Premier League 2010/11 general thread

[prinnysquad]

Another Big Time London team hands the Mags a famous victory! I remember ten years ago, when the Mags were brilliant, they couldn't buy a win in the capital. Fair play to Hughton, he's working some wonders there.

[abigsmurf]

That was one dull Manchester Derby, if it wasn't the result was so important for Chelsea I would've turned it off at half time.

[abigsmurf]

What does everyone think about Blackpool making 10 changes against Villa?

I'm not sure what to think really. I condemned Wolves and still dislike what they did but the situation here was a bit different. For one thing, it's going to be the first time Blackpool get 4 games in less than 2 weeks, for another, they put in a decent performance and could've got a point

[Baseley09]

I think managers should be able to field whatever teams they see fit for the interests of their club.

[EJG1980]

I feel the same about it as I did when Wolves did it last season, I've got no problem with it at all. Managers should be free to pick whatever eleven players they want.

In my eyes I see no difference between a Blackpool or Wolves resting players to give themselves a better chance in the next league match, and a "big club" sending out the reserves in the FA Cup to give them a better chance in an upcoming Champions League match.

Exactly the same thing, with clubs making sure they have the best possible chance to achieve their aims, whether that be avoiding relegation or winning the Champions League.

As I said last time, it will probably happen more and more as the gap between the rich and poor teams gets bigger and the financial implications of relegation get more and more dire.

PS - any chance you're not so annoyed by Blackpool doing it because they weren't playing one of Chelsea's title rivals like Wolves did?

[abigsmurf]

There's a big difference between Man U, Chelsea etc. fielding a weakened team they believe is good enough to beat a team and fielding a team you think has no chance of winning. I can't recall Man U or Chelsea ever fielding a side with 10 changes regardless.

Why bother turning up at all if you're going to admit defeat before a game?

It's harder to be as annoyed at Blackpool because they came incredibly close to getting a point, you can't accuse them of giving up beforehand.

[EJG1980]

So because the reserves at a small club are worse than the reserves at a big club (which is obviously bound to be the case) the small club shouldn't be allowed to play those reserves?

I don't think you can really say objectively that a team gave up or not before a match either. It's very easy to say that after the event when a team like Blackpool comes close to getting a point, but they and Wolves did exactly the same thing before the match.

Blackpool may have "given up" just as much as Wolves, but happened to have one of those evenings where everything clicked and the lesser players played above themselves. Wolves could have had a similar night against Man Utd if it had been played one day earlier or one day later, you never know.

And why bother turning up if you're just going to send out reserves who will probably (but not certainly) lose? Because it's their job and it's a business, and these days it's a horrible fact that the business is more important than the sport.

When teams try and stay in the Premier League it's for the financial benefits to the business first, the glory of being in the top flight second. Just like when the top teams are being discussed, you're probably more likely to hear people say "They need Champions League football every season for the money" than saying they need it for the sporting glory.

[Flabio]

To be fair, Holloway did say in his post match that his players simply aren't at the right fitness level to play three games in a week, and that his priority is to work on that, so had no choice but to play his other players.

[abigsmurf]

Again, I can't remember a time when Man U or Chelsea have changed 10 players for reserve players.

What would the premier league be like if the bottom 8 sides regularly played reserve teams against the top 4 sides and lost 19 times out of 20 against them?

Fielding a no-hoper team undermines the spirit of the competition, makes for an incredibly unexciting league and is morally questionable at best. It's been made into a rule for a reason.

*edit*

The reason Holloway gave is why I'm less hard on Blackpool than wolves. 4 games in 12 days is a big ask for a side of mostly championship level players.

[EJG1980]

I think Liverpool changed around 8 or 9 for a match against Fulham (which gave Fulham a win that saved them from relegation) when it was just before the CL final in 2007, but you're right that the top teams pretty much never play reserves to that extent.

I agree that yes, it does undermine the spirit of the competition a bit when teams put out sides like that. Equally though I feel that the way the finances in the game have gone, with the gulf between rich and poor clubs growing ever bigger, also undermines the spirit of the competition.

Back in the early 80's you had clubs like Watford, Southampton and Ipswich coming second in the league. The big clubs were still usually right up there, but there was the possibility for a smaller club to make some astute signings, have a bit of luck, and have a one off year where it all clicked and they could challenge the big guns. Now that is simply not going to happen.

The top of the league is locked off so much that it's considered a minor miracle when clubs like Spurs or Everton manage to come 4th, let alone challenge for the league title! I find that makes for an unexciting league much more than one match where Man Utd happen to beat Wolves reserves instead of the first team.

I don't like it when it happens and I do agree with a lot of what you say Smurfy, but I completely understand the reasons those smaller clubs do it and don't begrudge them when they do.

[nakamura]

I agree that yes, it does undermine the spirit of the competition.

There is no spirit of competition because too many clubs have bought their way to success. Teams like Blackpool cannot cope with the PL like bigger teams. Holloway did the right thing and each manager should be left alone.

There are only a couple of teams that can win the league so for the rest it is often a fight to survive, more so this season. That is not a competition.

[EJG1980]

I did say basically that right after the sentence you quoted

[nakamura]

Oh yeah, sorry! Nature called mid reading and I forget how far I was when I came back!

[EJG1980]

Nothing like needing a number one or two to derail a train of thought

[nakamura]

Indeed.

What makes me laugh though is that the FA had no problems with the big teams fielding crap teams in the cup or when Man Utd didn't even enter one year.