by rogernumber10 » Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:51 am
We always see the most of this type of play in the early part of recent seasons over the last decade or so, particularly in the pre-season when clubs have up to four more guys on the bench, are playing shorter quarters, are not yet weighed down by the niggle injuries that occur over a long season and the grounds and weather are warm and fast.
Once we get into the year, there are only four on the bench (less to run through the midfield), playing longer normal quarters (more time in the match making it harder to run in groups around the ball), players are developing little niggles (not enough to keep you out of the game but enough maybe to stop you getting to as many contests in a match and create extra pack situations) and we get some wetter weather (at least we used to, before global warming made it summer / autumn for 11 months of the year).
Against that, clubs are constantly working on player fitness and using rotations so much that players hit the wall later and later in games, and are able to keep up this rolling maul for longer and longer, until one team breaks the other.
As a purely personal view, I reckon we have to make 1-2 of the bench as subs, for use when you have a game-ending injury or want to take a player out of the game, and only have 2-3 interchange and not four, so the ability of clubs to constantly run players through the midfield is reduced.
That way, we reward our fittest and best players and also try and return the game to a contest of 18 against 18, with back up players, instead of the current trend where it's a game of 22 against 22, with just 18 happening to be on the field at any one time.
Roger Woodcock -- 602 goals from a forward flank makes you a legend.