"There's an understanding that at times the next game or opposition might not be the right one for them to be in the side."I look at the opposition and the threats our players can make - against different teams you need different threats. That will always come into my thinking, and the players understand that. It's about making sure we have the right team for the right opposition."
This is certainly what we saw at Fratton Park last week: Robinho dropped for Craig Bellamy. There will be games, I'm sure, where we will switch from 4-2-4 to 4-3-3 by replacing one of the forwards with Nigel de Jong (or Vincent Kompany or even Zabaleta.) There will be times when a more direct attacking strategy will demand the inclusion of Roque Santa Cruz. But these are all scenarios where players are selected for a very specific game plan.
But a general pattern of rotation - as best used by Manchester United, and to a lesser extent by Arsenal - is unnecessary, given our lack of European commitments. And Hughes is clearly sticking with the best team possible in the Carling Cup. So if Zabaleta, Kompany, de Jong, Bellamy, Santa Cruz, Onuoha need to know that appearances will not come easily.
1 comment:
Appearances will not come easily (and cheap). I totally agree if we want to be contenders©®™
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