The Mail Bag
Rotation, rotation, please!
Comments (21)
With the Carling Cup the least inspiring of the domestic competitions, Wednesday`s fixture at Blackburn will give David Moyes the chance to 'rotate' some of his players. With Tim Howard currently displaying all the reasons why Sir Alex rejected him, we should see a debut for Carlo Nash. A mere glance at this gloveman`s record indicates he is a "journeyman`s journeyman" but Moysey felt he was good enough for Prem football so we may get a clue as to whether he was right.
I also expect the so far overlooked Valente to be given a call whilst Rodwell and Baxter may well have the chance to gain more experience in the midfield area. Two games in a week is probably expecting too much of Saha at this stage of his rehabilitation and forward duties will probably be left to Yak and Vaughan although Victor will undoubtedly figure if he is sufficiently recovered.
Whilst the manager will undoubtedly get lots of stick if it all goes pear-shaped, I think that with such slim resources we should cut him some slack if he chooses to rotate. After all, who will give a stuff about the Carling if a full-strength Everton turn over Liverpool this weekend?
Trevor Miller, Posted 22/09/2008 at 09:30:58
Comments
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
Nash is already cup-tied... making his signing even more bizarre.
Too right, I’d be filling the team with kids & reserves, sod the Carling Cup, a competition too far when Rodwell is our only option for a midfield substitute, I’d even be keeping Anichebe back if he’s happy playing on the wing, a utility player is too important to have injured, I’d have Valente & Rodwell at centre back, Baines at left back, John Irving at right back, Gosling, Kissock & James Wallace (who?) in midfield & 3 up front Jutkiewicz baxter & Scott Spencer.
I’m kind of kidding, but at the same time I couldn’t care less about the Carling Cup so don’t see why not.
I’m kind of kidding, but at the same time I couldn’t care less about the Carling Cup so don’t see why not.
Rotation??? We have only played a handful of games the players aren’t tired. We need continuity to allow new players to become familiar with their teamates. No wholesale changes please the back four are looking like strangers as it is. The team needs to play together as pre season was a joke. The more games the better at the moment.
The Carling Cup may be our only route back into Europe so don?t take it lightly. If we carry on in the league as we are now, fail to win in Liege and crash out of the FA Cup against a lower division team (we have established a precedent for this!!) then we could be wishing that we?d taken the Carling Cup more seriously. Winning a trophy is always a confidence booster and David Moyes has to start somewhere with actually winning some honours :0) Unless you count winning promotion with Preston from Division Two to Division One an ?honour?........
.....Still £3.5 million a year must make up for that !!
.....Still £3.5 million a year must make up for that !!
I believe that we need all the gate receipts possible to help out our dire financial position. So, while a half strength squad makes sense to rest our walking wounded for the Derby. Advancing in the cup games means we have more cash in the coffers.
We should put our full strength squad out, because at the end of the day if we put a weakened team out at Blackburn and get beat, the morale will be down and then if we get beat by Liverpool it would be totally pointless. Let’s get our revenge on Blackburn to get us buzzing for the derby!
Of course we should go for it. Five games and then you are at Wembley, then possibly Europe. Remember, people might call it a shit competition but we have never won it.
Exactly, Anthony. Let's give the new signings a chance to fit in. Let?s get Tim Cahill a chance to get match fit. Let's give Tim Howard and the defence a chance to gain some confidence. To rotate a month into the new season would be utter madness.
Anyone advocating a rotation against Blackburn and deriding the League Cup must be of a certain age, i.e. brought up believing that players need to be rested and that there is a scoring system to attach to the importance of the various competitions.
Bollocks to that! These are highly paid players who should be more than capable of turning out fit and ready, and turning in a performance to show that they wants to win every cup it enters.
Like the League Cup or not ? and I can?t think why anyone shouldn?t do ? but it is our best chance of winning something this season and every season for the past 10 or so years.
Bollocks to that! These are highly paid players who should be more than capable of turning out fit and ready, and turning in a performance to show that they wants to win every cup it enters.
Like the League Cup or not ? and I can?t think why anyone shouldn?t do ? but it is our best chance of winning something this season and every season for the past 10 or so years.
If we want to hold on to our better players & attract others then we need to offer European football. Given the way Villa & Man City are already shaping up and our paper thin squad it?ll be difficult for us to qualify through the league this season. Perhaps we should prioritise the Carling Cup as our Euro ticket as the alternative would be the Intertoto and that would surely cripple our squad next season.
I know many on here will shoot me down but its Carling Cup & league safety as priorities for me this term.
Errrrr....... just how do you rotate a squad of 16? I just hope we don?t get any more injuries, as I am getting concerened that this season is going to be a long one, with a tiny squad.
Moyes will field a strong side in my humble opinion. We could be out of the UEFA Cup next week (although I have a sneaking suspicion we’ll squeeze through) but we can’t afford to go out of 2 cup competitions so early in the season. So my guess is that we’ll see the nucleus of the team start at Blackburn with may be a place on the bench for the Yak and a couple of others. I think Valente and Baines will both play, together with Rodwell but then more or less the full side.
Agree totally with Anthony Millington.
Confidence is fragile at the moment and a good win at Blackburn will gee us up for the Derby.
A clean sheet should be a minimum requirement so expect the nucleus of first choices.
Confidence is fragile at the moment and a good win at Blackburn will gee us up for the Derby.
A clean sheet should be a minimum requirement so expect the nucleus of first choices.
I expect at least starts for Valente and Rodwell.
I’d like to see Saha and Vaughan up front with Baines, Castillo, Fellaino and Osman as a 4 across the middle. Leaving Arteta, Yak and Cahill on the bench should we need them,
I want to see us lift a cup badly, I'm sorry but who are we to say that we don't care about the Carling Cup?! I want a trip to Wembley! We should field a strong team and beat Blackburn at their home like they did to us on the 1st day of the prem!
We should go full strength. The top six place in the league is out of reach now due to a combination of factors. The UEFA Cup is probably over too. Which only leaves two trophies to play for. I might be in the minority but I think Wednesday’s game is more important than Saturday’s. It is definitely more winnable.
I’m pretty sure that our great run of form last year came when we were playing in both the UEFA & Carling cup with the league games, and aside from the final Group game in the Uefa I seem to remember it was pretty much the best 11 that played.
In fact the only other time I remember Moyes fielding a weakened side last year was in the FA cup and we all remember the result.
I think he will probably field the best possible team.
In fact the only other time I remember Moyes fielding a weakened side last year was in the FA cup and we all remember the result.
I think he will probably field the best possible team.
How about we field our full strength team in the hope that Blackburn rest players and get a morale boosting win? There are a lot of all premier league matches in this round so a lot of them will be gone this week and Moyes needs a trophy of some sort at this stage. Its too big a risk to rest players with the uefa cup game hanging in the balance
Don't agree with most of you on here. The league cup is possibly our best chance of a trophy. It?s also another route back into Europe next year. Some of the away trips last year were great, and I honestly beleive the players gained a lot of confidence from that run. A win tomorrow could be a massive boost ahead of two massive games in the next week or so.
© ToffeeWeb
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
1 Posted 22/09/2008 at 11:39:37
Report abuse
The Carling Cup run last year was fun but did it really prove anything. (Except that Sidwell wasn't worth chasing). The derby is always important (and they are playing so well this year !!!!). The Uefa Cup is, in my view, the only way that we can attract and retain talent.
The current back four HAVE to play all of these games, to at least try to get reacquanted after so long apart...