Resting key players

I agree with what you are saying , but we only have 2 midweek games before Christmas. In that run you can include a Setanta Sheild game and a Trophy game aswell. I think with this slightly relaxed schedule of 1 game per week the key players can cope.

I think Sills looks very jaded this season so far, wether Buckle will rest these key players in the sheild or (draw pending) throphy matches we will see.

I think most Of us felt last season, that Bucks just wanted to keep his favorites playing, no matter what. Some felt that come the end Of the season many players were simply worn out and this also played apart, In the team not winning promotion.

My view was that I did agree that some players seemed to be picked, no matter what their form Or fitness and changes Or substitutions, were not made when they should have been.

I would hope apart from many Other lessons Bucks would have had to learn, after his first season, was the need to pick a team, based purely on form and fitness.

Sean once said that Bucks be dammed If he does and dammed If he doesn't and he Is 100% correct In what he says.So Bucks decides to rest a key player and then lose the game, fans will blame the fact that the player was rested. keep the player In when its clear he Is not really up to the game and lose again, Bucks will also get the blame for that, yet again.

I really find It hard to believe that fit and trained professional footballers, should not be able to play a whole season Of football.The game Is only one and a half hours long, once a week and sometimes twice a week.Look at any tennis match On TV, sorry but I think the demands On a tennis player In a big game, that could last hours, Is far greater that a football player.

During a football game the player gets plenty Of rest time, say when the ball Is up the other end Of the pitch, a tennis player has to work non stop during his game.

I also believe football players have a big part to play In this, as they know how fit they are. Yes they may want to play every game and some will tell the boss, they are fit and ready, when they may not be. Doing so when not really fit, will weaken any team and I'm sure most players would not want to harm the teams chances, by being the weakest link.

The FA cup, we should have the strongest and best team out on the park, the same for all league games, but the other cups that really do not mean that much, should be the time the main players are rested. We also need to get more games for the players who are not making the team, friendlies etc, they need to be match ready and match sharp, so when they may be needed, they can come straight In and do a job.

All sports make different demands on individuals and in my opinion it is both impossible and unfair to make comparison between individuals in those different sports.

Whilst tennis players don't have to face getting lumps kicked out of them, neither do footballers have to apply the incessent mental agility and concentration that most solo sportsmen are required to give. Mental application is exhausting...............ask any professional goalkeeper who will come off the field just as tired as his team mates.

But then having physical confrontation with opponents is equally wearing in a different way.

Some of the fittest amateur sportsmen I came across were my fellow cycling club members who left me ruminating, how whilst you could get away with a Hackney Marsh Sunday League game after a night on the town; you certainly couldn't hack even the most modest Essex League Road Race without the most stringent of training regimes and social sacrifices.

You might be surprised too, at the training regime I used to follow when I was refereeing...................and to see most of those guys these days leaves me perfectly aware how much fitter THEY are than I ever was!

Football has moved on a lot since you and I played it Dave, players at ALL levels would leave us dead for pace.

Meeting Johann Cruyff the other day lead me to recall his famous "Cruyff Turn" - he was almost alone in the world being able to do that then back in the seventies. Now when I watch my seven year old being coached, both he and most of his mates can do that - no problem. When I tried it the other night, there was an ominous "crack" and now I'm feeling the effects

My little boy does things with a ball that I never dreamed of, and I in return hope and pray that he never dreams of doing some of the things I did

The main reason so many players "burn out" now before the season is over isn't through lack of fitness, it's because of the ever increasing demands on their minds and bodies.

Equally, professional clubs (and even non professional) have invested a lot in knowledge, equipment and attitude towards the avoidance of physical deterioration and that is why we often see players being substituted well before the end of a match..............those responsible know far more about the individual, what injury he may be carrying or might be susceptible to than the "terrace expert" berating him for being soft.

Perhaps they make more demands in some ways than football - I certainly agree that many of the sprinters, marathon runners, boxers, rowers, weight-lifters amongst many other sports have their own demands, but look at the demands of running on very wet grass / mud, turning your body (and the effects that has on your joints, muscles and tendons). It's about being ""fit for purpose" and I think that each sport has it's own recovery periods and conditioning requirements.
**EDIT** - I failed to spot Merse's post before I wrote the above! Yep, agree with that.
The problem is how to pick a side that rests key players at the right time without exposing the team to the risk of losing momentum. One of the many tough choices that faces a managerr when he is chosing his matchday 16.

Anyway - with regards to Charran, I think he is a real advert for the likes of me to attend some youth team matches.
To think that about 5 years ago we abolished our set-up.
It didn't feel like a shame to me at the time because we simply were not producing the sort of talent that we had done before (and certainly nothing like the more bankable players that we picked-up for free from other clubs after that club had made the investment in developing). It's always impossible to say for sure where the problem lay, but I felt that it down to the "cut-back culture" of our club's ownership at the time.
There have been some people critical of Paul Compton in his time at TUFC, but he produced some great young players for a club of our level - if only we could lure John James back as well!!!
To expect too much of the new young talent would be unfair - but I'm sure that Compo, Matt Williams and Robbie Herrera will produce some talent that we can be proud of, although I do fear that the financial setback that losing the sponsorship (for whatever reason) could stunt the growth of the programme.

I believe he already has a good reputation for spotting/producing young talent. Did he also not achieve success doing this at Cardiff???

I'm glad someone else has mentioned the young lad Charran.
I know he was only on for 5 minutes, against a tiring team who were already beaten, but i thought he looked the part. Has a good physique , looked confident and although he only had possession 3 times, he took players on and had the vision to look up and square it to Benyon, although given a few more minutes on the pitch i think he would have taken the shot himself.
I agree with an earlier post about now wanting to take in some youth games.
The Youth set up appears to be working already, with some promising youngsters starting to come to the fore. It would be a shame if this was to be derailed due to some fall out/disagreement/squabbling/whatever.