Rotating a big squad isn’t as easy as it sounds. Just ask
Rafa Benitez, who stands by his policy of refreshing the tree of liber…err his
team from time to time, yet inevitably faces scathing criticism every time he
does it. Most managers prefer to have a core XI who play together as much as
possible to develop a collective spirit and cohesion. But at higher levels of
the game, where teams compete in three or even four competitions
simultaneously, it’s impossible to keep such a small squad healthy and fit through
an entire season. Also, now that many elite teams frequently employ two or even
three internationals at every position, getting game time for everyone is more
a requirement than a luxury, necessary to maintain harmony in the group. For
the manager, who already has to deal with a multitude of responsibilities
(unless you’re Harry Redknapp), juggling lineups can become quite a burden.
I don’t have the stats from his time at Espanyol and
Southampton, but it’s safe to say that Mauricio Pochettino is now in charge of
the largest, deepest group of players he’s ever had. Rotating between two full squads
worth of quality Premier League players is a new experience, and something he’s going
to have to learn to manage. He’s also admitted that part of his hiring at Spurs
was contingent on him taking domestic and international cup competitions more
seriously than he had in the past. Pundits and critics are quick to remind us
of how Poch claimed to “hate” the Europa League last season and how he “cynically”
refused to name a strong team in a cup game against Sunderland, one that
Southampton lost 1-0. Everybody wants to play in the Premier League, but the
cup competitions give Poch a chance to get games for his second stringers and
to rotate in players who might be recovering from injury or suspension. The
overall depth of the squad means that can still field a strong teams for every
game. However, if he sticks too long with a first XI and a cup XI he will
almost certainly have players grumbling about their roles.
The results of Poch’s rotation so far have been mixed. Not
because he’s been rotating badly, but that he hasn’t really been doing it at
all. Instead of moving three or four players in or out between league and cup
games, he’s essentially created a first and second team. In and of itself
that’s fine, as it allows the two groups of players to begin developing
partnerships in important areas – the back four, the central midfield two etc.
What’s been somewhat troubling is who Poch has assigned to the backup squad. Specifically,
Federico Fazio and Jan Vertonghen, who are likely Spurs’ best two center backs,
have begun the season with the second unit. Hopefully this is just about
returning Jan to full match fitness after a minor injury, and easing the two
into a partnership that will eventually anchor the backline.
It’s early days yet, but it will be interesting to see if
players who are currently playing only in cup games can work their way into the
first team squad (or vice versa). Poch has said that he examines each player individually
after every game (likely for health issues as well as performance), so it’s
likely that he considers each position in his squad before settling on a lineup
for an upcoming match. Once the season reaches full grind, injuries and form
will no doubt force Poch to juggle his lineups. How he handles this, while
keeping everyone happy, will go a long way toward determining Spurs success in
the league as well as the cups.
