Death Ball
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No, I've not struggled. I had a well defined first XI and then a good rotation policy has worked to keep all the squad consistently at 95+% match fitness.
Basically I follow two rules:
1- If a sub player is very close to the first choice, start him at least one in three matches. Starting eleven should not be used more than two matches in a row. Doesn't need to change much, I usually change one or two positions, three tops if I'm against a very weak team.
2- Watch match fitness and try to get in the team any player with it below 95%. Not too many to avoid upsetting team chemistry, I've usually got two of them in the starting XI and then, if there were more who where below that, they come in as substitutes, assuming the match doesn't go in a way that I need to bring others and let them without playing. If they have to wait for the next match it's not a big deal, as their fitness won't drop all that much more. They become strong candidates to start next match to make up for the missed 30mins.
The main problem would be bringing them back after injury, but that wasn't a big issue either. A couple of games coming from the bench around min 60 to bring their match fitness to 75-80% and then they can start a game without dropping their usual level of performance to reach 90+%.
I did have one moment in which I might have had trouble: I had like six players who could play in either of two MC positions, with two of them only for one and a third who was strongly preferred for the same (the advanced playmaker, as they were poor defensively to play the ball winning midfielder) and four of them got injured to come back to fitness in the same week, including those two. So I had seven midfielders, with four around 65% match fitness.
Well, the problem was reduced because I had already decided one of the AP was old and unlikely to get better and the other was young and already about his same level, so I didn't want to play the old anymore anyway, so getting the three injured back to 100% match fitness was not a hard task. First match was against a weak side, so I fielded the young AP from the start and he was already almost at 90%, then one who could play BWM subbed in at min 60. Second match, the AP was already at 100% match fitness, another sub and start next and in three the BWM was at 100%, the third injured could play DM so he was used the same way there and third match was already in 100% too. And the performance didn't suffer in those matches. If I had wanted to play the older AP, I think one of the others would have been waiting a little longer for their chance, but it wouldn't have hurt much.
But then again I was with Sporting, expected to finish second and hence one of the stronger teams of the division. With a weaker team that might have been harder to do.
Basically I follow two rules:
1- If a sub player is very close to the first choice, start him at least one in three matches. Starting eleven should not be used more than two matches in a row. Doesn't need to change much, I usually change one or two positions, three tops if I'm against a very weak team.
2- Watch match fitness and try to get in the team any player with it below 95%. Not too many to avoid upsetting team chemistry, I've usually got two of them in the starting XI and then, if there were more who where below that, they come in as substitutes, assuming the match doesn't go in a way that I need to bring others and let them without playing. If they have to wait for the next match it's not a big deal, as their fitness won't drop all that much more. They become strong candidates to start next match to make up for the missed 30mins.
The main problem would be bringing them back after injury, but that wasn't a big issue either. A couple of games coming from the bench around min 60 to bring their match fitness to 75-80% and then they can start a game without dropping their usual level of performance to reach 90+%.
I did have one moment in which I might have had trouble: I had like six players who could play in either of two MC positions, with two of them only for one and a third who was strongly preferred for the same (the advanced playmaker, as they were poor defensively to play the ball winning midfielder) and four of them got injured to come back to fitness in the same week, including those two. So I had seven midfielders, with four around 65% match fitness.
Well, the problem was reduced because I had already decided one of the AP was old and unlikely to get better and the other was young and already about his same level, so I didn't want to play the old anymore anyway, so getting the three injured back to 100% match fitness was not a hard task. First match was against a weak side, so I fielded the young AP from the start and he was already almost at 90%, then one who could play BWM subbed in at min 60. Second match, the AP was already at 100% match fitness, another sub and start next and in three the BWM was at 100%, the third injured could play DM so he was used the same way there and third match was already in 100% too. And the performance didn't suffer in those matches. If I had wanted to play the older AP, I think one of the others would have been waiting a little longer for their chance, but it wouldn't have hurt much.
But then again I was with Sporting, expected to finish second and hence one of the stronger teams of the division. With a weaker team that might have been harder to do.