Final Day Team Selections

Warper

What with the final day of the PL this Sunday, Man Utd are understandably going to field a second string team. The problem is they are going to be playing Hull - a team fourth from bottom fighting relegation. If Hull beat a weakened Utd obviously this opens up a can of worms with people questioning the integrity of the League.

I am just wondering is their any law or rule that objects to this and could Utd be open for some sort of punishment? Obviously this happens everywhere and Barcelona too will be fielding a second-string team this weekend. Utd and Barcelona have their biggest game of the season next Wed so it makes sense to rest players but I cant remember anyone ever been punished for this.

PS just think of the scenes at Newcastle if they win and Hull beat a weakened Utd. :eek:

28064212

Already been a bit of discussion in the Man United superthread, but here goes:

The PL rule states: In every League Match each participating Club shall field a full strength team

In United's case, what does a "full-strength team" mean? If United play a not fully-fit Rio to get match fitness, is that under-strength? What if United put out the team that will play in Rome, but nobody wants to put in a tackle in case they get injured (a pretty legitimate tactic in light of the fact that the Hull game means nothing)? There are a thousand differing interpretations of what the rule could mean.

And even if the PL sided with one of the relegated clubs (ridiculously unlikely), Ferguson could just go back through every side that team put out, find a single match where they rested a player, and sue them right back

joker77

There's nothing in the laws of the game to say a team has to field their strongest side.

Sure look what Arsenal do in the Carling cup (or whatever it's called these days).

I'm a Liverpool fan, but Ferguson is well within his right to rest the players he needs to rest on Sunday and give those who might feature next Wednesday and need the fitness a run instead.

Whoever goes down, it's tough, but you cannot blame 1 manager's team selection for 1 single game. The league is 38 games, complaining over United fielding a weakened team is just deflecting why you are in that position in the first place.

gimmick

If they are in the squad they are part of a full strength team IMO.

Plus, Newcastle and Middlesborough will not be relegated because an understrength Man U loses to Hull, it will be because of awful performances for the majority of the previous 37 games.

And would SAF or Pep Guardiola feel that bit better after his team loses on Wednesday because he fielded his first choice team the previous weekend? Would they fúck.

No sympathy.

Mitch Connor

i can understand why fans we be annoyed - they had to face a 'full strength' United side twice so why shouldn't Hull. It is a simple and understandable question.

Personally I think it would be irresponsible of Fergie to select his strongest side. His responsibility is to Manchester United, and United's priority is clearly going to be the CL final, not Hull on the last day. It has happened plenty of times before. Fulham stayed up last season and people could point to Liverpool playing a weakened side against them in the run up to a CL semi. Hell, just look at United vs West Ham. Sheffield United tried everything they could to get the money they felt they were owed but never went after United for fielding a weakened side.

Another big issue, for me, is the fact whoever United field on Sunday is a United player, and is paid to play for United. What gives anyone else the right to say United should not actually play someone in their squad.

mike65

I'll just pluck this now and then from Mr Warnock Esq out of the Liverpool thread. Thanks to PiE

kmart6

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Kuszczak

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Neville

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Evans

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Rio

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Rafeal

Nani

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Fletcher

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Gibson

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Giggs/Tosic

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Wellbeck

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Macheda


Good enough to beat many a PL team never mind just Hull!!!

loyatemu

Mitch Connor wrote: »

i can understand why fans we be annoyed - they had to face a 'full strength' United side twice so why shouldn't Hull. It is a simple and understandable question.

such are the vagaries of league football - Arsenal put a good few teams to the sword after they signed Arshavin in January, a number of other teams had already played them twice by then. Players get injured, teams lose form, managers have other priorities (as is the case here) - it should even itself out, in reality it probably doesn't but there still not much you can do about it...

Mad Dog

Warper wrote: »

PS just think of the scenes at Newcastle if they win and Hull beat a weakened Utd. :eek:

Well if that happens then chances are Sunderland will be relegated so weakened teams won't be an issue then. As for Man U playin' a so called weakened team, I reckon their 2nd choice will beat 80/90% of the teams in the premiership. Teams get relegated because they are not good enough over 38 games, not just the last one.

bullpost

It would be ridiculous of UTD to field a full strength team and unfair to ask them to do it.
Its understood that any competition you enter will effectively be over for you if you win it.
To ask you to compete beyond that point is not logical. To risk injury to valuable players who will be needed next season to help you compete in the same competition is unrealistic.

joker77

gimmick wrote: »

If they are in the squad they are part of a full strength team IMO.

I think this sums it up.

5starpool

The way of the world unfortunately. If Newcastle were in the same position (OK, FA cup final for some realism) they would do exactly the same thing.

legs11

The Man U babies who lost to Everton at wembley.

The team that finished the game cost wayy more than the Everton squad that day.

Man U have got talent all over the place. Their 2nd string would easily finish well in the top half of the table i reckon.

Hull have to win, hard one to call. prob a draw

Morzadec

loyatemu wrote: »

such are the vagaries of league football - Arsenal put a good few teams to the sword after they signed Arshavin in January, a number of other teams had already played them twice by then. Players get injured, teams lose form, managers have other priorities (as is the case here) - it should even itself out, in reality it probably doesn't but there still not much you can do about it...

Good post. That's just the way the chips fall. United have every right to play a weakened team and it is (as Loyatemu is pointing out) not too different to certain teams having the luck to have played Liverpool without a fit Torres or Gerrard. Hull have the luck of playing a United team that has happened to have wrapped up the title.

The luck doesn't neccessarily even itself out - this is a myth. But there's certainly no way of regulating it and United are obviously going to field a weakened team.

I still think United go into this game as favorites. They showed against Everton that their second string are no mugs.

event

people are aware that there are 37 other games in the season which they can win

if hull beat united, that wont be why newcastle go down, it is because they have won 7 out of 38 games and are ****e

eirebhoy

Hull are probably unlucky that they'll be playing a team who'll give their all to impress the manager, rather than a team with nothing to play for.

CHD

event wrote: »

people are aware that there are 37 other games in the season which they can win

if hull beat united, that wont be why newcastle go down, it is because they have won 7 out of 38 games and are ****e

This. also..

Ronaldo will probably cry if he doesn't get some time on the pitch to claim the golden boot.

Highsider

Hard luck on Newcastle TBH. can only imagine ferguson will field a weakend team as is his right with the European Cup final only days away. Can only imagine the scenes at Newcastle if Hull beat united.:pac:

Boggles

CHD wrote: »

This. also..

Ronaldo will probably cry if he doesn't get some time on the pitch to claim the golden boot.

Alot more tears if he got injured for the final i'd say.

Boggles

Highsider wrote: »

Hard luck on Newcastle TBH.

Hardluck on Newcastle?

IF they go down they deserve to, it's nothing to do with anyone else.

Highsider

Boggles wrote: »

Hardluck on Newcastle?

IF they go down they deserve to, it's nothing to do with anyone else.

lol never miss a chance huh

Boggles

Highsider wrote: »

lol never miss a chance huh

No I suppose you don't.

Juan Pablo

This is nonsense. Utd have earned the right to field whoever the hell they please by winning the league with a game remaining. Look at Barca at the weekend, once they saw on Saturday evening that Madrid had lost, they fielded a weakend side with the like of Pedro and Oier in the starting XI. It happens every year. Tough luck Newcastle if Hull do get a result, its their own fault for letting the club decend into a farce.

Guy:Incognito

What would be the point in having loads of players in a squad if your not allowed use them? They are part of the squad and are entitled to a game as much as anyone else. If the manager decides to then its his choice.

Otherwise restrict PL squads to 18 and allow 1 or 2 swaps for big injuries.

Dave!

tbh I would think it'd cause more of a fuss if Ferguson fields a strong team (rather than the kids, with maybe a couple of senior players), and Hull would feel agrieved in that situation.

Can't please all of the people all of the time...

Ferguson should just think about his own team and what's best for it, and forget about the other teams.

Mitch Connor

The question really comes into play if it is felt a team plays a weakened side in a deliberate attempt to lose the match and effect the outcome of the league negitively for another side. If there was a suggestion that Ferguson was preparing to field a weakened side purely to send newcastle, boro or sunderland down as opposed to Hull I would be outraged to be honest - that type of thing is not on. In this instance, United are preparing for a massive game with only 2 full, inclusive of travel time, days between it and the Hull game. If the league wasn't an extra week long this year I reckon we'd be seeing a stronger United side.

kida

Mitch Connor wrote: »

The question really comes into play if it is felt a team plays a weakened side in a deliberate attempt to lose the match and effect the outcome of the league negitively for another side. If there was a suggestion that Ferguson was preparing to field a weakened side purely to send newcastle, boro or sunderland down as opposed to Hull I would be outraged to be honest - that type of thing is not on. In this instance, United are preparing for a massive game with only 2 full, inclusive of travel time, days between it and the Hull game. If the league wasn't an extra week long this year I reckon we'd be seeing a stronger United side.

+1, they should sue UEFA for bringing the CL forward or the league for moving out the last games by a week (not sure which it is). There is no way the final shoudl be a few days after the league ends.

Mitch Connor

kida wrote: »

+1, they should sue UEFA for bringing the CL forward or the league for moving out the last games by a week (not sure which it is). There is no way the final shoudl be a few days after the league ends.

Has to have been the domestic campaign pushed back - CL final is always around this date. Not sure why the domestic season was pushed back, were there international games that the FA accommodated by pushing the season back?

5starpool

Season started later, and finished later as there is no major international tournie this summer (not counting confederations cup as only a couple of european teams in this).

kida

5starpool wrote: »

Season started later, and finished later as there is no major international tournie this summer (not counting confederations cup as only a couple of european teams in this).

surely the CL final should be moved also then or the PL not moved

eirebhoy

eirebhoy wrote: »

Hull are probably unlucky that they'll be playing a team who'll give their all to impress the manager, rather than a team with nothing to play for.

Ferguson agrees:
"The players wouldn’t forgive me if I played the strongest team on Sunday. They would say: ‘What?’ It would be the best thing that could happen to Hull, really. They would relish that."

Shanotheslayer

Highsider wrote: »

lol never miss a chance huh

Newcastle usually do