Is it right or wrong....

That clubs can field an effective second string against a team in a cup competition????

On the back of us playing our second string and winning against man city. And Liverpool last night.... is it right?

A point of fact from of duties of clubs in the champions league from uefa...

"to play in the competition until elimination and to field their strongest team throughout the competition"

From a pure factual perspective this clearly was not the case last night?

I understand managers wanting to rest players etc.... but is it not a breach of participation. From a commercial point of view it may be seen in that way. Imagine if a sponsor paid big bucks to eufa and thus to Liverpool for the game. Then for Liverpool to put the kids out. The sponsor is paying for the advertisements in the hope that a big audience watches and thus fielding a second string is surely detrimental to the ethos of the whole scenario?

Your thoughts?

 

Correct for them to do as they please to a certain extent. Anybody who is signed on to play for a club is fine with me. Obviously I would expect them to be mainly from the first team squad. Any of the 25 in that squad is fine, whatever the competition. It is a stupid throwaway line in the rules. Only one man decides what the strongest side is. The manager. Depends how he wants to approach the game, and it is daft to think he won't look past only the next game. Otherwise he is not doing his job.The strongest side could be the fittest players if you intend to play high tempo to ruffle the oppo. People just need to keep their noses out of club business.

If Liverpool had played 11 youth teamers then yes there is a problem.

 

I do feel clubs abuse this on a regular basis but more usually in the League Cup ( or whatever it's called at the minute ) and to a lesser extent the F A Cup.

I don't agree that a "lesser" team should be able to be put out as no regard is being given to the fans and especially the away fans.

Teams in Europe always have confused me for years though, in that most teams strive to get into Europe to then attract the better players etc. When Europe is achieved you then find. more so in the Europa League early stages, that weakened teams are put out and the "better" players who came because the club was in Europe are "rested". I don't understand the logic. It also goes towards the modern fallacy that players can't be expected to play more than 1 game a week because they will become "tired"!!!!!!!!

 

Nowadays it is a squad game so it's kinda wrong for FIFA to have any issue with 11 of the registered tournament players taking the field whatever their 'alleged' ability.

 

Surely the dippers have put a weakened team out all season.

 

It makes it difficult for UEFA to complain when the kids got a better result than the grown ups!

 

While I don't agree with everyone just getting purposely knocked out.

I would say that if that is what they want to do, they should be allowed. It might damage the reputation of the cup, but it's the club's decision, not the FA's. The Association are the organisers, not the dictators.

 

I don't understand how one qualifies the strongest line-up? Is it by rankings on the latest Xbox One Fifa release? I looked at the Liverpool squad last night and thought that was a closer approximation to their strongest 11 than in previous games. Lallana, Toure, Lucas, Borini excelled.

Basically, the entire thing is at the manager's behest, and so it should be, and the fans thus have a right to question his decision making based on the outcome, thus the glorious cycle of football is complete.

I found it amusing a lot of Liverpool fans were complaining in the build-up, about the absence of players which they had been slating during every match so far.

 

Being a Toon fan I think I am all for it. The point has been made that it's a 25 man squad and theoretically any one of those players shouldbe either in the first team or pushing for it. I think it gives smaller clubs a chance to progress in the competition. You occasionally come up against a bigger team who are complacent and you on the other hand, have given a few other hungry players a chance and it comes off. It's about squad rotation. With our history of injuries could you really see 15 players making it through the whole season, as well as going on a cup run or two?

Realistically when you're talking about the likes of City and Chelsea the only evidence that someone is a weaker player is the fact they didn't start last week. Most players in both squads would make it into any other team in the league.

For me, It's a 25 man squad which means at any time, in any game you can use any of those players.

 

I agree with these points. If players are registered in the squad, then they are good enough to play. And the manager can select whoever he thinks will be tight for each match, in terms of team formation, players and their positions.

If you asked 50,000 Toon fans who should be in our next starting XI you'd get so many different combinations it would be crazy. We'd all have different views on who is best for each match situation. Only one selection counts - the manager's.

 

I change my standpoint. I don't want to side with Obi as it makes me look a commie spy

#hint hint jpf

 

It seems odd that they would put out their strongest team against us (and still get beat!) and then rest players for Real Madrid. Wouldn't be surprised if its not Brenda running scared at the moment and thinking that everyone expected Liverpool to lose to RM so doesn't pile any more pressure on him whereas losses to Newcastle and Chelsea would. It could actually pay off as Chelsea come off the back of an away game in Slovenia on Wed night to play the early Saturday game whereas most of the Liverpool team got a bit of a break. And that's the sort of thinking that goes into the predictions of someone who is currently leading the Liga Destiny & Doom.

 

This late switch of vote makes you look very suspicious! When it transpires I'm on the good side, I hope everyone remembers this post as the one where you (a commie sky) stitched me up!

 

It's okay. Less Than has it noted on page 4 of his 6 page summary as to who said what and when and why.

 

Yes but most of that 'summary' is him asking people to 'expose' themselves in public, the dirty-minded, warped old git.

 

I still can't see what's wrong with Rodgers astute planning.
Get knocked out of the CL, drop into Europa League, Win Europa League, Qualify for next seasons CL.
Rodgers is a genius akin to Sir Alan.

 

So why did you agree to do it every Friday at midday whenever there wasn't a Friday announcement?