Hughes intends to start rotating!
"The games are coming thick and fast at the moment and I have to be mindful of that. We will have to use the squad, because it’s a big ask going into European games, Carling Cup games and some very difficult Premier League games"What mark of a better team than to be able to do this? If we are to be successful in all four competitions this year, we're going to have to use lots of players.
Just look at the number of players who made a significant number of starts last year for Everton, who reached the League Cup semis and UEFA Cup last 16 (not, as before, Quarter Finals):
In descending order of starts in all competitions:
Lescott 52, Neville 49, Carsley 48, Howard 46, Jagielka 39, Yobo 37, Osman 36, Pienaar 36, Yakubu 35, Arteta 34, Hibbert 29, Johnson 29, Cahill 27, Baines 18, McFadden 14, Valente 14, Anichebe 13, Fernandes 11, Stubbs 10, Wessels 7, Gravesen 3, Vaughan 1
Or Spurs: who also got to the UEFA Cup last 16 (same correction as before) but also won the League Cup:
Malbranque 52, Berbatov 48, Chimbonda 48, Keane 46, Jenas 43, Zokora 39, Dawson 38, Robinson 37, Lee 29, Huddlestone 27, Kaboul 26, Cerny 20, Woodgate 17, Hutton 15, Bent 15, O'Hara 12, Tainio 12, King 10, Boateng 10, Bale 10, Defoe 8, Gardner 6, Stalteri 5, Gilberto 4, Rocha 4, Assou-Ekotto 2, Gunter 2, Routledge 1.
(Stats from soccerbase.com)
So if we want to do at all well this year, we will have to use our squad wisely.
Who knows, Elano may even get a game.
UPDATE 13.49 Eagle-eyed commenter points out basic factual error regarding UEFA Cup progress, corrected...
3 comments:
Actually, both Everton and Spurs went out in the UEFA Cup round of 16.
Touché
Who knows, Elano may even get a game."
Harsh!!
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