Mid way through the season when they are showing signs of fatigue, yes. Half our team looked dead on their feet last season end (and the rest were banned). Everyone goes on about how a Xmas break would help the players, I'm suggesting a week off all training and games would be beneficial.
The CL will force a change of strategy by default. Effectively you have 6 extra PL-standard games in the first half of the season, and then whatever comes in the final third of the PL season if you reach the KO stage.
I don't think its the fixtures that are to blame, its the clubs/management for not dealing with staffing adequately. If players are incapable of dealing with the fixture list build bigger squads and rotate more, don't reduce the frequency of games... Another point - seriously how fatigued can a goalkeeper really get? I know Lloris is an agile keeper who runs around a bit more than most but he's still stood virtually still for 75% of the game. Friedel played 310 consecutive league games without an injury... Seem to me like there's an element of having cake and eating it to all this - players demand to play every game or they'll jump ship, but then complain about fixture congestion...
I weirdly think CL participation will suit us better in terms of fixture congestion and fatigue. There's potential for longer breaks in between matches if we play Tuesday to Saturday (even better if we face a Prem side that's in the EL as that'll be Tues/ Weds to Sun). All being well we won't clock up as many air miles as what we've done in the past for EL matches, most teams are in Western & Central Europe and not on the outskirts of Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Belarus etc. Players will be more up for performing in the Prem and CL as they're the games they want to be involved in, so will push through any signs of fatigue more so than they would for an EL game. With Prem and CL likely to take priority, I'm sure Poch will give good rests to first teamers during the domestic cups when able. And for what it's worth we also have a bigger squad after the arrivals of Janssen and Wanyama plus the growth of Onomah, Winks and CCV (and possibly Harrison, Edwards and Walkes).
In 2016, that will just be Man Utd then enduring the EL. Our other opponents after CL fixtures are either in the CL or not. Four of the six games are currently scheduled for Sunday KO.
I want to try Toby as team captain while Lloris is injured. If he shows the desired leadership traits during those games, then he can remain captain.
On paper it looks like Verts'll be captain tomorrow, given he's vice-captain - even though on the occasions where he has had the armband he's hardly convinced.
Harry or Toby for me - probably the latter as the idea of a striker wearing the armband is almost as bad as the goalkeeper. Beyond that, a certain Mr Lamela is rapidly working his way into my esteem as potential armband material. He began this process when he was the only player who bothered turning up against Newcastle, continued it in pre-season and looked last week like he really means business this season.
Anyone familiar with American sports is shocked at the way a conglomeration of often corrupt organizations conspire to run football players into the ground. Athletes in the four major North American sports all get at least three months of uninterrupted rest a year. Many get four and some get five. It's no wonder so many American stars stay at their best into their late thirties. Of course playing a game where you spend half your time standing around in the outfield and the other half sitting on the bench doesn't hurt.
Jan, Rose or Toby as short term alternatives for me, though down the line I think Dier can make a great captain; Fearless, determined, plays in the middle of the park, always up for it and with more minutes under his belt he'll have the experience to marshal surrounding players accordingly.
Selection dilemma for Pochettino with Wanyama. He would like to continue to play him since not doing so would be discouraging for a new, major signing who would have expected to start the first four games. On the other hand, facing a team very likely to sit back, playing both Wanyama and Dier does not look ideal. On the face of it, our best chance of winning would be to include Janssen, our other major signing. I think I'd drop Wanyama and move Eriksen back, perhaps letting him trade places with Alli. I might also bring on Wanyama for Dier eventually to see how the two compare at DM. That would be in line with both trying to do everything to win the game and trying to treat the players fairly.
#THFC team: Vorm, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Dier, Wanyama, Lamela, Eriksen; Janssen, Kane (c) #COYS Subs: McGee, Carter-Vickers, Davies, Alli, Carroll, Mason, Onomah #COYS Not surprised to see Alli dropped to the bench and Janssen starting. Janssen deserves that after the Everton game. COYS
Prob Kane'll start the deeper of the 2 but surely this is a good opportunity to see how 442 would work.
So what does everyone think of the kit Liverpool are wearing at Burnley? Here's a picture for reference... please log in to view this image
