Surely you pick a team on a variety of factors, the main ones being:
1. Form and fitness of own players - as has been said already, there aren't 11 definite starters out there.
2. Strategy that your going to employ - so the champions league we often play much more defensive than we would against some of the lower prem league opposition.
3. How your opposition is set up - I think the only time it would be acceptable for a coach to not thoroughly research his opposition and adjust accordingly would be if they played so low down the leagues that there were no tapes available. Of course rafa looks at the opposition, and change his tactics and the people he plays. And of course he is quite right to do so, it would be horribly schoolboy if he didn't.
On a slightly different note. A few people have babel in our strongest 11. Can't see it myself. And i really can't see him at left mid, where you've put him. I don't know why rafa persists with using him there, and i think he's finally realised that its at right mid where he'll be most effective. Thinking back to the past couple of games where he's been most effective, its been putting in crosses from the right hand side, he actually looks something of a threat there, whereas on the left wing, he looks so uncomfortable because he really has no left foot. Its no good saying that he'll cut inside, because thats all he's able to do and its far too predictable.
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