This has been in the English press today, with John Terry being quizzed about whether he's happy having only started 7 games this year or something. He said he is, but I reckon that's cause he's getting old and releases he gets paid a lot of money to not have to run around on a creaking body...!
Anyway, I have always used rotation in Football Manager, well, since before it was Football Manager anyway. I used to just have a super squad of 11, but towards the end of the season they would get knackered and need a rest. I didn't want anyone in the squad who wasn't good enough for the first team, so the only way to keep everyone happy and getting enough games (and match fit) was to rotate every game.
Fast forward to today. Second season with Chelsea, first leg of the Champions League semi final vs Barcelona. Pre match obvservations, their star player (duh) is Messi, mine is Rooney (hee hee!). Messi has played 45 games so far this season, Rooney 22. Now Rooney has been injured a bit, so might have missed 4 games I reckon.
The thing is, my players never get into the World Team of the Year, never win golden boots or anything. I think this is down to my rotation policy - they never get enough games and often they don't get a good run together. In real life I remember Chelsea's first league winning year when Lampard started every single game for them. Now, he's not up to that anymore but in my team there are players as fit as he was then.
Anyway, thanks for reading this far, now for the question. How do you guys do it? I am leaning towards playing my first XI more often, stringing 2 or 3 games together, but then what do I do with the 2nd XI? I don't want them to lose interest and I am paying them all considerable sums to stick around! Also, there are no easy games for Chelsea! This season, because I REALLY concentrated on the league, I am joint top with city with 5 games to go. City are a machine! They have won both domestic cups, although got PSG and Barca in the CL group stage and didn't progress - they got to the quarters of the Europa League though. However, last year, I put out a less good team for quite a few Premier League games (my second XI is better this year) and ended up only just scraping 4th (although I won League Cup, World Club Cup, lost in the final of FA Cup and won Champions League).
Also, and this is a silly rant at the end, but Abramovich keeps giving me money and moans if I don't buy someone with a big reputation - there aren't many left that would get in my first team now!!
Thoughts please - rotate or not, and how you do or don't do it!
Ta!
Anyway, I have always used rotation in Football Manager, well, since before it was Football Manager anyway. I used to just have a super squad of 11, but towards the end of the season they would get knackered and need a rest. I didn't want anyone in the squad who wasn't good enough for the first team, so the only way to keep everyone happy and getting enough games (and match fit) was to rotate every game.
Fast forward to today. Second season with Chelsea, first leg of the Champions League semi final vs Barcelona. Pre match obvservations, their star player (duh) is Messi, mine is Rooney (hee hee!). Messi has played 45 games so far this season, Rooney 22. Now Rooney has been injured a bit, so might have missed 4 games I reckon.
The thing is, my players never get into the World Team of the Year, never win golden boots or anything. I think this is down to my rotation policy - they never get enough games and often they don't get a good run together. In real life I remember Chelsea's first league winning year when Lampard started every single game for them. Now, he's not up to that anymore but in my team there are players as fit as he was then.
Anyway, thanks for reading this far, now for the question. How do you guys do it? I am leaning towards playing my first XI more often, stringing 2 or 3 games together, but then what do I do with the 2nd XI? I don't want them to lose interest and I am paying them all considerable sums to stick around! Also, there are no easy games for Chelsea! This season, because I REALLY concentrated on the league, I am joint top with city with 5 games to go. City are a machine! They have won both domestic cups, although got PSG and Barca in the CL group stage and didn't progress - they got to the quarters of the Europa League though. However, last year, I put out a less good team for quite a few Premier League games (my second XI is better this year) and ended up only just scraping 4th (although I won League Cup, World Club Cup, lost in the final of FA Cup and won Champions League).
Also, and this is a silly rant at the end, but Abramovich keeps giving me money and moans if I don't buy someone with a big reputation - there aren't many left that would get in my first team now!!
Thoughts please - rotate or not, and how you do or don't do it!
Ta!