Anyone any thoughts on the last day of the premiership?

It was bloody lovely to see that trophy getting lifted on its rightfull home turf again, I have to say.

Discuss

Anyone any thoughts on the last day of the premiership?

It was bloody lovely to see that trophy getting lifted on its rightfull home turf again, I have to say.

Discussit was also nice to see man utd lose.... cant think why??

it was also nice to see man utd lose.... cant think why??

I know - it was bad eh, even though we only fielded a half strength squad as well from the outset.

Still.. good eh, did you see us picking the trophy up :D
And still -you get to play united next season - so thats good I suppose.

Anyone any thoughts on the last day of the premiership?

It was bloody lovely to see that trophy getting lifted on its rightfull home turf again, I have to say.

Discuss

Indeed! We've got our trophy back! Didnt really want Sheffu to go down cos Wigan have been crap all season, but looking forward to seeing Roy keanes sunderland next season! :D

Also id like to see Tevez stay at west ham!

I know - it was bad eh, even though we only fielded a half strength squad as well from the outset..

Something Rafa got slated for on here when fielding an understrength team against Fulham!!

People claimed Rafa had an obligation to play all his top players in respect of the teams fighting relegation. I say that's nonsense. Why would Rafa (and Fergie today) risk his top players in a meaningless match with a European cup final (F.A Cup final) just around the corner?

I say the managers have every right to play whoever they want if it benefits their team and if a team is relegated, it's because they have not been good enough all season, not because a top clubs manager has alltered his team.

Some people seem to think that the top clubs owe the smaller some kind of favour, well they don't.

Also id like to see Tevez stay at west ham!

No chance!!
Tevez will be at either Man U or Liverpool next season and i would put money on that!!

Something Rafa got slated for on here when fielding an understrength team against Fulham!!

People claimed Rafa had an obligation to play all his top players in respect of the teams fighting relegation. I say that's nonsense. Why would Rafa (and Fergie today) risk his top players in a meaningless match with a European cup final (F.A Cup final) just around the corner?

I say the managers have every right to play whoever they want if it benefits their team and if a team is relegated, it's because they have not been good enough all season, not because a top clubs manager has alltered his team.

Some people seem to think that the top clubs owe the smaller some kind of favour, well they don't.

No offence to you - but it always has to come back to a liverpool discussion with you dosent it :D

But I agree for once with you - there is a surprise :) - why should we put out our first XI today .. we have already won the league, and we are giving Chelsea a whipping in a week's time.

Maybe we gave West Ham a favour for Tevez in return - it is possible I suppose, unlikely but you never know nowadays with english football.

No offence to you - but it always has to come back to a liverpool discussion with you dosent it :D.

I was simply saying that in a thread recently, Liverpool were slated for doing exactly what Man U did today regarding resting alot of first team players.
I wonder if the same people will be commenting now :suspect:

Evening..... sat here with a shocking headache, shivering and feeling generally sorry for myself -the joys of downing beer far too quickly at lunchtime, getting soaked for 90 minutes at the match, and then freezing again for half an hour waiting for the fliipin' tram. Having said that.......... CHAMPIONS!

It wasn't a shockingly weakened team today, just a case of nobody giving it the full 100% (with a couple of possible exceptions). Those who are already sure picks for the final aren't going to risk getting crocked at this stage. Gutted for the blades though.

Fergie has made a fool of himself. Yes, he has every right to field a weakened side, but NOT after going on record to say he would field a "very strong side" because Man Utd had their "reputation to think of".

Yes, the Blades should be relegated if they can't beat Wigan at home, but I would feel very bitter if I were a Blade.

And I look forward to the club announcing refunds for all the fans who travelled to London last wednesday to watch a B team, versus Chelsea, as well as those of us who got soaked today, and had to suffer Kieran Richardson and Alan Smith.

shame for united but it was gona happen with players warnock bought. Man u were already champions so not really bothered if they won aor lost pretty borin football all round

Mourinho fielded a strong side against Everton which ,to me, says he is not as worried about Man Utd as Fergie is of Chelsea for next Sat's final.;) Rooney missed some sitters yesterday and Is Ronaldo the best player in the world....Realy?

Mourinho fielded a strong side against Everton which ,to me, says he is not as worried about Man Utd as Fergie is of Chelsea for next Sat's final.;) Rooney missed some sitters yesterday and Is Ronaldo the best player in the world....Realy?

Mourinho never fields a really weakened side. Just look at his Carling Cup selections.

Mourinho never fields a really weakened side. Just look at his Carling Cup selections.
To be fair, with the size of Chelsea's squad (excluding their Defence) whatever team selected is strong, so even a weakened team doesn't seem, weakened if you catch my drift!

To be fair, with the size of Chelsea's squad (excluding their Defence) whatever team selected is strong, so even a weakened team doesn't seem, weakened if you catch my drift!

I do catch your drift but for Saturday's cup final he has about 16 players to pick from.

Look at John Terrys appearances in the Carling Cup.
Jose always picks certain players.

Compare that to Wenger.

Its because Chelsea dont yet have a youth policy. Or at least, the fruits are not yet ripe enough to risk em.

Look at John Terrys appearances in the Carling Cup.
Jose always picks certain players.

Compare that to Wenger.

Its because Chelsea dont yet have a youth policy. Or at least, the fruits are not yet ripe enough to risk em.

Think you'll find Chelsea have about 18 youths on the books and a few up and comming players ready for the senior squad, eg Scott Sinclair, Ben Sahar,Anthony Grant and a young Brazilian called Alcides who is at PSV with another Chelsea player called Alex. At least 3 of these fruits are ready for plucking.

Think you'll find Chelsea have about 18 youths on the books and a few up and comming players ready for the senior squad, eg Scott Sinclair, Ben Sahar,Anthony Grant and a young Brazilian called Alcides who is at PSV with another Chelsea player called Alex. At least 3 of these fruits are ready for plucking.

I know full well about Sahar (played against England for Israel) and Sinclair.

Sahar doesnt look ready to me, and Sinclair has just broken his foot (or rather, Wes Brown did it for him).

But I agree for once with you - there is a surprise :) - why should we put out our first XI today .. we have already won the league, and we are giving Chelsea a whipping in a week's time.

Because it is in the rules of the PL

Because it is in the rules of the PL

What that a team can not rest any of it's players because of fatigue and the importance of an upcoming fixture. So the rule is that a manager has to always pick his strongest possible team?

What that a team can not rest any of it's players because of fatigue and the importance of an upcoming fixture. So the rule is that a manager has to always pick his strongest possible team?


i love football

What that a team can not rest any of it's players because of fatigue and the importance of an upcoming fixture. So the rule is that a manager has to always pick his strongest possible team?

Perhaps then you can explain he rested 9 against fulham with the match 3 weeks away but brought most of them back at the weekend when the match is a week nearer, bit daft if you ask me. Or you could say like most that he let the team gift fulham three points

Come on Milan

What that a team can not rest any of it's players because of fatigue and the importance of an upcoming fixture. So the rule is that a manager has to always pick his strongest possible team?

Oooooo you're finally grasping the rules of the PL.
Yes the above statement IS correct.

Perhaps then you can explain he rested 9 against fulham with the match 3 weeks away but brought most of them back at the weekend when the match is a week nearer, bit daft if you ask me.
Simple really and i have posted this previously, but just for you i'll explain again!
He rested his top players to avoid injury. He also, and Rafa did explain this, wanted to play some fringe and youth players that he was undecided on. In simple terms Daft Lad, he wanted to see them in first team action so that he could make a decision on whether or not to hand the player's a new contract or to sell them or give them a free transfer!
With regards to then fielding a stronger team against Charlton - With the rested players having a decent break, he in this match wanted to keep up their match fitness. Not all the top players started the match but they did come on midway through the second half giving each first team player a little playing time to keep them sharp.
With Rafa guiding Liverpool to 2 final's in 3 years i think he is qualified in making decisions like that. Who are you to question it!!

Or you could say like most that he let the team gift fulham three points
Daft Lad, can you explain why on earth Rafa would even want to consider gifting Fulham all three points? As explained above, his decisions were for Liverpool's benifit not a plan by Rafa to gift Fulham 3 points :loopy:

Oooooo you're finally grasping the rules of the PL.
Yes the above statement IS correct.
Sorry Robbie, i must hold my hands up and admit that i have never read the book on the premiership rules and i was not aware of the rule regarding a team having to be the strongest available to a manager!!
So then Robbie, if this is the case, why are Rafa and Fergie not being dragged up before the panel and punished as both have clearly broken this rule you claim is in place??

So the rule is that a manager has to always pick his strongest possible team?

Oooooo you're finally grasping the rules of the PL.
Yes the above statement IS correct.

So why then are squad players bought Robbie?
Top teams now have 20 odd players all available for selection. What do the players that are not considered to be in the first 11 supposed to do?? Not just play the cup games surely? What if the first team don't suffer any injuries, what do the squad players do, keep their fingers crossed that a team mate breaks his leg?

I would like to see where you read this rule!!

If I could be actually bothered to look for the ruling then I would Paul, but it's a very well known ruling.

If I could be actually bothered to look for the ruling then I would Paul, but it's a very well known ruling.
Oh, and i suppose if you could be bothered you would answer the question on why teams have 20 odd players in their squad if they are only able to pick the strongest eleven? Or the question on why Rafa and Fergie are not up before the panel for serious breach of premiership rules?
What rubbish! A manager can pick any of his players! They are all professional footballers who are part of a squad, therefore can be called upon to play in the first team at the managers request!

Oh, and i suppose if you could be bothered you would answer the question on why teams have 20 odd players in their squad if they are only able to pick the strongest eleven? Or the question on why Rafa and Fergie are not up before the panel for serious breach of premiership rules?
What rubbish! A manager can pick any of his players! They are all professional footballers who are part of a squad, therefore can be called upon to play in the first team at the managers request!

So did the players picked by Liverpool against Fulham come from the 20 odd players from the first team?

Oh, and i suppose if you could be bothered you would answer the question on why teams have 20 odd players in their squad if they are only able to pick the strongest eleven? Or the question on why Rafa and Fergie are not up before the panel for serious breach of premiership rules?
What rubbish! A manager can pick any of his players! They are all professional footballers who are part of a squad, therefore can be called upon to play in the first team at the managers request!

Really does depend on how you dfine a "strongest sqead"

For instance, Chelsea have an array of talent in midfield, and if called upon nobody would question them not being their strongest XI, this is because the said players are a great talent.

BUT..... some teams blatantly put out poor squads (which Rafa even said he did in so many words) against teams when they want. The team 'Pool put out against Fulham was just disrespectful against the remainder of the relegation threatened teams.

Really does depend on how you dfine a "strongest sqead"

For instance, Chelsea have an array of talent in midfield, and if called upon nobody would question them not being their strongest XI, this is because the said players are a great talent.

BUT..... some teams blatantly put out poor squads (which Rafa even said he did in so many words) against teams when they want. The team 'Pool put out against Fulham was just disrespectful against the remainder of the relegation threatened teams.
I'm not denying that he put out a very poor team but he did it for the good of his club!
He rested players with a massive game upcoming and also wanted to see fringe players performe so that he could decide on the players that would get a new contract and the ones that would not!
It may be harsh on team's in the lower regions of the division but the reason them teams are in that situation is because they have been poor throughout the season not because of Rafa Benitez!!!
If doing what he did benifits his club then that is what he should do, not risk his team's emmediate future out of respect for the struggling teams!

You only look so far in to things Paul, that's why their is no point in debating with you. You don't think your manager has done anything wrong, when clearly he did.

So did the players picked by Liverpool against Fulham come from the 20 odd players from the first team?

Team v Fulham.

Pepe Reina
Emiliano Insua
Sami Hyypia (c)
Gabriel Paletta
Alvaro Arbeloa
Mark Gonzalez
Xabi Alonso
Momo Sissoko
Jermaine Pennant
Craig Bellamy
Robbie Fowler

Only Insua (debut) and Palletta (3 caps) can be classed as not in our 20 man squad!

All the other players have regularly been on show this season with Carragher, Gerrard and Kuyt been the only noticable absentees. 3 players not playing right! Didn't Fergie do that recently against West Ham? Ronaldo, Giggs and Scholes all not in the starting eleven! Nobody seems to be moaning about that!

You only look so far in to things Paul, that's why their is no point in debating with you. You don't think your manager has done anything wrong, when clearly he did.

Ok mate but answer me this: How do managers blood young players if he doesn't play them? People moan that youth in this country doesn't get a chance but when managers give them a chance because the situation allows it he gets slaughtered.

If you look at the team played v Fulham that i've posted Robbie, there is only 2 youth players with only one making his debut!! All the rest are good squad players who have been playing consistently all season!

shame for united but it was gona happen with players warnock bought. Man u were already champions so not really bothered if they won aor lost pretty borin football all round
The united manager and players certainly wanted to win, partially for the fans but mainly because United have a bit of a history win West Ham and it would have been nice to hurt them in a similar way they did us on a final game some years back. And united had a real go at Westham putting on a pretty good starting 11 (compared to the preceding Chelsea game) and even bringing on Gigs, Scholes and Ronaldo for the last half hour.

However with the Championship already won and an FA cup to look forward to you can understand why the manager and players didn't want to get any injuries so whilst players ran hard and did what they could they weren't as fully committed as they might otherwise have been.

You only look so far in to things Paul, that's why their is no point in debating with you. You don't think your manager has done anything wrong, when clearly he did.
What did he do wrong? He had nothing to play for in the League with United out of site but a top 4 place secure, so he did what was best for his team and made sure his best players were fresh for the only competition they could still win.

If Sheffield United were ever in a similar situation you'd want your manager to do the same, if you want to bitch at Liverpool then I suggest you bring up Gerrards dive against you because your current argument just seems petty and bitter.

Because it is in the rules of the PL

I don't recall the Blades complaining when they beat Arsenal 'reserves' last December.

I don't recall the Blades complaining when they beat Arsenal 'reserves' last December.

This was down to injuries was it not?

What did he do wrong? He had nothing to play for in the League with United out of site but a top 4 place secure, so he did what was best for his team and made sure his best players were fresh for the only competition they could still win.

Whilst I can see the point in making sure players are "fresh", it is still morally wrong with what he did in regards to the team he put out against Fulham, it is also against the rules as said.

If Sheffield United were ever in a similar situation you'd want your manager to do the same, if you want to bitch at Liverpool then I suggest you bring up Gerrards dive against you because your current argument just seems petty and bitter.

No point in bringing up even further past. At the end of the day, we are relegated, no lawsuit is going to change that and we go on to fight in the Championship next season. Whether or not WHU should have been deducted points, liverpool should have put a full team out, Manure should have gone at WHU full throttle is irrelevant in this aspect, because we are down.

What I do say is yes, the above mentioned points are very true arguements, but one's that will not save us from where we will be next season because nothing will change them.

Whilst I can see the point in making sure players are "fresh", it is still morally wrong with what he did in regards to the team he put out against Fulham, it is also against the rules as said.
'morally wrong' :rolleyes: oh come off it there's nothing immoral about saving your best players for a more important game and compared to much of the crap your departed manager pulled it's positively virtuous.

No point in bringing up even further past.
The point is that atleast you were actually wronged then, unlike when Liverpool and United failed to do your own clubs job for it.

At the end of the day, we are relegated, no lawsuit is going to change that and we go on to fight in the Championship next season. Whether or not WHU should have been deducted points, liverpool should have put a full team out, Manure should have gone at WHU full throttle is irrelevant in this aspect, because we are down.
Now that's just absurd how can you seriously expect any united player to dive fully committed into a 50/50 challenge with the league won and a cup final a week away? Still despite all that United played a stronger side than against Chelsea and even risked Ronaldo, Gigs and Scholes for the last half hour and had a really good go at Westham who were very lucky to win. You can't seriously ask for anything more than that.

What I do say is yes, the above mentioned points are very true arguements, but one's that will not save us from where we will be next season because nothing will change them.
So why the continued moaning about nothing?

So why the continued moaning about nothing?

There was no continued moaning, My first post on this thread refered to one comment and one comment only. It then escalated from their.

Whilst I can see the point in making sure players are "fresh", it is still morally wrong with what he did in regards to the team he put out against Fulham, it is also against the rules as said..

Robbie, how is handing a debut to one player, a 4th cap to another and the rest of the team consisting of regular starters with plenty of international experience between them all wrong?

There was no continued moaning, My first post on this thread refered to one comment and one comment only. It then escalated from their.

Wrong. You have repeatedly said these same things over and over again in various different threads over the last couple of weeks. Today is just another session!

Wrong. You have repeatedly said these same things over and over again in various different threads over the last couple of weeks. Today is just another session!

Go look at how sparsely my posts are...

Actually looking back at my previous posts, I don't see too many complaints at all...

Robbie, without wanting to 'go on', could you answer the above question regarding what Rafa has done that was so bad, because looking at the teamsheet i have posted, i fail to see what it is your griping about!

Here's a twist to this thread for you.
Big clubs pay big money for top players, we all know that. High priced players and wages result in higher ticket prices, so therefore supporters are entitled to see the players they are paying to watch.
eg, You wouldn't pay £50 to see Bucks Fizz at the Arena but you would if it was Robbie Wiliams. ;)

Big clubs pay big money for top players, we all know that. High priced players and wages result in higher ticket prices, so therefore supporters are entitled to see the players they are paying to watch.;)

I see where your coming from mate but, how would the supporters feel if Liverpool lost the final of the Champions League through injuries to key players brought upon themselves by fielding a full strength team in a meaningless game against a poor side?
Surely you can see the logic in Rafa's thinking buddy?
But again i ask the question: Why was Rafa's team selection so bad? Read my post showing his team selection v Fulham.

Fair enough Paul, The CL cup is a big prize but so is the FA cup so is that why Sir Alec did not start with his main team against W.Ham, unlike Mourinho v Everton, who wants to win every game.
No disrespect to Liverpool but Milan will lift the CL cup as their older players will realise that this maybe the last chance of getting it and the young aces will help them achieve that. Hope you let Fowler play as he deserves that out of respect.

Fair enough Paul, The CL cup is a big prize but so is the FA cup..
No comparison!! In England yes, the FA Cup is big but you ask any Manager including Fergie which trophy they would rather be contesting for in a final and every one would take the Champions League.

so is that why Sir Alec did not start with his main team against W.Ham, unlike Mourinho v Everton, who wants to win every game..
They all want to win every game mate, i don't think any manager sends out a team to lose. I'll say again, the Liverpool team v Fulham wasn't that bad. Plenty of Internationals on show with only one player making a debut.
I can not believe people can't see the logic in Rafa's decision to protect key players.

No disrespect to Liverpool but Milan will lift the CL cup as their older players will realise that this maybe the last chance of getting it and the young aces will help them achieve that.
That is you opinion mate, you can not say Milan will lift the CL trophy.
Ok, Milan have old players who will want to win but given that Liverpool have knocked out Chelsea (who wanted revenge from 2005 badly ), Barcelona (who many tipped to win the tournament ), and the obvious fight and passion that Liverpool possess, do you think Liverpool will be going to Athens to lose?

Hope you let Fowler play as he deserves that out of respect.
Fowler does deserve respect, as was shown when he was brought back to Liverpool ans again when against Charlton at Anfield he came off to a standing ovation however, if you think that Rafa should play his fourth choice striker in a Champions League Final out of respect for a player, you must be mad!

Soz, Should have said let Fowler play for last 10 mins. Anyways age doesn't seem to effect Milan's playing. Robbie might come in handy if it goes to penalties. .....Naw! it won't come to that.

Soz, Should have said let Fowler play for last 10 mins. Anyways age doesn't seem to effect Milan's playing. Robbie might come in handy if it goes to penalties. .....Naw! it won't come to that.

Robbie will be on the bench mate for that reason! He knows how to take a penalty and if needs be will be brought on to do just that.
I hope your right about not going to penalties buddy....... Carragher to head home a corner with 1 minute remaining in extra time time. Now wouldn't that be brilliant for the guy who is totally addicted to his club!