Bruce Grobbelaar blasts Rafa Benitez' rotation policy

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=694774.html

I really don't know if this article has been featured elsewhere in the forum; but isn't it enough to have to deal with the negative press; do we now have to add past Liverpool players in the mix? Here we have Bruce telling the world that all the past players are unhappy with Rafa's rotation policy.

Is it really that difficult to understand the arithmetic behind the rotation policy? its as simple as 'different teams requiring different approach to the games, hence the best set of players to achieve that objective.' - That simple.

I am all for the rotation policy. I also agree that some players should be rested when necessary. The FA Cup loss was unfortunate. Had little or nothing to do with the Policy. So Gerrard didn't start, but we had Lucas & Alonso, Torres didn't play but we had Crouch and Kuyt. Bruce and Co. need to respect the club and not seek to get cheap publicity by having a go at Rafa Benitez. He even supported the H&G's Klinsmann-approach.

What do you think?

Grobbelaar blasts Reds' rotation policy



Former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar has lashed out at current Reds manager Rafa Benitez's rotation policy, saying many retired players agree that it must stop. The Spanish tactician's future looked bleak after he was heavily criticised for resting key players in Saturday's humiliating FA Cup defeat by Barnsley.

But he received some respite on Tuesday when they beat Inter Milan 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League.

Nevertheless Grobbelaar, who won 13 medals in 13 seasons at Liverpool, said a lot of former players were concerned by Liverpool's slide this season. They are 19 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, and are out of the FA Cup and Carling Cup.

"The ex-players are all hurt - Ian Rush, Sammy Lee, Gary Gillespie, John Aldridge, Alan Kennedy, David Johnson. When we are together, that's what we talk about," he told the Straits Times newspaper.

"The rotation policy simply has to stop. Bob Paisley once said 'football is a simple game made complicated by players and coaches'. It's all about picking the best team and letting them get on with it in the park."

Grobbelaar, in Singapore as a television pundit, added that American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett were right to make an approach to Jürgen Klinsmann earlier this season. "In business, if the manager is doing badly, the big bosses have every right to interview potential candidates to take over," he said.

"Why can't football be the same? Liverpool are not getting results. It's right for the Americans to talk to Klinsmann."

Following victory over Inter Milan, Benitez was quick to seize on the chance to defend his rotation policy. "I rotate because I want to win. I have explained several times that you need to change players if you want to keep them all fresh," he said.

I don't like his tone.  I suppose we'll see his comments after the Champions League final when we bring home Number 6.

I don't like his tone.  I suppose we'll see his comments after the Champions League final when we bring home Number 6.

We really do need No. 6 and also a good premiership finish (1st - 3rd)

"Why can't football be the same? Liverpool are not getting results. It's right for the Americans to talk to Klinsmann."

I have to say that I have the upmost respect for Bruce, and all that he has done for, and achieved with, Liverpool football club. But despite all the time he has spent surrounded by many of the greatest players in our history, he doesn't seem to have understood when to keep his trap shut! I think enough of our past players have slated Rafa and his supposed obsession with rotation, there really isn't any more for them to add to this particular topic of discussion. If they really want the best for the team then they shouldn't undermine the manager's position at a critical point of the season.

Many of us have made the point previously that the key to a team advancing in the league (Chelski excepted) is sticking by your manager and not changing every six months. I start to lose respect for players when they speak up like this, players who I admired and looked up to as a boy. I agree that we haven't been getting the league results we should have this season, but I disagree with this recent trend of players disrespecting Rafa's decisions publicly, and also feel that dragging up the old argument of "rotation" is a vast over-simpification of our current position.

Past legends cannot be wrong, can they? They've been there and seen it all before and it is not the opinion of a few. They have played under very tough and demanding managers and expected no less than 100% commitment in every game from every player on the field. One very pertinent point "'football is a simple game made complicated by players and coaches'. It is Rafa that has made it complicated with his over analytical of tactics and rotational policies and got the players all confused, not to mention over worrying over the opponents to the extend we gave them far too much respect that they mauled us in return. Unless Rafa mend his ways I'm afraid it's going to be the same old story all over again in the next season, regardless of whoever star players that comes on board. Take for instance Babel can really do hell of a damge on the right wing or as striker but Rafa consistently and persistently play him out of position, next he gets substituted, poor Babel, out of frustration he may ask for a transfer to the Arse. If such fanciful tactic works we should see the scums park Giggs fulltime on the right wing. Rafa is simply too fanciful for his own good.

When is it going to hit home.

Rafa doesn't rotate more than other managers chasing EPL & CL - it's our depth of quality in the squad, together with key injuries... and most importantly non-performing players that have combined in our down fall in the chase for the league title this season.

Blaming Rafa, a man that has put game plans together to create between 15-25 chances per game, is not the answer... scoring from those chances is the freaking answer!

I have to say that I have the upmost respect for Bruce, and all that he has done for, and achieved with, Liverpool football club. But despite all the time he has spent surrounded by many of the greatest players in our history, he doesn't seem to have understood when to keep his trap shut! I think enough of our past players have slated Rafa and his supposed obsession with rotation, there really isn't any more for them to add to this particular topic of discussion. If they really want the best for the team then they shouldn't undermine the manager's position at a critical point of the season.

Many of us have made the point previously that the key to a team advancing in the league (Chelski excepted) is sticking by your manager and not changing every six months. I start to lose respect for players when they speak up like this, players who I admired and looked up to as a boy. I agree that we haven't been getting the league results we should have this season, but I disagree with this recent trend of players disrespecting Rafa's decisions publicly, and also feel that dragging up the old argument of "rotation" is a vast over-simpification of our current position.

Good point. The problem is you made Grobbelaar's comments look like I said it.

When is it going to hit home.

Rafa doesn't rotate more than other managers chasing EPL & CL - it's our depth of quality in the squad, together with key injuries... and most importantly non-performing players that have combined in our down fall in the chase for the league title this season.

Blaming Rafa, a man that has put game plans together to create between 15-25 chances per game, is not the answer... scoring from those chances is the freaking answer!

Very good point.

Ahh, Bruce Grobbelaar - the man who managed x to win x.

(Replace x with F**k all)

Rafa doesn't rotate more than other managers

Exactly! All this talk of Rafa rotating is making me think of chickens:



Anyone else think that this could be Rafa on the spit and the flames being "Grobbelaar's blast"? (Without the goatee of course). Or am I losing it big time?

 

Ahh, Bruce Grobbelaar - the man who managed x to win x.

(Replace x with F**k all)

Ahh, Bruce Grobbelaar - the man who always received that loving phone call from Malaysia at about 1445 on a Saturday ...and then at 1450 called his good mate John Fashanu at Wimbledon to make another loving good luck (coded) call ...such love. Bli$$ ...we are in the (fixed) results business after all aren't we Brucey... you bent b***ard... in my book you have no place in our hearts or memories.

Sorry Brucie your wrong and we no longer live in the 80's,football has moved on since your day and tired players are rested in the modern game to recharge the battery's but you know this,so your either mischief making or trying to put a spoke on today's players and has you spend hardly any time here I'll put you down for the former but why your doing it at this time is bloody well beyond me...

Sorry Brucie your wrong and we no longer live in the 80's,football has moved on since your day and tired players are rested in the modern game to recharge the battery's but you know this,so your either mischief making or trying to put a spoke on today's players and has you spend hardly any time here I'll put you down for the former but why your doing it at this time is bloody well beyond me...

...add Ronnie Whelan and Tommy Smith to the black-list... oh how can I forget Jamie Redknapp...but then again, he was only a red legend in his own wet dreams.

Maybe they all thought they would have little jobs lined up at the club one day...?

you bent b***ard... in my book you have no place in our hearts or memories.

Whoah there. Put that sangria down amigo. Brucie isn't a homesexual is he? 

Although he was a hero of mine in 84 and was part of a beast of a Liverpool team for many years, his comments fall on deaf ears with me. Take no notice. That's his opinion and while our league form is not what it should be, people will look for reasons. The easiest one is rotation. Especially to players who played in the past.

Simple, how many Liverpool legends have criticised Rafa, and how many haven't?

The thing is you only get to hear about the one's that do criticise him, no newspaper's gonna release a story saying 'Phil Thompson had nothing bad to say about Rafa this week'. So even though they're in the minority they have the loudest voice. The majority of people that know their stuff know that Rafa's the right man.

(In a samcharles style) END OFF,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

like it or not, every body is entitled to thier opinion. you don't have to slag people off personally just because thier opinion is different from yours. I for one don't believe in rotating players just for resting them, unless they are knackered. After three or four games, if they're knackered I suggest they look for another career. In stead of rotating for the tactical reasons of countering the oposition, bollocks to that, play your strongest team and be positive. Let the opposition worry about how they are going to stop us, not the other way round. Can any one  name the last team to win the Prem, who rotated as much as Rafa and continually rested thier top players ?
 I can, there F***ing isn't one, and probably won't ever be one either.

Have your opinions just  dont go shouting your mouth off publicly about it. Everyone going on about liverpool dont do their business publicly and all these former players coming out giving the perfect example arent they.

Can any one  name the last team to win the Prem, who rotated as much as Rafa and continually rested thier top players ?

Man Utd last season - 118 changes
Chelsea the season  before - 118 changes
Rafa last season - 118 changes

^^^^^^ Take Note ^^^

I wish people would look at stats before running their mouths.