful out there people!

[Trav Le Bleu]

Stupidity aside (I know, right ) surely it has to be option 4, your best team, which could result in any of the above three at different points in the season due to form, fitness and bookings.

[Thracian]

I'd go with "no pre-conceived policy" and just trust my instincts at the time. And my instinct with City right now is to leave it to the manager. I've not always felt so confident but Pearson is a far better manager now than when he joined us and I really do have every faith in the guy. In fact I'm thrilled at what we seem to be building here - and in every way. 

[DeclanMC]

I'd go with "no pre-conceived policy" and just trust my instincts at the time. And my instinct with City right now is to leave it to the manager. I've not always felt so confident but Pearson is a far better manager now than when he joined us and I really do have every faith in the guy. In fact I'm thrilled at what we seem to be building here - and in every way. 

Are you feeling ok? 

[Chug Laguna]

Play whoever has the green up arrow next to their name on the team screen

[Thracian]

Are you feeling ok? 

 

[Deucalion]

For me, the manager has to make a call.

 

This is whether a player is likely to dip in performance or not, or not contribute as much as somebody else also available.

 

I don't see the logic in waiting for something bad to happen, such as the poor first half against Stoke, if it can be predicted.  

 

If you wait, then chances are you may lose points which playing your best players could've avoided.

[Leicester_Numan]

In my opinion, what we consider to be the squad players, have to know that when they get their chance and play well, they'll keep the shirt and the 'best' players have to know that whatever the circumstances of them being out of the team, they have to work hard to get their place back and play well to keep it.

When we start going down the road of automatic first choices and dropping players that have played well, we'll destroy the whole squad ethic we've built up.

The Man Utd game is a bit different though due to the amount of world class attacking talent that they have and should be a case of whoever Pearson thinks is the best team for the job

[Buzzell]

As long as the cheb thread stays

The CHEB thread seems to have vanished into oblivion. I'm bitterly upset about this situation. People need to pull their fingers out and start producing fresh, new pictures.

[Nalis]

The CHEB thread seems to have vanished into oblivion. I'm bitterly upset about this situation. People need to pull their fingers out and start producing fresh, new pictures.

Lead the way, Cheb King!

[Babylon]

 

Woah woah woah... you said he was a god about 4 years ago. What the hell is he now?

[Buzzell]

Lead the way, Cheb King!

Sir yes sir!