Rafa tinkered more than Claudio. Rafa went 99 games and then purposely stuck with the same eleven for the 100th to piss the press off
It was funny how the press criticised Rafa for changing teams and rotating, yet Fergie had done it more but it was never mentioned. English media are always afraid of new and innovative methods - I remember the furore over zonal marking!
Fergie didn't change his team every week. He got a reputation for resting players but he rested them for three or four games during the season, the only thing he rotated was which player got the rest.
I'm pretty sure he did change this team - probs not drastically but there was a stat somewhere where he changed his team most weeks. But looking at it now - squad rotation is such a key thing in football now. Rafa is a visionary IMO.
He started to change his team more in the latter years but pre-Rafa he didn't. Unless of course, you're including the European game, he always played 442 domestically but often opted for 451 in Europe (again, I'm talking pre-Rafa) playing Scholes / Veron behind the lone front man.
Everytime I begin to think you're a sensible poster you come out with some half baked theory like this Plenty of managers have rotated/rested players pre-rafa and not just Fergie. Bobby Robson did it at newcastle as one off the top of my head. Ranieri obviously. Fergie increased the longevity of Giggs as far back as 2002 by targeting him for select prem games while otherwise saving him for CL footy. Wenger back in arsenal's hay day his sides were winning the title in 2002 and 2004, would rotate Henry, Bergkamp, Kanu and Wiltord up front. The likes of Edu and Ray Parlour were considered his backup midfielders. Rafa the visionary my fcking ar5e! <facepalm>
Rafa only rotated certain players You'd see hyppia carragher mascherano alonso Gerrard torres almost all the time. Same for kuyt. The rotation stuff was serious over played. Same for ranieri. It suited the media at the time.
All managers rotate. Rafa just spoke about it. My only issue with Rafa's rotation is he would have odd games where he would rest both Gerrard and Torres at the same time and we'd never win. I remember one game where we lost to Pompey in the league just because we could not score.
We won't get him. He's got a recent contract. Same as Pedro. We seek guys running out of contract not the best player for us.
Tevez gone to Boca. That's a waste. Pedro has a £21m buyout clause and says his priority is to get games. Worth a punt. We could do with him on that right forward side now RvP has gone.
Mrs Tevez has wanted to go home the minute the plane arrived in London to go to west ham.... Who cares.... Pedro will go to bench warm at chelsea. That's the major link. Lacazette will go to arsenal. Utd will sign benteke Lfc will swap badontelly for Mario gomez. Everyone will be happy...
Easy Treble, we will already have Adnan, Lingard and Peirera keeping fit in the U21s because the bench isn't big enough. We don't really need any more players now, a striker and centre back would be nice but we can live without them.
