Your team selection strategy?

[transferking]

Had already quite a time long thought about which would be the best strategy for selecting your starting line-up. I'm emphasising it's mostly about bigger teams, where you have bigger squad, tighter scheldule, need to rotate etc.

So, I would be thankful if you enlight a bit about your preferences. Do you look firstly about:
- player's latest form
- overall ability
- morale

Also, if you are using coaches advice (are you?) do you look only at ***-man or also any other (f.e. with good CA ability and/or Tactical knowledge).

Please be as deep-thought as possible - this particulat topic really interests me.

 

[Munroe]

First off, I look at condition. If a player is 95% or less, and he isn't in-form (last 5 games 7.5 or above, my definition of in-form) then I usually take them out of the starting XI. I don't usually put players on the bench if their less than 90%, but if I'm trying to get the match fitness of a key player coming back from injury up, or if I'm planning on bringing on a reserve/youth player in the Cup fixtures; then I'll stick them on the bench.

I also take into consideration what games are coming up, if I've got a CL game against a good European side (e.g Marseille, Napoli or someone of a higher calibre) and the game before that is a home tie against Wigan; then I'm likely to rest the likes of Vidic, Rooney,etc. However, if I've got a tough visit to Stoke and a crappy European team midweek (someone from Romania, Cyprus or whatever) then I'll just rest the big guns in the CL game.

As far as staff goes, I'm willing to listen to Phelan, but I don't go looking for advice tbh. If a coach pops up in Backroom Advice telling me to drop someone, I tend to ignore them and have a chat with the player rather than drop them straight away.