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Rotation - some facts and figures

B

Badbrains

Andy Turner
http://inanuttshell1.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/choking-****erels-have-run-out-of.html

Choking ****erels have run out of breath
by TOM ALLNUTT | APRIL 10, 2012
You may not know about geese.*

You may not know that when geese migrate they fly in a 'V' formation*so each goose's flapping creates an uplift for the geese*behind.

The*only goose*who has to do it all*off his own back*is the poor old*sod at the front.*This goose*gets absolutely no flapping perks.

But*if you didn't know about the flap-effect, you*may also not have*known that when the goose*at the front*gets tired*he drops back and another goose takes over.

Tricks like these enable geese to fly 72% further than if they each flew individually.

Tottenham Hotspur could learn a lot from geese.

Nine points from nine league*games and*a*13 point*lead over Arsenal squandered, Tottenham's Champions League*train hasn't just gone off the rails, it's toppled over, turned*upside-down and tied itself in a knot.

Various*explanations have been put forward*including Redknapp's*links to England, Redknapp's tactics,*an unforgiving fixture list, the*relentless form*of*Arsenal, the stuttering form of key players, bad luck, the absence of Aaron Lennon, the*positioning of Gareth Bale and*Benoit-Assou Ekotto's increasingly ill-disciplined hair cut.

But whilst you*could be forgiven for thinking this list exhaustive, only one theory can*be backed up by evidence.*Not psychological speculation*but hard, indisputable facts. And it's not on that list.

In the past two seasons Tottenham's win percentage in their first 19 games has been almost double that of their second 19.

More Tottenham players have played over 25 games this season*than at Manchester United, Emirates Marketing Project and Arsenal put together.

Five Tottenham players*(Friedel, Assou-Ekotto, Bale, Walker and Modric)*make up*45% of the entire squad's minutes on the pitch*in the league this season.

Tottenham are quite simply,*knackered.

The lure of maintaining a title challenge*in January persuaded Redknapp to*turn to the*same players again and again and*again. And in the heat of the fight*his*most trusted troops*have burned out.

Riding high in January, shot down in May.

If you've been locked in a dark room in recent weeks you may have missed*Sir Alex say United are at their best at this time of the season. And to be fair to him,*they*have been bloody brilliant.

11*wins in 12, 8 victories in a row, at the business end of the season United know*how to close*a deal.

But why do they always peak just when the teams around them fall by the wayside?

Midfielders do more running than anyone else on*a football*pitch*and Ferguson knows that to keep his engine room running til May, rotation from the outset*is paramount.

Ferguson selected ten different midfield players this season. Tottenham used seven. Not one of United's midfielders has played more than 2,000 minutes. Michael Carrick is the most*used with 1,960. Three of Tottenham's midfielders (Parker, Modric and Bale) have played more than 2,000 minutes with Bale and Modric over 5,000 between them.

Players thrive on form and confidence but Ferguson priorities rest over rhythm.*Even in the early months of the season, the United manager*rotates his regular starters to ensure they can go the*distance.

Wayne Rooney has never played 90 minutes more than seven times in a row this season and only once more than five times in a row.

In February, having not scored for six games Rooney suddenly burst into form scoring 4 goals in 2.*The next game*Ferguson rested him.

By contrast Tottenham's*first choice forward,*Emmanuel Adebayor, has played 12*full matches in a row from October to January and upon joining played 17 matches in succession where he played 80 minutes or more.

Gareth Bale has played 15 full matches on the bounce*and 29 full matches out of 32.

Key players make the difference but Ferguson resists the temptation to depend on a small*circle of*stars.

United's top five most used players this season*(de Gea, Evra, Rooney, Evans and Ferdinand) have played 2,563 minutes less than Tottenham's top five (Friedel, Assou-Ekotto, Bale, Walker and Modric).

That means United's five went into last weekend's matches having played the*equivalent of*28*matches*fewer than Tottenham's this season. That's almost six matches*fewer*per player.

This isn't the odd game here and there. This is a well-thought out, well-rehearsed strategy. This is the difference between champions and challengers.

Redknapp cannot shoulder too much of the blame though.

He would no doubt argue that without the fluency and rhythm of a consistent line-up Spurs would never have*reached their*January*heights*in the first place.

And who could blame him for photocopying the same team sheet week in week out whilst they were being lauded as the*most attractive*team in the league, the new Arsenal, title challengers.

It would have taken a brave man to rotate those players. Only Ferguson delights in changing a winning team.

Others might argue United have*a squad that allows them to draw upon their bench more readily than their rivals. But are the likes of Gallas and*Bassong so*less dependable*than*Evans and Smalling?*Sandro and Kranjcar than Jones and Park? Hernandez and Owen than Saha and Defoe?

The difference is trust. By resting players when they're in form Ferguson injects his replacements with confidence rather than turning to them as a last resort.

Ferguson doesn't believe in*a best eleven, he believes in a squad*able to fill*in when others*are in need, he believes in the flap-effect.

Redknapp meanwhile*wanted the title*but trusted*only a*few*individuals to deliver it.*He smelt*the opportunity for glory, gambled everything to*grab*it*and lost. Only time will tell if he blew the*lot.

<><><><><><><><>
Tottenham's most used players (minutes played)

>>>>>>>>>

Friedel
2880
BAE 2802
Bale 2766
Walker 2729
Modric 2674
Kaboul 2601
Adebayor 2422
Van der Vaart 1892
King 1690
Saha 1627
Lennon 1090
Defoe 1087
Sandro 1011
Gallas 876
Livermore 677
Kranjcar 640
Dawson 549
Pavyluchenko 133
Nelsen 106
Rose 67
Giovanni 41
<><><><><><><><>
Manchester United's most used players (minutes played)

>>>>>>>>>

Evra
2694
Rooney 2346
de Gea 2160
Evans 2063
Ferdinand 2025
Carrick 1960
Nani 1867
Welbeck 1766
Jones 1760
Valencia 1656
Hernandez 1328
Young 1281
Giggs 1209
Smalling 1116
Park 875
Scholes 767
Rafael 728
Lindergaard 720
Berbatov 491
Cleverley 370
Fabio 339
Pogba 71
 
This has been doing the rounds on Twitter this evening. WindyCOYS and Ben Pearce spreading these facts and figures.
 
I almost wrote something like this earlier, having looked at the 'number of minutes played' on the Fantasy Football site (a useful site for stats by the way).

It's virtually impossible to know if this has affected our players; only they know how energetic they feel. Any sports scientists on here who have an opinion?

In fairness to 'Arry, as the article says, we don't have the squad of United. However, it has frustrated me on many an occasion that he doesn't make subs earlier, and that he hasn't used Niko more.
 
What this highlights is the injuries we've had, and the absurd decision to let Corluka and Pienaar go in January. Corluka in particular considering how we have two crocks in central defence already.
 
Saha's played more than Defoe? That would be for Everton, right? Which kinda makes the comparison a bit skewed.
 
totman said:
We do look knackered actually
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Ofcourse we do and this comes back to how overrated our squad is. If we had a good squad full of players who can drop in to replace another then we wouldnt be as knackered. This isnt even a physicaly thing but mentally also.

WE NEED REINFORCEMENTS IN THE SUMMER. Our squad needs overhauling in certain places parituclarly the bench and defence and strikeforce.
 
Our squad is not overatted imo....we pathetically loaned out our cover.

Corluka, Pienaar, Bassong could have helped with our injuries after new year. We also have young players to come in next season. The ONLY thing we needed to do at christmas, like the 5 windows before, was to sign a top striker.
 
Do these figures take into account European fixtures? Adebayor didn't play in the Europa did he? I'm sure Rooney played in most of United's CL fixtures.
 
The article shows how good Utd are at managing their squad and how poor we are at managing ours. It's no coincidence we are fading just like last year. Rotation needs to happen from match 1 (e....match 2 to be technically correct).

We have a 1st team and fringe players who are called upon as a last resort if our 1st team get crocked. Utd have a squad of players who are valued and used based on form, injury and rotation. The mindset is different and it means that Utd's squad players are prepared and game sharp when they are called upon.

Our squad players are not that bad they are just mismanaged.
 
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/waits for MK to land and state how Fergie never rotates his squad



On a serious note - perhaps our squad isn't really good enough to be rotated? Utd have 3 class right wingers - we have 1 who's mostly injured

They have 5 strikers capable of winning a game. We have barely 2.

Unfair comparison, imv
 
When you rotate, it also gives players the feeling that they can get minutes, that they are trusted, exactly as it says in the article. Kranjcar may be slow and not rated by many on this board but there is no doubt that he was a huge part of the team that came fourth. Defoe also. And Bassong. Yet these are players who are very very clearly second choice or lower. They must know this in their heads.

For all the posters saying our squad is over-rated and that players can't do a job. I agree with the first bit but not at all with the second. Corluka, Kranjcar, Defoe, Bassong etc should all have beeen getting a GHod amount of minutes. And not just in the europa/carling cup.
 
Hootnow said:
Kranjcar may be slow and not rated by many on this board but there is no doubt that he was a huge part of the team that came fourth..
Click to expand...

That was 3 years ago and quite frankly bears no relevance to current reality. Same for Corluka.

Surely players need to be picked on current form not past plaudits.
 
ArcspacE said:
/waits for MK to land and state how Fergie never rotates his squad



On a serious note - perhaps our squad isn't really good enough to be rotated? Utd have 3 class right wingers - we have 1 who's mostly injured

They have 5 strikers capable of winning a game. We have barely 2.

Unfair comparison, imv
Click to expand...

Agreed. And I keep on seeing people complain about loaning out Corluka, Bassong and Piennar, as if they would have made any difference to our current situation. Bassong had lost all confidence with us, and Nelsen has been more solid when he's played. Same goes for Pienaar, whose best position is also Bale's, who is arguably our best player and still looks effective for us. Niko is still at the club and hasn't been playing much, so I don't know why people think still having Pienaar here would have made any diffference. And Corluka would have been sat on the bench behind Walker, so would have made no difference wither. Patrice Evra, who is about ten years older than Walker, has played every single game of the season since he missed the first, so even Fergie the master rotater doesn't do it with everyone.

It seems as if going on a poor streak causes everyone to criticise anything and everything about the team, even if it has nothing to do with our loss of form.
 
ArcspacE said:
That was 3 years ago and quite frankly bears no relevance to current reality. Same for Corluka.

Surely players need to be picked on current form not past plaudits.
Click to expand...

My point is that these are premier league level players, who have done an excellent job for us in the past, fighting for exactly the same spot we're fighting for now.

People paint them in a way such that, if we were forced to resort to them, it would be akin to dropping from a world class player to a league one player. In the right system, they can and should be trusted.

And no, I'm not trying to paint Corluka, Kranjcar or Bassong as the saviours of the team in any way, shape or form.
 
Hootnow said:
My point is that these are premier league level players, who have done an excellent job for us in the past, fighting for exactly the same spot we're fighting for now.

People paint them in a way such that, if we were forced to resort to them, it would be akin to dropping from a world class player to a league one player. In the right system, they can and should be trusted.

And no, I'm not trying to paint Corluka, Kranjcar or Bassong as the saviours of the team in any way, shape or form.
Click to expand...

And my point is - their form has dropped substantially since then and can no longer perform to the previous standards you keep referring to.

Whether it's down to age, fitness, confidence, etc. - they have been abysmal this season and we cannot play them on the premise they were once decent, etc.
 
elltrev said:
Agreed. And I keep on seeing people complain about loaning out Corluka, Bassong and Piennar, as if they would have made any difference to our current situation. Bassong had lost all confidence with us, and Nelsen has been more solid when he's played. Same goes for Pienaar, whose best position is also Bale's, who is arguably our best player and still looks effective for us. Niko is still at the club and hasn't been playing much, so I don't know why people think still having Pienaar here would have made any diffference. And Corluka would have been sat on the bench behind Walker, so would have made no difference wither. Patrice Evra, who is about ten years older than Walker, has played every single game of the season since he missed the first, so even Fergie the master rotater doesn't do it with everyone.

It seems as if going on a poor streak causes everyone to criticise anything and everything about the team, even if it has nothing to do with our loss of form.
Click to expand...


I think the point trying to be made is that had we those players in the squad we would have rotated more, meaning everyone is fresher now - so we can really push for the top. Top 3, not top 4.

Logically I agree, but as you point out - its just not Redknapps way to manage. He seems to prefer a first 11 and a second 11 and the second 11 players only get in in an emergency.
 
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