I don't see much rotation, outside of AM
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Well said. Very well said indeed.
Whilst part of the problem has been Gibson taking so long to get back to fitness only to promptly break again, Martinez also made a mistake by not using Besic effectively in the first part of the season. Right at the start, when Barry was obviously unfit (Leicester, Arsenal, Chelsea) Besic should have been starting - he looked sharp and impressive in pre-season. The moment all three of them were fit the third one should be coming on to replace one of the other two with 20 minutes to go in almost every game, and they should be sharing the starts out more equally.
I'm not advocating rotation for rotation's sake, but I do think that sharing the load is important in keeping players fit and healthy. We should be able to spot around 15 to 20 league games on the schedule in which we can confidently start Besic in CM. I also think we should be actively pursuing Delph as a replacement for Gibson, but that's a topic for another thread.
Agree 100%. Especially in the centre midfield department where it was most easy to rotate but where Martinez has only acted when Barry and McCarthy have completely broken down.
Scandalous comment he made in the press conference this morning regarding McCarthy's situation:
"It's just been the amount of games he's had to play and he's a very young man, already very experienced and I think we could maybe find the right formula for him to have the right training exposure but it is something that we want to eradicate."
Yes, well that was YOU playing him in all those games, Roberto.
FFS, you'd think someone else was forcing McCarthy out on the pitch against his Martinez's will if you took that nonsense at face value. Now he's trying to undo the mess he created needlessly by looking at a training regime to cut the work load down for McCarthy. Talk about locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.
such a chicken licken, everything OTT
Oh I see, cant fault the point so pick up on a word instead. Ok.
Ha Ha.
I like Martinez. But he's pretty contradictory at times, and this is one of those times. He's said today that McCarthy had to play a lot of games. Well, he didn't have to. He has it within his power to make sure McCarthy sat out a few games, but he didn't choose that option. He's kept him on the pitch more minutes than any other player and he broke down under the workload. I dont see anything controversial or bizarre in pointing that out.no. i would generally make a comment like this because theres a flaw behind the whole point, so for me its not worth discussing to be honest.
you make statements like that all the time. There is nothing outrageous in what he said.
What most managers say matters little. I don´t understand the clucking and squealing over so many little issues and even less your wild leaps of judgement into what is going on in our managers head, to the point where you seem to be convincing yourself what you are saying is fact. Its frankly bizarre at times.
I like Martinez. But he's pretty contradictory at times, and this is one of those times. He's said today that McCarthy had to play a lot of games. Well, he didn't have to. He has it within his power to make sure McCarthy sat out a few games, but he didn't choose that option. He's kept him on the pitch more minutes than any other player and he broke down under the workload. I dont see anything controversial or bizarre in pointing that out.
I think you're right about the first XI... and that's the problem.I think Roberto's first choice XI is as follows;
Howard
Coleman Jagielka Stones Baines
Barry McCarthy
Mirallas Barkley Pienaar
Lukaku
But we've not had the chance to play that at all yet this season, to my knowledge. Eto'o and Naismith being central players complicate Barkley's involvement while Pienaar is out, but really I think we just need a new left winger of Mirallas' quality.